Pistachio Baklava with Honey Syrup

Name: Pistachio Baklava with Honey Syrup
Prep time: 1 h 5 min
Cook time: 1 h
Total time: 2 h 5 min
Yield: 24 servings
Cuisine: Turkish
Ingredients: 1 lb package (454 g) phyllo dough (14×18-inch sheets, about 40 half-sheets after cutting), thawed in the refrigerator for 24 hours, then at room temperature for 1 hour; 1½ cups (3 sticks) (340 g) unsalted butter, melted, with the white foam skimmed off; 3 cups (375 g) raw unsalted shelled pistachios, finely chopped to the texture of coarse crumbs, with some pieces the size of rice grains; 2 tablespoons (25 g) granulated sugar; ½ teaspoon (1½ g) ground cinnamon; ⅛ teaspoon (¾ g) fine salt; 1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar; 1 cup (240 ml) water; ½ cup (170 g) honey; 1 tablespoon (15 ml) fresh lemon juice; 1 wide strip (about 3 inches / 8 cm long) (3 g) lemon peel, peeled with a vegetable peeler, white pith avoided; 1 teaspoon (5 ml) rose water (optional); 2 tablespoons (15 g) raw unsalted shelled pistachios, finely ground or very finely chopped

From the MyKitchenBank Kitchen

Crisp, shatteringly flaky layers of buttered phyllo wrapped around a spiced pistachio filling, soaked in a lemony honey syrup. This 9×13-inch pan makes 24 generous pieces and gets better after a long rest.

Prep: 1 hr 5 min
Cook: 1 hr
Wait: 4 hr
Total: 6 hr 5 min
Makes: 1 pan (24 pieces)

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Ingredients

24 servings

For the baklava
1 lb package (454 g) phyllo dough (14×18-inch sheets, about 40 half-sheets after cutting), thawed in the refrigerator for 24 hours, then at room temperature for 1 hour
1½ cups (3 sticks) (340 g) unsalted butter, melted, with the white foam skimmed off
For the filling
3 cups (375 g) raw unsalted shelled pistachios, finely chopped to the texture of coarse crumbs, with some pieces the size of rice grains
2 tablespoons (25 g) granulated sugar
½ teaspoon (1.5 g) ground cinnamon
⅛ teaspoon (0.8 g) fine salt
For the syrup
1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar
1 cup (240 ml) water
½ cup (170 g) honey
1 tablespoon (15 ml) fresh lemon juice
1 wide strip (about 3 inches / 8 cm long) (3 g) lemon peel, peeled with a vegetable peeler, white pith avoided
1 teaspoon (5 ml) rose water (optional)
To finish
2 tablespoons (15 g) raw unsalted shelled pistachios, finely ground or very finely chopped

Equipment (8)

9×13-inch (23×33 cm) metal baking pan
Pastry brush
Small saucepan (2-quart / 2 liter) for the butter
Medium saucepan (2-quart / 2 liter) for the syrup
Food processor or sharp chef's knife
Long, sharp knife (for cutting)
Clean kitchen towel and plastic wrap
Ruler or the pan itself, for trimming the phyllo

Steps

Before you start

Thaw the phyllo in its unopened package in the refrigerator for 24 hours. Then leave it on the counter, still sealed, for 1 hour before using. Phyllo thawed too quickly turns gummy and tears.
Plan on at least 4 hours of resting after baking. The syrup needs that time to soak in and the pastry needs it to crisp. Overnight is even better.
Make the syrup first so it is cool when the baklava comes out of the oven. Hot pastry plus cool syrup is what keeps the layers crisp.
Have a damp (not wet) kitchen towel and plastic wrap ready to cover the phyllo while you work.

