Baklava is a traditional Turkish treat made of layers of filo pastry filled with chopped walnuts or pistachios and then soaked with simple syrup. My Homemade Turkish Baklava Recipe is perfect for you if you want to know how to make this authentic and delicious dessert from scratch.
This recipe requires making baklava dough and rolling it out into filo sheets but the good news is that it is not as hard as you think and the result is totally worth it.
It is still traditional in Turkish culture today to make Baklava from scratch, especially during festive celebrations like weddings or religious events like Eid.
Other than special occasions, people usually buy baklava from shops instead of making them at home. The use of ready-made filo pastries to make this traditional dessert is not very common in Turkey.
If you want to learn how to make baklava with ready-made filo pastries, check my The Best Baklava Cheesecake and Easy Turkish Pistachio Baklava recipes.
How to Make Baklava?
I must warn you, don’t start making it if you are short of time. It does take time and patience to make these delicious sweets.
If you want to treat your family on special occasions or celebrations like Christmas or Eid and if you have enough cravings for good baklava, then this is the perfect homemade Turkish baklava recipe for you!
To achieve the best results, follow step-by-step instructions and watch my video tutorial.
Prepare the Dough
Place the eggs in a medium-sized bowl and then add the milk, vegetable oil, vinegar, yogurt, baking powder, and salt, and stir until combined.
Gradually add the flour to form a soft dough. The amount of flour might vary depending on your location or the humidity of the room.
Transfer the dough to a lightly floured work surface and knead it for a few minutes until it doesn't stick to your hands and it is elastic.
Use the minimum amount of flour possible to keep the dough soft. Shape the dough into a ball and return it to the bowl.
Cover and let it rest for 15 minutes. Prepare the syrup while resting the dough.
Prepare the Simple Syrup
Place the water and sugar in a pan and put on medium heat. Stir it until the sugar dissolves, bring it to a boil, and let it gently boil for 15 minutes.
Add a few drops of lemon juice, let it simmer for a few more minutes, and then remove the pan from heat. Let it cool down while making the filo pastries.
Roll Out the Filo Pastries and Build Baklava
Divide the dough into 36 small balls (30 grams each) and group them into 3 of 12 balls. I would recommend using a digital kitchen scale but you can do it by the eye if you prefer. Cover the balls with a clean cloth and let them rest for another 10 minutes before rolling them out.
Take two of the balls and dip them into the cornstarch. Roll them to a size of a small plate, sprinkle generously with cornstarch over them, and put them on one another.
Roll them out together as thinly as possible to a size of 33 cm Ø. Use more starch when needed to avoid them sticking. Place them on a 33 cm (13") Ø baking tray. Trim the sides if needed and place the trimmings on top of the filo pastries.
Repeat the same until you finish the first group of the dough balls (12 balls will make 6 filo sheets in total).
Sprinkle half of the crushed walnuts over the built-up layers of filo sheets, and spread them evenly.
Start rolling the second group of dough balls and place them on top of the walnuts. You should have 6 more filo sheets made from 12 balls.
Finish assembling the baklava by rolling your last group of dough balls into filo sheets and placing them on top of the crushed walnuts.
Bake the Baklava and Soak it in Syrup
Preheat your oven to 180° C. Cut your baklava into diamond shapes or squares using a sharp knife. Make sure you cut all the way through to the bottom layer.
You can adjust the size of the pieces to your liking but I usually get about 50 to 55 pieces out of a tray size of 33 cm (13") Ø.
Melt the butter in a saucepan, get rid of the milky bit on the bottom to clarify it, and add the vegetable oil. Pour the clarified butter and vegetable oil mixture evenly on top of the baklava.
It might look like too much butter but it will all be absorbed by the filo pastries and it will turn them into golden crispy layers of deliciousness.
Place the baklava tray into the hot oven (180° C fan oven) and bake for 15 minutes. Reduce the heat to 160°C and bake it for another 45 minutes or until it is golden brown on top. Also, check if the bottom layers are cooked through.
