Aadi Bàklàwā

Ingredients

• 50 walnut-sized pieces paste (as per recipe No. 86) (Prepare sufficient paste following recipe No. 86 and divide into 50 pieces roughly the size of walnuts before rolling.)
• 1 small handful (for dusting) wheat starch (Used for dusting under and over the dough pieces to prevent sticking while rolling.)
• 1 small amount (for layering) fresh butter (Used to butter the baking tin and to sprinkle between every five layers of paste as you build the baklava.)
• 1 sufficient quantity pounded almonds (Choose one nut only — almonds, pistachios, or filberts. Pound them coarsely before use.)
• 1 sufficient quantity pounded pistachios (Alternative to almonds or filberts. Choose one nut only.)
• 1 sufficient quantity pounded filberts (Alternative to almonds or pistachios. Choose one nut only.)
• 0.5 pound (or a little more) scalded fresh butter (Scald the butter by heating it gently until it just begins to foam, then remove from heat. Pour all over the assembled unbaked baklava before it goes into the oven.)
• 1 pound honey or loaf-sugar (Choose either honey or loaf-sugar (granulated sugar is a suitable modern substitute for loaf-sugar). Used to make the soaking syrup.)
• 2 pints water (Combined with the honey or sugar to create the soaking syrup.)
• 1 small amount (for finishing) powdered sugar (Sprinkled over the finished, plated baklava just before serving.)

Instructions

1. 1Following recipe No. 86, prepare a sufficient quantity of paste. Once the paste is ready, divide it into exactly fifty pieces, each roughly the size of a walnut. Roll each piece lightly in your hands to form a smooth ball. Set the pieces aside on a lightly dusted surface while you prepare your workspace.
2. 2Lightly dust your work surface with wheat starch, then place one dough ball on top and dust a little wheat starch over it as well. Using a rolling pin, roll the piece out as thinly as possible — it should be almost as thin as tissue paper and perfectly round. It must be the same diameter as your baking tin. Repeat for all fifty pieces, stacking them carefully between sheets of dusted parchment or a lightly dusted cloth to prevent sticking. Work patiently — the thinner the layers, the better the final result.
3. 3Take your baking tin and grease it thoroughly with fresh butter on the bottom and up the sides. Use enough butter so the first layers of paste will not stick. Set the tin aside ready for assembly.
4. 4Lay five of the rolled-out paste sheets into the buttered tin, one directly on top of the other, smoothing each gently as you go. Try to keep them as flat and even as possible.
5. 5Sprinkle a little fresh butter over the top sheet of the first five layers. You can melt the butter slightly to make it easier to distribute evenly. This butter layer adds flavour and helps the sheets separate when baked.
6. 6Lay five more sheets of paste over the buttered layer, again placing them one over the other and smoothing each sheet flat.
7. 7Sprinkle your chosen pounded nuts — either almonds, pistachios, or filberts — evenly all over the top of the second group of five layers. Spread them as evenly as possible so every piece of the finished baklava will have nuts in it.
8. 8Continue building the baklava by following this repeating pattern: lay five sheets of paste, sprinkle with fresh butter, lay five more sheets of paste, sprinkle with pounded nuts. Repeat — five sheets, butter, five sheets, nuts — until all fifty sheets of paste have been used. Keep each layer flat and even. You should end with a final layer of paste on top. This layering is the heart of the recipe, so take your time and work carefully.
9. 9Using a sharp knife, cut the entire assembled (unbaked) baklava all the way through into diamond shapes. To do this, make a series of parallel diagonal cuts in one direction, then a second series of parallel diagonal cuts in the opposite direction to create diamond (rhombus) shapes. Cutting before baking ensures the shapes are clean and allows the butter and syrup to penetrate through the layers.
10. 10Scald approximately half a pound (or a little more) of fresh butter by placing it in a small saucepan over low heat. Heat it gently until it just begins to foam and small bubbles appear — do not let it brown. Remove from heat immediately. Pour this scalded butter evenly all over the top of the cut baklava, letting it seep down into the cuts.
11. 11Place the baklava in a hot oven and bake until it turns a nice golden-brown colour all over. Keep an eye on it — the thin layers will colour quite quickly. The baklava is ready when the top is uniformly golden and fragrant. While it bakes, you will prepare the syrup in the next step.
12. 12While the baklava is baking, place one pound of honey or loaf-sugar into a saucepan and add two pints of water. Set the pan over medium heat and bring it to the boil, stirring occasionally until the honey or sugar has dissolved. Continue boiling until the liquid reduces and thickens into a light syrup — it should coat the back of a spoon lightly. Keep the syrup warm and ready to pour.
13. 13As soon as the baklava is nicely browned and comes out of the oven, pour the hot syrup gently and evenly all over the surface, allowing it to seep down through all the cut lines and into the layers. Pour slowly and steadily so the syrup is absorbed rather than running off the sides.
14. 14Leave the syrup-soaked baklava to rest in the tin for approximately five minutes. This resting time allows the syrup to be fully absorbed into all the layers. Do not skip this step — it is what gives baklava its characteristic sticky, fragrant richness.
15. 15Carefully remove the diamond-shaped pieces from the tin and arrange them on a serving dish in a pyramid shape, stacking them up attractively. Once arranged, sprinkle powdered sugar generously over the top. Serve immediately while still hot, or allow to cool and serve cold — both are equally delicious.