While its origins are debated, baklava is a common dessert in both Mediterranean and Middle Eastern cuisine. The tasty pastry is made up of layers of crispy phyllo dough and nuts that are soaked in a sweet syrup. The finished product is rich, perfectly moist with some remaining crunch, and oh so delicious. Since store-bought phyllo dough is usually used to make it at home, the recipe is pretty easy, albeit a bit time-consuming; it’s mostly a case of assembling and baking the ingredients. The one thing to watch out for is soggy baklava — you need to let the syrup soak into the baked pastry for just long enough to moisten it. The trick to getting it perfect every time is simple: Just drain the syrup out after it has soaked for a bit.
There’s even a clever trick to drain it. To make baklava, you assemble the nut and pastry layers, then bake them until golden and crispy. Then you slice them — traditionally into diamond shapes — and pour the syrup over top. To drain, remove one or two sliced pieces from a corner of the pan of baklava, and tilt the pan up on the opposite side, so that any excess syrup pools in the now-empty corner. You can use a spoon to scoop it out, and then place the pan back in its normal position (and return its missing members if they haven’t already been eaten).
Baking baklava the right way
Draining may not be necessary every time you make baklava; it largely depends on the recipe you use and how much syrup it calls for in the first place. Many of them use a large amount of syrup to ensure it soaks through all the layers, but the leftover can pool at the bottom and cause the layers sitting in it to become soggy rather than staying somewhat crispy. To see if you need to drain your baklava, check around the edges of the pan or lift up one piece to check for any syrup that hasn’t been absorbed after an hour. If you find some, go ahead and use that tilting method.
Some more tips for baking the absolute best baklava include using high-quality phyllo dough and ensuring you thaw it completely before layering it with the other ingredients. Learning how to store baklava is just as essential as draining it to avoid soggy and stale pastry; you can store the pieces in an airtight container with parchment paper between them. Once you’ve mastered the classic dessert, you can play around with variations, like orange or chocolate baklava recipes.
