Authentic Middle Eastern Walnut Baklawa

Preparing the Dough

1. Place the eggs in a medium-sized bowl and then add the milk, vegetable oil, vinegar, yogurt, baking powder, and salt, stir until combined. 
2. Gradually add the flour to form a soft dough. The amount of the flour might vary depending on your location or the humidity of the room.
3. Transfer the dough to a lightly floured work surface and knead it for a few minutes until it doesn't stick to your hands and it is elastic. 
4. Use the minimum amount of flour possible to keep the dough soft. Shape the dough into a ball and return it to the bowl.
5. Cover and let it rest for 15 minutes. Prepare the syrup while resting the dough.

Preparing the Simple Syrup

1. Place the water and sugar in a pan and put on medium heat.
2. Stir it until the sugar dissolves, bring it to a boil, and let it gently boil for 15 minutes.
3. Add a few drops of lemon juice, let it simmer for a few more minutes, and then remove the pan from heat.
4. Let it cool down while making the filo pastries. 

Rolling Out the Filo Pastries and Building the Baklava

1. Divide the dough into 36 small balls (29-30 grams each) and group them into 3 of 12 balls. 
2. Cover the balls with a clean cloth and let them rest for another 10 minutes before rolling them out.
3. Melt the butter in a saucepan, get rid of the milky bit on the bottom to clarify it, and add the vegetable oil. 
4. Take two of the balls and dip them into the corn starch. Roll them to a size of a small plate, sprinkle generously with corn starch over them, and put them on one another.
5. Roll them out together as thinly as possible to a size of 33 cm (13") Ø. Use more starch as needed to avoid them sticking. 
6. Place them on a baking tray size of 33 cm (13 ") Ø. Trim the sides if needed and place the trimmings on top of the filo pastry. 
7. Drizzle a spoonful of the melted butter mixture over the pastry. 
8. Repeat the same until you finish the first group of the dough balls (12 balls will make 6 filo sheets in total).
9. Sprinkle half of the crushed walnuts over the built-up layers of filo sheets, and spread them evenly.
10. Start rolling the second group of dough balls and place them on top of the walnuts. You should have 6 more filo sheets made from 12 balls.
11. Sprinkle the other half of the crushed walnuts over the built-up layers of filo sheets, and spread them evenly. 
12. To complete the assembly of the baklava, roll your final batch of 12 dough balls into 6 filo sheets, and then layer them on top of the crushed walnuts.

Cutting the Baklawa into Diamond&Star Shape

1. With a sharp knife, first cut the baklava vertically from top to bottom, dividing it into two equal halves.
2. Next, make a second vertical cut starting from the center and going towards the outer edge, creating four equal quarters.
3. Make sure you cut all the way through to the bottom layer. Now, cut each quarter into two, giving you 8 equal triangles.
4. Cut the triangles as shown in the two pictures shown below in the post to create neatly shaped star and diamond-cut baklava pieces.You can also check out the video in the recipe card to see how to cut the baklawa into perfect diamonds and stars.
5. Repeat the same with the remaining triangles. 

Baking the Walnut Baklawa

1. Preheat your oven to 180° C (356° F).
2. Pour the remaining clarified butter and vegetable oil mixture evenly on top of the baklawa. Reheat it in a microwave or in a small pan if necessary.It might look like too much butter but it will all be absorbed by the filo pastries and it will turn them into golden crispy layers of deliciousness.
3. Place the baklava tray into the hot oven and bake for 15 minutes.
4. Reduce the heat to 160° C (320℉) and bake it for another 45 minutes or until it is golden brown on top. Also, check if the bottom layers are cooked through. 

Soaking the Baklawa

1. Remove the baklava from the oven and slowly pour the cooled syrup over it when still hot. Again, it might look like the baklava is swimming in the syrup but it all will be absorbed by the filo pastries in less than an hour. 
2. Let the baklava soak in syrup overnight. It will taste better on the 2nd day and even better on the 3rd day.