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  • This team of bakers makes around 1,200 trays of baklava every week.

  • And master chef Mehmet Akincorlu has to pay careful attention to every step of the process.

  • We visited Akincorlu Baklava to see how it makes its baklava in such big batches.

  • The day begins at 5 a.m., making the daily dough.

  • Hard wheat flour, water, eggs, and salt are added into a mechanical mixer and combined for 20 to 25 minutes.

  • Once soft, the dough is taken out, cut, weighed, and kneaded into small discs that are left to rest for another 20 to 25 minutes.

  • The discs are loaded into the dough sheeter and run back and forth to flatten and elongate them.

  • Here, chefs roll 10 to 15 sheets of dough at a time and generously coat them in starch so they don't stick together.

  • Every sheet of dough is rolled until it's paper-thin.

  • The thinly rolled dough is then brought to a table to fill each pan.

  • As you can see, the dough is already very thin.

  • This shows the skill of the chefs.

  • The thinner the dough is, the better the baklava will be.

  • We fill the dough 15, 16, 17 times.

  • It depends on the size of the tray.

  • Next, a mountain of special Boz pistachios is added into the tray.

  • All of the pistachios Mehmet uses are harvested locally and picked within 10 to 15 days of sprouting.

  • The pistachios are topped with another 15 to 20 layers of dough, so that the pistachios will be more fragrant.

  • The pistachios are topped with another 15 to 20 layers of dough, so that the pistachios will be more fragrant.

  • Here, Mehmet and his team add the final layers of dough to the top of the baklava and laminate each layer with melted butter.

  • As with the pistachios, Mehmet carefully selects his butter from sheep that have been grazing on mountain plants.

  • To retain its flavor, the butter is melted with steam.

  • If it's too much, the baklava will collapse.

  • If it's too little, the baklava won't rise.

  • If it doesn't rise, we can't say it has risen.

  • And now we start slicing again.

  • Give it to me, Abdullah.

  • While we're pulling the dough again, we sink the tip of the colander.

  • We pull.

  • We do the same with these.

  • The middle part of this dough, the thin part, is the most precious part.

  • That's why we put it on top.

  • Once the last layer of dough is applied, bakers cut the excess and slice strips across the tray.

  • Then they coat the tray in another layer of butter and cut it again into its famous diamond shape.

  • The baklava is now ready to bake.

  • Mehmet uses a traditional stone oven

  • Mehmet uses a traditional stone oven filled with oak wood to cook the baklava.

  • Each tray bakes for 25 to 35 minutes, depending on the style of the baklava and how thick it is.

  • Once cooked, the baklava rests for up to 40 minutes.

  • The baked baklava is placed on a burner to get the bottom crispy.

  • When it achieves the right color and consistency, it's time to sweeten the dish.

  • But if there's not enough sugar, the baklava will be too soft and dry.

  • And if there's too much, it will lack the right crispness and flavor.

  • If you add too much sugar, the baklava will be too soft and dry.

  • And if you add too much sugar, it will lack the right crispness and flavor.

  • We can see that the sugar is not enough.

  • We can see that the sugar is not enough.

  • If it's enough, we add more water.

  • If it's enough, we add more water.

  • Let's continue.

  • Let's continue.

  • Baklava is delicious.

  • Baklava is a feast.

  • Baklava is a feast.

  • Baklava is the most delicious dessert in the world.

  • After three hours of prep and cooking, the baklava is ready to eat.

  • It's believed that baklava was adapted from a savory-layered pastry known asrek, which was popular across Central Asia in the 11th century.

  • Over time, it's believed that it was combined with the Arab practice of soaking pastries and donuts in honey or sugar syrup.

  • Some of the earliest mentions of baklava in Turkey come from the Turkish baklava, and the earliest mentions of baklava in Turkey come from the 1400s.

  • It was enjoyed by sultans during the Ottoman Empire and remains a popular dish among locals today.

  • Whether it's a pastry or a donut, you can't find this flavor anywhere else.

  • You can't find this flavor anywhere else.

  • The characteristic of Antep baklava is that it's crispy and melts in your mouth.

  • It leaves a pleasant taste.

  • That's why our profession, our art, requires a very sensitive, very meticulous approach.

  • Of course, it has to be a team.

  • It has to be a team of people who work in every field and feel like they're doing their job.

  • Otherwise, we can't get the desired flavor and taste.

  • The most important lesson I learned while making baklava is to do your job with love.

  • Translation by İdil Sipahi Instagram & idilop

This team of bakers makes around 1,200 trays of baklava every week.

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