Ingredients

A pack of the phyllo pastry (about 375g); 250g of ghee; 50g of sunflower oil (or 300 g of butter to make ghee); 300g of finely crashed walnuts (or 400g of finely crashed pistachios); 3/4 cup of sugar, 1.2 cup of water, 1 tbsp of lemon juice.

Preparation and Cooking

• Begin by thawing the frozen phyllo pastry for 1-2 hours. Keep it under a damp cloth to prevent drying. Meanwhile, lightly coat the bottom of the square-shaped baking tray with ghee.
• Coat a thin, round wooden stick (1 cm in diameter and 20-30 cm long) with ghee. Then brush ghee on a layer of phyllo and roll it twice around the stick first and sprinkle walnuts over the unrolled section of phyllo, leaving 3-4 cm space at the end, and finish the roll.
• Tightly grip both ends of the roll and press towards the center of the pin to create a twisted appearance, earning the dessert its name “burma,” meaning “twisted” in Turkish. Brush ghee over the twisted phyllo, and position it over the baking dish, and gently slide it off the stick. Ensure there is space between each piece for expansion during baking.
• Repeat the process until all phyllo dough and filling are used.
• Place the tray in Area E of the wood-fired oven and bake at 200-280^oC without flame radiated heat for 20-30 minutes, until the Burma Baklava turns golden brown.
• While the baklava is baking, prepare the syrup. Combine water and sugar in a saucepan and bring it to a boil. After 5 minutes, stir in lemon juice and boil for another 5 minutes to ligthtly thicken the mixture.
• Allow the syrup to cool. Once cool, pour it evenly over the warm baklava, and allow it to sit for a few hours to fully absorb the syrup.
• Serve the baklava at room temperature. It can be enjoyed as a standalone dessert, paired with Turkish coffee or ice cream, and garnished with additional chopped nuts, ground cinnamon, or powdered sugar.

Hints and Comments

Using the stick or dowel to roll the phyllo pastry helps to maintain an even shape and size, and the diameter of the stick affect how thick the rolled baklava becomes.