Baklava is a delicacy in any Armenian household, and one that I grew up eating often. This recipe comes directly from my grandma, so you can be sure it’s been perfected over the years! With the buttery, flaky dough, crisp walnuts, and a hint of sweetness from the honey, this is bound to be one of your new favorite varieties of a classic dessert.

There’s a few things that make this recipe particularly special. Rather than baklava made with phyllo dough, which is more crisp, this dough is made with copious amounts of butter and sour cream, resulting in a softer and flakier texture. The dough is also rolled out into 5 layers, which saves time from having to individually butter 40+ sheets of phyllo. Lastly, the syrup poured over the top is made from equal parts honey and melted butter, giving the baklava a strong honey flavor and making it extra rich and delicious. I hope you love it as much as I do!

Recipe:

Dough:

• 4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 cup softened butter
• 1 cup full-fat sour cream
• 3 egg yolks

Filling:

• 4 egg whites
• 2 cups sugar
• 2 cups chopped walnuts, lightly toasted

Honey Syrup:

• 4 heaping tablespoons honey (use raw honey if you can)
• 3 tablespoons melted butter

Topping:

• 1 egg yolk
• 40-50 walnut halves, lightly toasted

Directions:

1. In a large bowl, combine all ingredients for the dough. Mix with your hands (it will be sticky at first) until a smooth dough forms. Divide into 5 equal sections and shape into balls. Wrap each ball in plastic wrap and chill in the fridge for at least 3 hours.
2. In a separate bowl, mix the egg whites and sugar together until a thick paste forms. Divide the mixture into 4 equal sections (I like to separate the filling into 4 bowls so I know how much goes on each layer).
3. Once the dough has chilled, roll out one ball at a time into a 9×13 inch rectangle. Keep the rest of the dough in the fridge until you are ready to use it, and work quickly so that the butter in the dough does not soften too much. At this stage, you can also preheat your oven to 350 F.
4. Grease the bottom of a 9×13 inch pan with butter, or line with parchment paper for easy cleaning. Transfer your rolled out dough into the bottom of the pan. Spread over 1/4 of the sugar/egg white mixture (this is why we divided it earlier), and then sprinkle 1/4 of the chopped walnuts over top (you will use 1/2 cup of chopped walnuts per layer).
5. Roll out another ball of dough and begin layering, making sure to press down the dough in between layers so it is compact and secure. Add more filling and walnuts, and continue layering dough/filling/dough until all ingredients are used. At the end, you will have 5 layers of dough and 4 layers of filling.
6. Cut 4 vertical lines through the baklava, then cut diagonally to create diamond shapes. Brush the top of the dough with the remaining egg yolk. Gently press a walnut half into each diamond.
7. Bake the baklava at 350 F for 30-35 minutes, or until it is just barely beginning to brown. In the meantime, make the honey syrup by combining the honey and melted butter. If using raw honey, microwave it for a few seconds until it achieves a pourable consistency.
8. After 30-35 minutes, remove the baklava from the oven. Cut into each diamond again. Pour the honey syrup over the baklava, both over the top and into the crevices that we recut to make sure it seeps into all the layers. Return to the oven and bake for another 15-20 mins until golden brown.
9. Remove the baklava from the oven and let cool completely before cutting. Serve with tea and enjoy!

For a more detailed video tutorial, watch my TikTok here:

@madeby.milena

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♬ original sound – milena