Remove the baklava from the oven and slowly pour the cooled syrup over it when still hot. Again, it might look like the baklava is swimming in the syrup but it all will be absorbed by the filo pastries in less than an hour.
Let the baklava soak in syrup overnight. It will taste better on the 2nd day and even better on the 3rd day.
Please scroll down to the recipe card below for the full ingredients list with measurements, complete recipe method, recipe notes, and nutritional information.
Related Recipes
For more authentic Turkish recipes why not try:
You can store baklava at room temperature for up to 5 days, in the fridge for up to 1 week, or in the freezer for up to 3 months. It should be stored in an airtight container to preserve freshness.
Baklava was invented in Turkey during the Ottoman Empire but today, many Meditteranean and Middle Eastern countries have their own versions of it. Some countries use honey, cinnamon, or almonds which are not traditional ingredients for Turkish baklava.
Baklava is full of nutrition if you make it at home (so that you know what goes in there). It is considered healthy as long as you eat it in moderation (like everything else). I wouldn't suggest you eat lots of it if you are trying to lose weight.
Top Tips From the Chef
- Make sure you knead the filo dough until it is soft and elastic.
- Keep the dough balls covered to avoid them drying.
- Use a generous amount of starch while rolling out the pastries. Brush off any extra starch left at the end of the rolling out.
- Use a thin rolling pin called oklava. It makes rolling out the filo pastries much easier and quicker.
- There’s no need to brush butter on every sheet as some recipes suggest. Just stack the filo sheets and walnuts, cut the baklava, and pour the clarified butter over the top. It might look like it is too much butter but it will soak in.
- Cook the baklava on low heat slowly and thoroughly.
- Make sure the baklava is hot and the syrup is cooled down to room temperature before soaking it.
- Let the baklava soak for at least 10 hours before serving.
I hope you enjoy the process of making this authentic Turkish Baklava from scratch as much as you enjoy eating it! 🙂
Bon appétit! / Afiyet Olsun!
Homemade Turkish Baklava Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
For the Filo Dough
- 2 small eggs (lightly whisked)
- 1 cup milk (at room temperature) (237 ml)
- ½ cup vegetable oil (115 ml)
- 1 tablespoon yogurt
- 2 tablespoon white wine vinegar
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 pinch salt
- 600 g strong white flour
For the Syrup
- 4 cups water (900 ml)
- 4 cups sugar (900 grams)
- few drops of lemon juice
Extra ingredients for Building Baklava
- 400 g chopped walnuts (for filling between filo pastries)
- 200 g corn or wheat starch (for rolling out the filo pastries)
- 200 ml clarified butter + 115 ml vegetable oil
Instructions
Preparing the Dough
- Place the eggs in a medium-sized bowl and then add the milk, vegetable oil, vinegar, yogurt, baking powder, and salt, stir until combined.
- Gradually add the flour to form a soft dough. The amount of the flour might vary depending on your location or the humidity of the room.
- Transfer the dough to a lightly floured work surface and knead it for a few minutes until it doesn't stick to your hands and it is elastic.
- Use the minimum amount of flour possible to keep the dough soft. Shape the dough into a ball and return it to the bowl.
- Cover and let it rest for 15 minutes. Prepare the syrup while resting the dough.
Preparing the Simple Syrup
- Place the water and sugar in a pan and put on medium heat.
- Stir it until the sugar dissolves, bring it to a boil, and let it gently boil for 15 minutes.
- Add a few drops of lemon juice, let it simmer for a few more minutes, and then remove the pan from heat.
- Let it cool down while making the filo pastries.
Rolling Out the Filo Pastries and Building the Baklava
- Divide the dough into 36 small balls (30 grams each) and group them into 3 of 12 balls.
- Cover the balls with a clean cloth and let them rest for another 10 minutes before rolling them out.
