How Should Baklava Be Stored, and Should It Be Warmed? Serving It Right at Home

Baklava is at its best on the day you buy it, but stored correctly it keeps its flavour for days. One of the questions we hear most in our shop is 'Can baklava go in the fridge?' The short answer is no. Here are the long answer and other tips.

Why not the fridge?

The clarified butter in Antep baklava solidifies at low temperatures. In the fridge the butter sets, the layers stick together and the baklava loses its crunch and turns doughy. The fridge is also humid, and the pastry absorbs that moisture. Keep baklava in a cool, dry room out of the sun, with the box closed.

Exceptions

• Cold baklava: Soaked in milk, it must be kept in the fridge (+4 °C) and eaten within 2 days.
• Şöbiyet: With its high cream content, keep it in a cool room on summer days above 28 °C and eat it within 3 days.
• Katmer: Not for keeping; eat it within 15 minutes of leaving the oven.

Should it be warmed?

Fresh baklava does not need warming. But after the second or third day, 3–4 minutes in an oven preheated to 150 °C revives the clarified butter and restores the pastry's first-day crunch. We do not recommend the microwave; it softens the pastry. After warming, let the baklava rest for five minutes so the syrup settles again.

How to serve it

In Gaziantep baklava is usually served with a glass of water and strong tea, sometimes with a slice of Maraş ice cream. For serving with ice cream, warm the baklava slightly; the hot-cold contrast brings out the flavour. Two or three pieces per person are enough; a kilogram of square baklava gives about 28 pieces.

How to separate the pieces

Baklava comes already cut in the tray, but the syrup can make the pieces stick together. Run a thin, sharp knife along the cut lines and lift each piece from underneath with a spatula. Put it on the plate upright; laid flat, the layers get crushed.

How much for a big table?

For holiday and guest tables, allowing 100–120 grams of baklava per person is enough; that is about three pieces. For ten people 1–1.2 kilograms is right, and for a family gathering of twenty, 2–2.5 kilograms. If you want to serve several varieties together, we suggest mixing square baklava half and half with dolama or kadayif twists, so the plate has both crisp and dense, pistachio-rich bites.

Stale baklava

After the sixth or seventh day baklava may dry out. Do not throw it away: warm it in the oven and drizzle two spoonfuls of warm syrup over it, or chop it and use it in milk puddings or on top of ice cream.