Recipe
The ingredients consisting of flour, yogurt, milk, and egg yolk are kneaded until a soft, elastic consistency is achieved. The dough is divided into small portions and rolled out extremely thin. When handled by a skilled baker using an oklağacı (rolling pin), the sheet becomes so translucent that images on the opposite side can be clearly seen through it. Gölbaşı Baklava is prepared either plain or with walnuts. When made with walnuts, it has a slightly moist and firm texture. Two sheets of dough are brushed with butter and layered together. If a walnut filling is preferred, finely chopped walnuts are sprinkled over the second sheet. The rolling pin is then placed horizontally at the center of the layered dough. One side of the dough is folded over the other, enclosing the rolling pin and forming a half-moon shape. The rolling pin is removed, and the dough is folded to a width of approximately two finger-breadths, rolled into a cylinder, and cut from the ends into pieces two to three finger-breadths thick, with the edges neatly shaped. Each dough portion is rolled out individually, and the sheets are folded in pairs. The prepared sheets are arranged on a tray and cut into the desired shapes, such as triangles or diamond-shaped baklava slices. Melted, lukewarm unsalted butter is poured over the top. In the past, this baklava was baked between two metal griddles over dung-fueled fire, similar to kömbe; today, it is baked in an oven. The syrup is prepared by boiling 2 liters of water with 1 kilogram of sugar. When the syrup reaches a boiling point and proper consistency, it is locally described as “the syrup has set.” After resting briefly, the syrup is poured over the baklava. At this stage, the baklava must be cold, while the syrup should be slightly above lukewarm. This baklava is traditionally served on the wedding night of the bride and groom and is also known as “Groom’s Baklava.”