Brza Bosanska Baklava sa Orasima
Брза босанска баклава са орасима·(brza bosanska baklava sa orasima)
Slatkiši: Celebration Sweets
If you grew up in a Balkan household, the smell of toasted walnuts and lemon syrup bubbling on the stove means it’s a holiday. Making baklava the old way meant rolling dough so thin you could read a newspaper through it. Nobody has time for that anymore. This is the 'brza' (quick) version used by every modern auntie in the diaspora. It relies on store-bought phyllo and three non-negotiable rules: use clarified butter so the milk solids don't burn, add plain breadcrumbs to the nuts to mimic the traditional moisture-wicking 'tirit' crumb, and strictly follow the law of thermodynamics—hot pastry, cold syrup. Do this right, and it tastes exactly like home.
Before you start
Make the agda (syrup) first so it has time to chill.
Combine the 4 cups of sugar, water, and vanilla in a medium pot. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring just until the sugar dissolves. Simmer uncovered for 15 minutes, dropping in the lemon slices for the last 5 minutes. Transfer to a heat-proof bowl and refrigerate until completely cold.
Clarify the butter to make maslo.
Melt the butter in a small saucepan over very low heat without stirring. Skim off and discard the white foam rising to the top—these milk solids will burn and turn black during a long bake. Pour the remaining golden butter into a bowl and stir in the neutral oil.
Prepare the walnut filling with a dual texture.
Pulse half the walnuts in a food processor until finely ground like coarse sand, then pulse the remaining half just until roughly chopped. Combine them in a bowl with 2 tablespoons of sugar and the breadcrumbs, which act as a sponge to soak up the syrup and prevent the nuts from clumping into a greasy paste.
Ingredients
- granulated sugar4 cup
- water3 1/2 cup
- vanilla extract1 tsp
- lemon1/2 med
- phyllo dough1 lb
- raw walnuts1 lb
- plain unseasoned breadcrumbs1/4 cup
- granulated sugar2 tbsp
- unsalted butter1 cup
- neutral oil2 tbsp
Method
- 01
Build the base of the baklava.
Preheat your oven to 350°F (180°C) and brush a 9x13-inch pan with your butter mixture. Lay down one sheet of phyllo, brush it lightly but entirely with butter, and repeat until you have a sturdy foundation of 5 buttered sheets.
- 02
Alternate the phyllo and the walnut mixture.
Scatter a large handful of the walnut mixture evenly over the base. Place two sheets of phyllo over the nuts, brushing the top sheet generously with butter, and add another layer of walnuts. Repeat this sequence until you run out of the nut mixture.
- 03
Build the protective top crust.
Stack the remaining 4 to 5 sheets of phyllo on top, brushing every single layer with butter, including the very top sheet. Smooth the top with your hands, pressing down gently to compact the pastry.
- 04
Cut the baklava into classic diamond shapes before baking.
Using a very sharp knife, cut the pastry all the way down to the bottom of the pan into long parallel strips about 1.5 inches apart. Cut diagonal lines across the pan to create rombove (diamonds), and pour any remaining butter evenly into the cut lines.
- 05
Bake to dry out the pastry.
Bake in the center of the oven for 15 minutes until the top just begins to turn golden. Immediately lower the heat to 300°F (150°C) and bake for another 60 to 75 minutes. You are essentially drying the pastry out so every layer becomes incredibly crisp.
- 06
Drench the hot pastry with the cold syrup.
The moment you pull the screaming hot baklava out of the oven, immediately pour the completely chilled lemon syrup evenly over the top. You should hear a loud, satisfying sizzle as the crisp dough drinks the liquid.
- 07
Let the baklava rest at room temperature.
Do not eat it yet, and do not put it in the fridge, or the butter will congeal and turn cloudy. Let it sit at room temperature for at least 4 hours, preferably overnight, to allow the syrup to fully penetrate the layers and set.
Notes
Buy the right dough.
Seek out #4 thickness phyllo dough in the freezer section. Thicker versions used for savory pies will yield a heavy, doughy dessert.
The ghee shortcut.
To skip clarifying the butter entirely, simply melt 1 cup of store-bought ghee and stir in the 2 tablespoons of neutral oil.
From Cook Balkan in America.