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Traditional Algerian Balawa made from Bahdja's family recipe, for Eid ul fitr

Traditional Algerian Baklawa: A family recipe

Algerian baklawa stuffed with rosted almonds, cinnamon and orange blossom water, then covered with melted honey.
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Servings: 56
Course: Confections, Dessert
Cuisine: Greek, Algerian, Turkish, Lebanese, Serbo-Croatian
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Dough
  • 1 kg flour
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 250 g butter
  • 500 ml orange blossoms water.
Filling
  • 1 kg roasted almonds chopped
  • 1/3 cup measure of sugar powder
  • cinnamon
  • 1 cup orange blossoms water make sure the filling is not too juicy or the baklawa will be soggy. On a humid day, it might be less
Honey glaze
  • 1 litre honey
  • 500 ml sugar
  • 500 ml water

Equipment

  • 40cm diameter baking pan

Method
 

Filling
  1. Chop the almonds, reserving some to decorate the top of the baklawa
  2. Blend the cinnamon, and sugar separately, to make sure you have even distribution of the spice
  3. Blend the sugar mixture into the almonds
  4. Set this mixture aside while working with the dough
  5. Since the dough is done in two stages, you can prepare the mixture during the resting period after the dough is mixed
Dough
  1. Add the salt to the flour
  2. Cut the softened butter into cubes and blend the butter into the flour
  3. Add the water until the consistency is soft and easily managed
  4. Do not knead the dough, simply form it into a ball for now
  5. Rest the dough for 20 minutes
  6. After the resting time, cut the dough into 13 or 14 equal pieces
  7. Using a dough sheeter or a pasta maker, roll the dough in stages from the thickest setting to the thinnest.
    IE, begin by passing the dough through the widest roller setting, and then progressively roll it on each setting until the dough is as thin as it can be
  8. 7 sheets will go on the bottom of the pan, in single layers, placed side-by-side. Paint butter over each layer as it is laid down, being careful to cover the edges as well
  9. Fill this pie shell with the almond mixture
  10. The last step before baking is to cover this with strips of dough, also painted with butter.
Honey Syrup
  1. Dissolve the sugar in warm or boiling water
  2. Put the honey into a large saucepan (at least 3 litres), and stir in the warm sugar syrup
  3. Heat this syrup as the balawa is cooking, and pour it over the baklawa as soon as it is out of the oven
  4. Alternatively, you may use 2 litres of Assila, if it is sold in your community

Notes

This makes 56 full-sized pieces and a lot of edge pieces for those that love crusts
There is a similar pastry in Algeria and Tunisia named Kaak Warek, which is  made with a semolina dough and filled with  almond paste instead of chopped almonds.