- Take two of the balls and dip them into the corn starch. Roll them to a size of a small plate, sprinkle generously with corn starch over them, and put them on one another.
- Roll them out together as thinly as possible to a size of 33 cm (Ø. Use more starch when needed to avoid them sticking.
- Repeat the same until you finish the first group of the dough balls (12 balls will make 6 filo sheets in total).
- Sprinkle half of the crushed walnuts over the built-up layers of filo sheets, and spread them evenly.
- Start rolling the second group of dough balls and place them on top of the walnuts. You should have 6 more filo sheets made from 12 balls.
- Finish assembling the baklava by rolling your last group of dough balls into filo sheets and placing them on top of the crushed walnuts.
Bake the Baklava and Soak in Syrup
- Preheat your oven to 180 °C.
- Cut your baklava in diamond shapes or squares using a sharp knife. Make sure you cut all the way through to the bottom layer. You can adjust the size of the pieces to your liking but I usually get about 50 to 55 pieces out of a tray size of 33 cm (13") Ø.
- Melt the butter in a saucepan, get rid of the milky bit on the bottom to clarify it, and add the vegetable oil. Pour the clarified butter and vegetable oil mixture evenly on top of the baklava.
- Place the baklava tray into the hot oven (180° C fan oven) and bake for 15 minutes.
- Reduce the heat to 160°C and bake it for another 45 minutes or until it is golden brown on top. Also, check if the bottom layers are cooked through.
- Remove the baklava from the oven and slowly pour the cooled syrup over it when still hot.
- Let the baklava soak in syrup overnight.
Video
Nutrition
Food safety
- Cook to a minimum temperature of 165 °F (74 °C)
- Don't leave food sitting out at room temperature for extended periods
- Never leave cooking food unattended
- Use oils with high smoking point to avoid harmful compounds
- Always have good ventilation when using a gas stove
See more guidelines at USDA.gov.
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Did you make this recipe?
Please let me know how it turned out for you! Leave a comment below and tag @cookingorgeous on Instagram and hashtag it #cookingorgeous.
Ayca
My favourite Middle Eastern dessert. Thank you for sharing this lovely detailed recipe !
Suzanne
I will definitely give it a try this Ramadan. Video and pictures are very helpful!
Geraldine
I just made this and followed the direction exactly. A bit hard work but totally worth the effort. Family loved it!
Kathy
AMAZING. Follow directions and you will be wowed!
Claire
They look so delicious! and tempting...
Linda
Excellent recipe; the baklava was perfect with no adjustments. It looked nice, cut into diamond shapes.
Ayla Clulee
Thank you Linda, your feedback is really appreciated.
Best wishes
Ayla x
Eva
Looks so good! I am checking my ingredients’ to see what all I’ll need. I am super excited to create my first authentic Turkish dessert ever.
Darlene
I am going to rate it even though I have not tasted it because it does look great!
Mariana
This was an amazingly detailed recipe ! Very easy but time consuming. It was an excellent find and I can proudly say “Home made baklava” when I share it with my family!
Habibe
I just took the baklava out of the oven and poured the syrup on and heard the ‘sizzle’. They look and smell delicious. This is my first time making them. Overnight is a longtime to wait but we will! Thank you for a great recipe. I know I’ll make it again.
Jane
Made Baklava and it is Perfect!
The layers are flaky, the top is crispy and the sweetness is perfect. If you want a tender tasty desert please make and enjoy!
Barb
Second time making this. Yes it can be tedious but so worth it. This is by far the best recipe ever. Will never disappoint.
Hosam
This is a very good baklava!!!!! Made it - not as good as you - you are well experienced - but it came out really good - delicious! Wish I could roll like you!!!! Trying to get the roll-the-dough-on-the-rolling-pin technique - getting there - but not yet - and not as thin as you - but still came out good!
Ayla Clulee
So happy you liked it, thank you for your lovely comment, Hosam!