Turkish pistachio baklava
Fine crisp filo, vivid pistachios, clarified butter, and a clean lemon sugar syrup in the classic Turkish tray style.
Prep45 min
Cook55 min
Rest300 min
Oven170°C
Servings24
Adapted for the home kitchen from documented Turkish recipe references
Ingredients
Written for a 23 × 33 cm dish
Units
Temperature
Servings
- 450 g filo pastry, about 20 sheets rounded
- 300 g unsalted pistachios, finely chopped rounded
- 260 g clarified butter, melted rounded
- 450 g sugar rounded
- 350 ml water rounded
- 20 ml lemon juice rounded
- 2 g fine salt rounded
Dietary labels are a guide, not a guarantee. If you have an allergy, read the ingredients yourself.
Method
- Boil sugar and water for 8 minutes, add lemon juice, simmer 2 minutes, and cool completely.
- Mix pistachios with salt. Heat the oven to 170°C and butter a 23 x 33 cm metal tin.
- Layer half the filo, brushing every sheet very lightly with clarified butter. Spread pistachios evenly, reserving 30 g for garnish.
- Add remaining buttered filo, chill 10 minutes, then cut small diamonds all the way through. Bake 50 to 55 minutes until evenly amber.
- Pour cold syrup slowly over the hot pastry. Rest uncovered for 5 hours and garnish with reserved pistachio.
Notes
- Turkish-style pistachio baklava omits cinnamon so pistachio and butter remain clear.
- A fine, even nut layer gives clean slices and prevents the top from sliding.
- Keep the filo covered with a damp towel as you work; sheets left out go brittle within minutes.
Sources consulted
Good with
- Gözleme with spinach, feta, and herbs
- Lahmacun: Turkish thin flatbread with spiced topping
- Pide: Turkish boat-shaped filled bread
- Su böreği: Turkish water börek
Sources consulted
From Christoph Mayer