The recipe of Black Sea Baklava is reasonably simple if instead of homemade filo dough use commercial frozen filo dough which is available in retail stores in roll or box. The final taste of this dessert is very delicious if ingredients are selected well and the dish baked in the proper way.

The main secret of Black Sea Baklava is the quality of ingredients, especially pistachios nuts and butter. The best taste of this dish comes if you use hand made filo dough which can be homemade or ordered from a neighbouring bakery if they have filo makers with needed skills.

Recipe with commercial filo dough

Course – Dessert

Serves 1 tray  (40 pcs)

Preparation time – 30 minutes Cooking time – 1-1,5 hour Inactive time – 6 hours

box or roll with frozen filo dough

4 cups of water

3 cups of sugar

fresh lemon

350-400 g of crushed pistachios or crushed hazelnuts

250 g of clarified butter

Commercial frozen filo dough in a roll or box requires slow thawing in the refrigerator overnight and then keeping covered by damp cloth to avoid dry out until preparation of the dish. Cut filo dough layers in half for the size of a tray.

Make syrup. Put sugar and pour water in a pot and start to heat. Stir well as sugar should be dissolved before the water starts to boil.  Boil syrup over medium heat for 10-15 minutes until it starts thick. Add the juice if half lemon and boil for a couple of minutes more, then cool it slowly.

Take a baking dish or tray and brush it with some of the melted clarified butter. Put 10 layers of filo dough one by one in the dish, brushing each with butter before adding the next one. Keep the remaining filo dough layers covered by damp cloth to avoid dry out.

Sprinkle 1/4 of the nuts over the layers in the tray and add 4 layers of filo on top, brushing each with butter like mentioned above. Do exactly the same 3 times with sprinkle nuts and 4 layers each time and sprinkle the remaining nuts on top.

Put the remaining 10 layers of filo dough on top of the nuts, brushing each with butter. Brush the top layer with the rest of the butter. Using a sharp knife cut into square shapes all the way to the bottom of the baking tray.

Bake baklava in the preheated oven at 160 °C until golden. It can take about 1 hour or more.

Pour the syrup over the warm baklava. To absorb syrup better the baklava needs to be warm but not hot and the syrup needs to be cold. Baklava needs to soak syrup uncovered at least for 5-6 hours or overnight until ready. Garnish with crushed nuts and serve.

Black Sea Baklava is always cooked in advance. Traditionally it served at ambient temperature with a glass of sweet wine or Black Sea Tea. Often this dish can be purchased in boxes or tins at retail stores.

You can enjoy Black Sea Baklava with friends and family in #BlackSeaCuisine restaurants or at home as it is easy to buy in retail stores or not very difficult to prepare yourself.

Black Sea Cuisine is simple, tasty and inexpensive.