Grandma's Design

TWISTED BAKLAVA WITH HAZELNUTS

GRANDMA

Emriye

COUNTRY

Turkey

ORIGIN

Trabzon, Anatolia

INGREDIENTS

For the dough

750g wheat flour
½ teaspoon salt
300 ml water

For rolling

300 g wheat starch
For the filling
500 g hazelnuts, chopped

For brushing the dough

375 g butter, melted
For the syrup
1 kg granulated sugar
600 ml water
1 teaspoon lemon juice

HISTORY

Burma baklava, also known as coiled baklava (sarığıburma) is an example of one of the many types of baklava that exist in Turkish cuisine. Ottoman cookbooks have included recipes for burma baklava filled with walnuts since the 18th century. In the Black Sea region baklava is filled with hazelnuts instead of walnuts or pistachios because hazelnuts are one of the most important crops cultivated in this region. Baklava is a dessert prepared for ritual events such as wedding ceremonies, religious feasts or for receiving guests. The first reference to baklava dates back to the Anatolian Seljukide era during the 13th century. During the Ottoman era, baklava became a refined dessert prepared in different styles in the Ottoman palace. It was also a popular dessert among the people of Anatolia as well as other parts of the empire such as the Balkans and the Arabian Peninsula. It is possible to find many references relating to baklava both in Ottoman archival records and in popular literature. The most important technical detail in the preparation of baklava is to make very thin sheets of pastry called yufka with a special rolling pin called oklava. The origin of yufka goes back to the nomadic Turkish culinary culture of Central Asia in the 11th century. Food historians conclude that baklava is a synthesis of both nomadic Turkish and medieval Arab cuisines. In Anatolia, baklava resulted from the nomadic technique of making yufka and the Arabian desserts soaked in syrup.

More Minus

HOW TO

Sift the flour and salt onto a work surface and make a large hole in the centre.Place half of the water in the middle and mix in a circular motion, drawing in flour from outside.When sticky, add the remaining water and continue to mix until a soft dough is formed. If necessary, add some flour.Knead well until very smooth and elastic. Then allow to rest for 15 minutes under a clean cloth.Roll the dough out to a 30 cm log shape and cut it into 15 evenly sized pieces (each 60 g).Shape each piece into a ball. Then allow to rest a further 15 minutes.Liberally dust the working surface with starch and roll out each piece of dough to 20 cm with a rolling pin.Dust the dough with starch while rolling it out until almost transparent and 30-40 cm in diameter. Meanwhile pre-heat the oven to 200 C.Sprinkle hazelnuts over the sheet of pastry and then roll it up with a thin rolling pin (1 cm diameter).Crinkle the pastry roll by pushing toward the middle from each end.Push it off the rolling pin and put it on a tray.After you have prepared all the pieces of dough in the same manner, place them on a tray and cut each rolled pastry into three.Pour melted butter over the pastry.Bake until brown on top and gold at the base. Leave to cool on a wire rack.Make syrup by gently dissolving the sugar in water.Pour the hot syrup over the burma baklava and allow to soak for several hours, turning occasionally.Serve.