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Ajarian Baklava

Make Ajarian baklava with twenty thin buttered sheets, walnut layers and hot sugar syrup

Georgian home recipeGeorgian dish
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A wide tray of glossy Ajarian baklava diamonds, one lifted to reveal thin pastry sheets and walnut filling.
Yield40 diamond pieces
Serving1 piece, about 106 g based on the full recipe allocation before bake loss and syrup absorption
DifficultyAdvanced; twenty very thin dough sheets are rolled and layered by hand
DietVegetarian; contains wheat, egg, milk and walnut
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The dish

About Ajarian Baklava

Ajarian Baklava: Georgian Walnut Layer Pastry

This Ajarian baklava is built from twenty very thin sheets of egg dough, brushed with melted butter and separated with a light dusting of cornstarch. Walnut is added at three points in the stack; after baking, hot sugar syrup runs through the cut diamonds and settles into the layers overnight.

The work is deliberate: knead a smooth dough, keep the unused portions covered, and roll each sheet thin enough to drape across a large tray. A long rolling pin and a broad, clear work surface make the layering easier. The finished pastry should have distinct, crisp edges softened slightly by syrup, with walnut strata visible through the cross-section.

Ajarian baklava has household variations in sheet count, filling and syrup. This version uses a twenty-sheet walnut layer format. It is cut before baking so each diamond separates as the pastry cooks, then rested for eight hours after syruping. Plan to make it the day before serving.

Cook the dish

Ingredients

Ajarian Baklava: Georgian Walnut Layer Pastry

Dough and layers

  • 1
  • 600 gall-purpose wheat flour
  • 5large eggs (about 250 g without shells)
  • 500 mlwarm water
  • 36 ggranulated sugar
  • 5 gfine salt
  • 250 gunsalted butter, melted (reserve 10 g to grease the tray and use 240 g between sheets)
  • 200 gcornstarch for dusting

Walnut filling

  • 800 gwalnuts, finely chopped

Syrup

  • 360 ggranulated sugar
  • 240 mlwater
Method

Method

  1. Mix and knead the dough. Whisk the eggs with the 36 g sugar, salt and 500 ml warm water. Add the flour gradually in a large bowl and knead until a smooth, supple dough forms, about 30 minutes. Cover and rest for 10 minutes; this relaxes the dough for rolling.

  2. Set up the layers. Divide the dough into 20 equal balls. Keep them covered and work with one at a time. Melt the butter; use 10 g to grease the 30 × 40 cm tray and keep the remaining 240 g fluid for brushing. Measure the cornstarch and divide the chopped walnuts into three equal portions.

  3. Roll and stack. Roll one ball at a time into a very thin sheet large enough to cover the tray. Lay it in the tray, dust it lightly with cornstarch and brush it evenly with melted butter. Repeat with the next sheets. After sheets 5, 10 and 15, scatter one portion of walnuts evenly over the surface, then continue layering. Keep the twentieth sheet as the top layer without walnuts.

  4. Cut and bake. Cut through all layers with a sharp knife into 40 diamond pieces before baking. Heat a conventional oven to 180°C. Bake for 25–30 minutes until the top is evenly golden and crisp. Check the centre of one of the larger pieces with an instant-read thermometer; it must reach at least 71°C (160°F) for egg safety.

  5. Make and pour the syrup. While the pastry bakes, combine the 360 g sugar and 240 ml water in a saucepan. Bring to a boil, stirring just until the sugar dissolves, then simmer for 2 minutes. Remove from the heat. As soon as the pastry leaves the oven, pour the hot syrup evenly over the surface, guiding it into the cut lines.

  6. Rest overnight. Let the strongest steam escape, then cover the tray loosely. Leave at room temperature for at least 8 hours, preferably overnight, so the syrup is absorbed and the layers settle. Serve at room temperature.

Practical guidance

Success points

  • Keep every dough ball covered while you roll the other sheets; a dry skin makes the thin dough prone to tearing.
  • Dust lightly with cornstarch and brush each sheet evenly with butter. A heavy layer of either can make the stacked pastry pasty or greasy.
Practical guidance

Practical guidance

This is a celebration-scale pastry and is easiest to make with a second person helping to keep dough balls covered and handle the long sheets. Roll each sheet on a lightly floured surface only as needed; excess bench flour can make the layers dry. If a sheet tears, patch it in the tray and continue—the next buttered sheet will cover it. Keep the walnut portions close at hand so each filling layer is even.

Bake and syrup the pastry the day before serving. Once it has rested overnight, keep the covered tray at room temperature for up to 3 days. For longer storage, freeze pieces in an airtight container for up to 2 months and thaw them covered at room temperature. Baklava is usually served at room temperature. If you prefer a slightly warm piece, heat it for 3–4 minutes in a 140°C oven; avoid the microwave, which softens the crisp layers.

Cutting the pastry before baking helps the syrup reach the inner layers and makes serving easier. Pour the syrup while both syrup and pastry are hot, and make sure it reaches the cuts. Do not rush the overnight rest: syrup needs time to move through the many sheets without leaving the centre dry.

Nutrition per serving

Estimated nutrition per serving

  • Serving size: 1 diamond piece, about 106 g by full recipe allocation
  • Energy: ~390 kcal
  • Carbohydrate: 48 g
  • Protein: 8 g
  • Fat: 19 g
  • Fibre: 2 g
  • Sodium: ~60 mg

Values estimate one of 40 pieces using generic ingredient composition data. The full batch provides about 15,501 kcal, 1,911 g carbohydrate, 321 g protein, 764 g fat, 99 g fibre and 2,417 mg sodium; divide by 40 and round. Brand differences, syrup absorption and baking loss change the finished serving, so these values are not a laboratory analysis.

Allergens and food safety

Allergens and food safety

Contains wheat (gluten), egg, milk and walnut. Wash hands and surfaces after handling raw eggs, and keep them separate from ready-to-eat food. Do not taste raw dough. Check the centre of a representative larger piece with an instant-read thermometer; it must reach at least 71°C (160°F). The golden crust is a quality cue and does not replace the temperature check. Pour hot syrup carefully and cool the tray on a heat-safe surface.

Serving cues

Serving cues

  • The top should be evenly golden, with distinct layers and crisp edges; after syruping, the cut diamonds should look glossy rather than swimming in liquid.
  • The centre should be moist from absorbed syrup, with walnut strata visible in the cross-section.
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