Turkish Pistachio Baklava

In Gaziantep, a city in southern Türkiye that is considered the home of baklava, the syrup-soaked treat always is made with pistachios, but it comes in numerous forms. Of the many we tasted, the old-fashioned, fıstıkzade-style was our favorite; it puts the focus on the nuts more than the phyllo. We learned our version from Musrur Bakar at Ozikizner, a commercial baklava bakery. He used a blend of coarsely ground pistachios on the first layer and finely ground pistachios in the upper layers to create a cohesive structure. Our a daptation also borrows his use of a hot oven and brief cooking time, which keeps the baklava moist and helps preserve the color of the nuts. We do use whole butter, not clarified as is customary for baklava. We found the water and milk solids in whole butter helped compensate for the relatively dry phyllo we get in the U.S. (in Tükiye, the phyllo is made fresh). Flicking water onto the surface of the baklava just before baking also helped. Be sure to allow the baklava to cool completely before serving. Covered tightly, it keeps up to five days at room temperature.