1
Make the syrup
- In a medium saucepan, combine the syrup sugar, water, honey, lemon juice and lemon peel.
- Stir over medium heat until the sugar dissolves, then bring to a boil.
- Reduce to medium-low and simmer gently, without stirring, for 10 minutes.
- Remove from the heat, discard the peel, and stir in the rose water if using.
- Set aside to cool to room temperature while you assemble the baklava.
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Ready when: The syrup is slightly thickened and coats the back of a spoon but still pours easily. It will thicken more as it cools.
Tip: Don't stir once it boils. Stirring can make the sugar crystallize.
2
Clarify the butter
- Melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium-low heat.
- Let it sit off the heat for 2 minutes, then skim the white foam from the surface with a spoon.
- Keep the butter warm and liquid.
- Leave the milky solids at the bottom of the pan behind if you can.
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Ready when: The butter is completely melted and the surface is clear and golden.
Tip: Skimming the foam gives crisper, less greasy layers.
3
Prep pan and phylloOven 350°F / 175°C
- Heat the oven to 350°F (175°C) with a rack in the center.
- Brush the bottom and sides of a 9×13-inch (23×33 cm) pan with melted butter.
- Unroll the phyllo and stack the sheets.
- Cut the whole stack in half crosswise with a sharp knife to make two stacks of about 9×14-inch (23×35 cm) pieces.
- Trim to fit the pan if needed.
- Cover the stacks with plastic wrap and a damp towel.
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Ready when: The sheets fit the pan with no more than ½ inch (1 cm) of overhang.
Tip: Keep the phyllo covered at all times. Uncovered sheets dry out and crack within minutes.
4
Mix the filling
- Stir the chopped pistachios with the filling sugar, cinnamon and salt in a bowl until evenly combined.
- Pulse in a food processor in short bursts, or chop by hand, so the nuts are coarse and not powdery.
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Ready when: The nuts look like coarse crumbs with a few small pieces still visible, with no large chunks.
Tip: Over-processing releases the nut oils and makes a paste, which gives a dense baklava.
5
Layer the bottom
- Lay one phyllo half-sheet in the pan and brush it lightly all over with butter, going out to the edges.
- Repeat with 19 more half-sheets, 20 in total, brushing each one with butter.
- Use about 1 teaspoon of butter per sheet.
- Press out any large air bubbles gently with your palm.
- If a sheet tears, patch it with the next one.
- Don't worry about small tears in the middle layers.
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Ready when: The stack of 20 buttered layers is even and covers the entire pan bottom, with no dry spots.
Tip: Work steadily but don't rush. A thin, even coat of butter matters more than speed.
6
Add filling and top layers
- Spread the pistachio mixture evenly over the bottom layers and press it lightly flat with the back of a spoon.
- Cover with a half-sheet of phyllo, brush with butter, and repeat until all the remaining 20 half-sheets are used.
- Brush the top layer generously with all the remaining butter.
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Ready when: The filling is an even layer about ½ inch (1 cm) thick, and the top is glossy with butter.
Tip: Press the top gently to compact the layers. A loose stack bakes up uneven.
7
Cut before baking
- With a long, very sharp knife, cut all the way through to the bottom of the pan.
- Cut lengthwise into 4 equal strips, then crosswise into 6 equal pieces to make 24 rectangles.
- For diamonds, cut diagonally instead.
- Use a gentle sawing motion so the layers don't shred.
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Ready when: Every cut reaches the pan bottom, so the pieces are fully separated.
Tip: Cutting before baking is essential. Baked phyllo shatters when cut and the syrup can't reach the bottom layers.
8
Bake until goldenOven 350°F / 175°C
- Bake in the 350°F (175°C) oven for 45 to 50 minutes, rotating the pan once halfway, until the top is deep golden brown and the edges are crisp and pulling away slightly from the pan.
- Check at 40 minutes.
- If the top browns too fast, tent loosely with foil.
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Ready when: The top is deep golden brown and the layers puff and look crisp. The edges are dark gold and sizzling.
Tip: Pale baklava turns soggy after the syrup goes on, so bake to a deep golden color.
9
Pour syrup over hot baklava
- Remove the pan from the oven and place it on a heatproof surface.
- Right away, slowly spoon the cooled syrup evenly over the hot baklava, especially along the cut lines.
- It should sizzle.
- Sprinkle the center of each piece with the ground pistachios.
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Ready when: The syrup sizzles on contact and is absorbed into the layers, leaving only a thin glossy film on top.
Tip: The pastry must be hot and the syrup cool. If both are hot, the baklava turns soggy.
10
Rest before serving
- Leave the baklava uncovered at room temperature for at least 4 hours, or overnight, so the syrup is absorbed and the layers set.
- Re-cut along the lines if needed and lift out the pieces with a small offset spatula.
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Ready when: The pieces lift out cleanly, and the pastry is crisp on top and moist but not wet inside.
Tip: Don't cover it while it rests. Trapped steam softens the crisp top layers.

Good to know

Tips

Use a very sharp knife and a sawing motion for cutting. A dull blade drags and tears the top layers.
If phyllo sheets stick together or crack, they were thawed too fast or dried out. Keep the stack covered with a damp towel and work quickly.
Cool syrup on hot pastry is the key to crispness. If you forget to make the syrup first, cool it in the refrigerator for 15 minutes before pouring.
Use the lowest oven rack position if the bottom layers look pale after 30 minutes. Dark metal pans bake more evenly than glass.

Make ahead

Baklava is best made 1 day ahead. Bake, syrup and rest it overnight at room temperature, uncovered for the first 4 hours, then loosely covered.

Storage & reheating

Room temperature: keep loosely covered (foil or a container with a cracked lid) for up to 5 days. Don't refrigerate, as it makes the pastry hard and soggy. Freezer: freeze cut pieces in a single layer until firm, then layer between parchment in an airtight container for up to 2 months. Thaw at room temperature for 2 hours. To re-crisp, warm on a baking sheet at 300°F (150°C) for 5 to 8 minutes and cool before serving.

Substitutions

raw unsalted shelled pistachios → walnuts or a mix of walnuts and almonds. Use the same weight. Walnuts give a more traditional Greek-style baklava with a slightly more bitter flavor.
unsalted butter → ghee. Use the same amount. Ghee needs no clarifying and gives a nutty flavor.
honey → light corn syrup or more sugar syrup. Use the same amount. The flavor will be less floral, but the texture of the syrup is the same.
rose water → orange blossom water. Use the same amount, or leave it out. Both are floral and strong, so don't add more.