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Five Saragli on a marble board with chopped nuts and rose petals.
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Saragli (Greek Rolled Baklava)

A recipe for Saragli (Greek Rolled Baklava)! Walnuts, almonds, and pistachios are rolled up in phyllo, baked, and soaked in a spiced sweet syrup.
Course Dessert
Cuisine Greek
Keyword almond, baklava, butter, Greece, Greek, phyllo, pistachio, syrup, walnut
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour 15 minutes
Resting Time: 1 hour
Total Time 2 hours 45 minutes
Servings 24 Saragli

Ingredients

Spiced Syrup:

  • 2 1/2 cups (500 grams) granulated sugar
  • 1 1/2 cups (355 milliliters) water
  • 6 cloves
  • 2 strips lemon peel
  • 1 cinnamon stick
  • 2 tablespoons (30 milliliters) freshly squeezed lemon juice

Saragli:

  • 6 ounces (170 grams) walnuts
  • 4 ounces (113 grams) almonds
  • 4 ounces (113 grams) shelled pistachios
  • 1 1/2-2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
  • 1 pound (450 grams) thin phyllo sheets #4
  • 1 cup (227 grams) unsalted butter melted, plus more for greasing the pan

Instructions

To make the syrup:

  • In a medium saucepan, add the sugar, water, cloves, lemon peel, and cinnamon.
  • Place over medium heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, until all the sugar has dissolved.
  • Remove from heat, stir in the lemon juice, and set aside to cool.

To make the Saragli:

  • Preheat oven to 325˚F (165˚C) with the oven rack in the center. Grease a 9x13 inch (23x33 centimeter) baking dish with an at least 2 inch (5 centimeter) high rim with butter.
  • Finely chop the walnuts, almonds, and pistachios, either in a food processor or by hand. Do not process into a powder or paste. The nuts should still have a little texture, but not be so large that they tear through the phyllo.
  • Transfer the finely chopped nuts to a bowl and toss with the ground cinnamon and ground cloves. If you really love cinnamon, add 2 teaspoons or a little more. Otherwise, add 1 1/2 teaspoons and adjust flavors to taste. Set aside.
  • Place one phyllo sheet on a large work surface, short side facing you. Cover the remainder with a towel to prevent them from drying out.
  • Brush or lightly drizzle butter over the phyllo sheet.
  • Top with another phyllo sheet and brush with a little more butter.
  • Sprinkle the chopped nut mixture evenly over the phyllo in a thin layer.
  • Optionally, place two wooden skewers or one long thin dowel crosswise over the center of the nut-covered phyllo.
  • Gently fold the phyllo in half over the skewers, then roll the sheet up, using the skewers as a guide, to form a roll.
  • Press each end of the phyllo in towards the center to crinkle the roll, then carefully remove the skewers.
  • Place the crinkled roll seam-side down in the prepared baking dish, either lengthwise or crosswise depending on the length of your phyllo.
  • Repeat with the remaining sheets and nut mixture until the pan is filled in a single layer of rolls. If there is any nut mixture remaining, set it aside to use as garnish on the finished rolls.
  • Brush the tops of the rolls with the remaining butter.
  • Using a sharp knife, cut across the rolls either in thirds or fourths to make individual 2-3 inch (5-8 centimeter) long pieces.
  • Transfer the baking dish to the preheated oven and bake uncovered until the tops are golden and crisp, 1 hour to 1 hour 15 minutes.
  • Immediately after removing the baking dish from the oven, slowly pour the cooled syrup evenly over the top.
  • Set aside at room temperature and allow the Saragli to rest and soak in the syrup, 1-2 hours.
  • Serve or cover the baking dish once it has cooled and store at room temperature for up to 1-2 weeks.