What you get when you ask for dry baklava is not ordinary baklava with less syrup. It is a different product from the production stage onward.
How are the two baklavas defined?
Home-style baklava is the kind made for immediate eating, generous with syrup.
Fewer pastry layers, thicker layers and a high proportion of syrup.
The result is a soft, moist product.
It is generally eaten the day it is made or the day after.
Dry baklava is designed to keep and to travel.
More pastry layers, very thin layers and a low proportion of syrup.
The result is a crisp, less moist product.
It is used as a gift and for sending.
Dry baklava is a speciality in and around Gaziantep and is produced for export too.
How different is the syrup?
That is the clearest difference.
Syrup in home-style baklava runs 60 to 80 percent of the product's weight.
Some recipes reach 100.
The pastry absorbs the syrup completely and softens.
In dry baklava the syrup runs 30 to 45 percent.
Only enough is used to bind the layers and give flavour.
The pastry stays dry and keeps its crispness.
The density of the syrup differs too; a thicker syrup is used for dry baklava.
Thick syrup carries less moisture and wets the pastry less.
The temperature at which syrup goes on makes a difference too; in dry baklava the product cools completely first and absorption stays limited.
| Property | Home-style | Dry baklava |
|---|---|---|
| Syrup | 60-80% | 30-45% |
| Pastry layers | 20-30 | 40-60 |
| Pastry thickness | 0.3-0.5 mm | 0.15-0.25 mm |
| Moisture | 18-25% | 8-14% |
| Texture | Soft, moist | Crisp, dry |
| Shelf life | 3-5 days | 15-30 days |
| Suitability for transport | Low | High |
What do layer count and thickness change?
Dry baklava carries markedly more layers.
Forty to sixty are used.
Each is rolled very thin: 0.15 to 0.25 millimetres.
That thinness requires rolling by hand and considerable skill.
Many thin layers achieve two things.
Each layer dries and crisps separately during baking.
And air spaces form between the layers.
Those spaces make the product light and crisp.
The pastry is thicker and the count lower in home-style baklava.
Thick pastry absorbs more syrup and gives a soft texture.
That is a different preference; which is better depends on taste.
How is the butter set?
The proportion of butter is higher in dry baklava.
The reason is that fat forms a moisture barrier.
Fat between the layers prevents syrup working into the depths.
That keeps the product dry.
Fat also separates the layers from one another and makes them crisp.
The fat used must be clarified butter.
Milk solids both burn and carry moisture.
That is critical in dry baklava; milk solids shorten the shelf life.
Ordinary melted butter can be used in home-style baklava.
The fat runs 40 to 50 percent of the flour weight in dry baklava and 25 to 35 in home-style.
Why is moisture decisive?
Moisture directly determines shelf life.
Microbial activity is possible in a product with high moisture.
The pastry also softens and takes on a doughy texture over time.
Home-style baklava carries 18 to 25 percent moisture and keeps three to five days.
Dry baklava carries 8 to 14 percent and keeps fifteen to thirty days.
That difference gets controlled during production.
Baking takes longer for dry baklava; the layers have to dry completely.
The product is aired after the syrup goes on and excess moisture evaporates.
Some producers return the product briefly to the oven after syruping, which removes surface moisture.
How well does it travel?
Dry baklava was designed for that purpose.
Low moisture prevents the product being crushed and the syrup running.
The slices do not stick together in a box.
It is less affected by changes in temperature.
It is therefore preferred as a gift and for sending.
It can go by air and by courier.
Home-style baklava does not suit transport.
The syrup gathers at the bottom of the box, the slices stick and the product falls apart.
It travels short distances but does not suit a long journey.
Packaging makes a difference too; dry baklava generally goes in a card box with separating papers between the slices.
Vacuum packaging can extend the shelf life to forty-five days.
Which baklava is chosen when?
The decision depends on when it will be eaten and how far it travels.
Home-style baklava tastes better where it will be eaten the same day or the next.
It offers a generously syruped, soft, fresh product.
Dry baklava is needed where it will be kept a few days or sent to another city.
Dry baklava is the standard for gifts.
It is practical for offering to guests too; the slices sit neatly on a plate and no syrup runs.
Dry baklava is generally more expensive.
The reasons are more pastry layers, more labour and a longer bake.
Its pistachio content is generally kept higher too; it is positioned as a premium product.
Both should come to room temperature before serving; served cold, the butter solidifies and the perception of flavour falls.
How is pistachio used in each?
The proportion varies in both, but its function differs.
In home-style baklava the pistachio gets scattered between layers and softens with the syrup.
In texture it merges into the baklava.
Pistachio stays more distinct in dry baklava.
Low moisture preserves its crispness.
That is an important property of dry baklava; the pistachio registers separately in every bite.
The grind differs too; more coarsely broken pistachio goes into dry baklava.
Finely ground pistachio turns to paste with syrup and ruins the texture dry baklava aims for.
The freshness of the pistachio is more critical in dry baklava; its oil has to avoid turning rancid across a long shelf life.
That is one reason producers of dry baklava buy pistachio in smaller, more frequent lots than the volume alone would suggest.
