Ingredients
Dough
- 500 gplain flour
- 200 mlwarm milk
- 100 gbutter, melted
- 1egg
- 7 ginstant yeast
- 1 tspsugar
- ½ tspsalt
Layering
- 150 gbutter, softened to a spreadable paste
- 3 tbspplain flour
Filling
- 300 gblanched almonds, finely ground
- 200 gicing sugar
- 1½ tsp ground cardamom
- 1 tspground cinnamon (optional)
To finish
- 1egg yolk, for brushing
- icing sugar, for dusting
Directions
- Make a soft dough from the flour, warm milk, melted butter, egg, yeast, sugar and salt. Knead 8 minutes until smooth, cover and rest 1 hour.
- Beat the softened butter with the 3 tbsp of flour to a smooth spreadable paste. The flour stops it running out during rolling.
- Divide the dough into 4. Roll each piece as thin as you possibly can — thin enough to read newsprint through — on a floured surface. Brush thinly and evenly with the butter paste.
- Stack the four sheets on top of one another, buttering each, then roll the stack up into a tight log. Chill 20 minutes.
- Cut the log into 24 slices. Take each slice, lay it cut side up, and roll it out into a small round about 8 cm across. Rolling from the cut face is what exposes the spiral and gives badambura its layers.
- Mix the ground almonds, icing sugar and cardamom. Put a heaped teaspoon on each round.
- Bring three sides up to meet in the centre and pinch the seams firmly into a small triangular or oval parcel, sealing well.
- Set on a lined tray, brush with egg yolk and bake at 180°C (350°F) for 22–25 minutes until pale gold — badambura should not brown deeply.
- Cool, then dust heavily with icing sugar. They keep a week in a tin.
Technique
- Roll the dough far thinner than feels reasonable. The number of visible layers is exactly how badambura is judged in Azerbaijan.
- Keep the butter paste soft but not melted. Melted butter soaks into the dough and the layers fuse.
- Grind the almonds finely but stop before they turn to butter, or the filling goes oily in the oven.
Substitutions
- Walnuts or a mix of walnut and almond, common in some households.
- Shop-bought filo can be layered with butter as a shortcut, though the texture is crisper and drier than the real thing.
Variations
- Shakarbura, the same pastry filled with sweetened ground nuts and crimped with decorative tweezers for Novruz.
- A version scented with rose water in place of cardamom.
History
Baked with shekerbura and pakhlava for Novruz, when every household stacks a tray of sweets for guests.
Frequently asked questions
What is Badambura?
Badambura is a dessert from Azerbaijan: flaky pastry parcels filled with ground almonds, sugar and cardamom. Baked with shekerbura and pakhlava for Novruz, when every household stacks a tray of sweets for guests.
How long does Badambura take to make?
Badambura takes 50 min plus 1 hr resting of preparation and 25 min of cooking. The recipe makes about 24 pastries. It is rated hard to make.
What can I substitute in Badambura?
Yes, within limits. Walnuts or a mix of walnut and almond, common in some households. Shop-bought filo can be layered with butter as a shortcut, though the texture is crisper and drier than the real thing.
