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1
Preheat the oven to 350.
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2
Butter a 9-by-13-inch baking dish.
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3
Spread the hazelnuts on a rimmed baking sheet and bake until fragrant and the skins blister, about 12 minutes.
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4
Transfer the hazelnuts to a kitchen towel to cool completely.
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5
Rub the nuts together in the towel to loosen the skins; don't worry if some aren't totally peeled.
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6
Transfer the peeled hazelnuts to a food processor, add 1/4 cup of the sugar and pulse until finely chopped.
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7
Set the phyllo dough on a work surface and cut the stack in half crosswise; you should have 2 stacks of 8-by-12-inch rectangles.
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8
Cover 1 stack of phyllo sheets with a lightly damp paper towel and plastic wrap.
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9
Layer the remaining phyllo in the prepared baking dish, lightly brushing each sheet with melted butter.
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10
Spread the finely chopped hazelnuts over the phyllo in an even layer.
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11
Cover with the remaining phyllo, lightly brushing each sheet with melted butter and saving the nicest 2 or 3 sheets for the top layer.
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12
Brush the top of the baklava evenly with butter and press lightly to compact it.
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13
Using a ruler and a sharp paring knife, cut the baklava lengthwise into 2-inch strips, then cut the strips on the diagonal to form diamonds.
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14
Bake the baklava until golden, about 25 minutes.
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15
Turn the oven down to 300 and continue baking until the baklava is browned, about 30 minutes longer.
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16
Transfer the baking dish to a rack.
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17
Run the knife through the cuts to make sure the diamonds are separated.
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18
In a small saucepan, combine the remaining 1 3/4 cups of sugar with the water and bring to a boil.
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19
Simmer for 5 minutes, stirring to dissolve the sugar.
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20
Stir in the lemon juice.
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21
Pour the hot syrup evenly over the baklava and let cool for at least 1 hour before serving.
