Apple strudel is a typical dessert of the South Tyrolean gastronomic tradition , prepared with a very thin rolled dough – strudel in German means “vortex” – filled with a delicious filling of apples, raisins, pine nuts and cinnamon . Although today it is considered a symbolic dessert of Trentino Alto-Adige , it seems that the strudel has Turkish origins : it would in fact be a variant of the ancient baklava , a typical Turkish specialty made with layers of phyllo pastry, dried fruit and honey. Following the conquests of the Turks, the dessert first arrived in Hungary around the seventeenth century, where it began to be rolled up and filled with apples. From there it spread to Austria and then, thanks to the Austrian dominations of the 1800s, to Northern Italy and in particular to Trentino Alto-Adige, where it was very successful thanks to the many apple cultivations typical of the region.
Delicious and very fragrant, the strudel is excellent both hot and warm: enjoy it for breakfast or as a snack together with a cup of tea or mulled wine, or serve it as a dessert at the end of the meal , accompanying it with a scoop of vanilla ice cream , a dollop of cream semi-whipped or a simple sprinkling of icing sugar.
To obtain a perfect apple strudel it is important, once the dough has been prepared, to let it rest for half an hour at room temperature, so as to make it elastic and be able to roll it out very thinly without the risk of breaking it. Another secret for a successful recipe is to choose a variety of apples characterized by juicy pulp and a sweet taste, such as the Renette apple , used in the original recipe, or the Golden apple , which we chose for our recipe.
Strudel pastry, also called rolled pastry due to its particular workmanship, can be replaced with shortcrust pastry , so as to create a dessert with a crunchy shell and a soft, aromatic filling. When you have little time available, however, you can prepare a very quick apple strudel with puff pastry or an equally quick version with phyllo pastry . After making the classic recipe, try other delicious variations of fruit strudel, such as cherry strudel or peach strudel , or prepare a tasty savory version with scamorza and vegetables.
Here is the step-by-step recipe complete with tricks and tips for making a delicious apple strudel.
Ingredients
FOR THE DOUGH (STRUDEL DOUGH)
00 FLOUR
130 gr
EGG
1
WATER
25 ml
SEED OIL
10 gr
SALE
1 pinch
FOR THE STUFFING
MELE GOLDEN DELICIOUS O RENETTE
700 gr
CASTER SUGAR
60 gr
BUTTER
60 gr
BREAD CRUMBS
60 gr
RAISINS
50 gr
PINE NUTS
25 gr
LEMON (ZEST)
1
RUM
2 tbsp
CINNAMON POWDER
1 Teaspoon
FOR DECORATION
MELTED BUTTER
q.b.
POWDERED SUGAR
q.b.
How to prepare apple strudel
The preparation of apple strudel requires two distinct processes, that of the strudel dough and that of the filling, which will then be assembled to give life to the dessert. Let’s see what the steps are in detail.
How to prepare strudel dough
Step 1
Start by preparing the dough: sift the flour into a large bowl, then add the egg
1
.
Step 2
Pour the water
2
.
Step 3
Then also add the seed oil
3
and salt.
Step 4
Mix initially with a fork
4
and then transfer the mixture to a work surface.
Step 5
Work the dough briefly until it forms a smooth and homogeneous dough
5
. The dough should be quite soft and elastic: if it feels sticky, you can add another spoonful of flour.
Step 6
Wrap the dough with cling film
6
and let it rest for 30 minutes at room temperature.
How to prepare the filling
Step 7
While the dough rests, prepare the filling: melt 30 grams of butter in a pan
7
.
Step 8
Pour in the breadcrumbs
8
into the pan with the melted butter, distributing it evenly.
Step 9
Toast it and brown it, stirring occasionally
9
.
Step 10
Now peel the apples, cut them into thin slices and flavor them with grated lemon zest.
10
.
Step 11
Add the granulated sugar
11
and mix.
Step 12
Soak the raisins in rum
12
for 10 minutes.
Step 13
In the meantime, heat a small pan and let the pine nuts toast
13
for a few minutes, turning them often.
Step 14
Then combine the toasted pine nuts with the apple filling
14
, together with the teaspoon of cinnamon. Lastly, add the well squeezed raisins and mix to blend the flavors.
How to assemble the strudel
Step 15
Once the rest time has passed, take the dough and roll it out with a rolling pin on a lightly floured surface.
15
.
Step 16
Work the dough until you obtain a very thin rectangle of dough, with a thickness of about 2 mm
16
, so much so that you can almost see through it.
Step 17
Transfer the dough to a tea towel and brush the surface with 30 grams of melted butter
17
, taking care not to brush the edges of the dough.
Step 18
Distribute the toasted breadcrumbs evenly
18
: This thin layer of breadcrumbs will absorb the moisture and juices released from the filling, which would otherwise make the dough soggy.
Step 19
At this point, also add the apple filling
19
.
Step 20
Make sure you don’t fill the entire pastry, leaving 2-3 cm of space on each side
20
.
Step 21
Fold the edges inwards a few centimetres
21
, so as not to let the filling escape when you form the roll.
Step 22
Using the tea towel, start rolling the dough from the long side
22
.
Step 23
Roll up to the end, trying to position the dough attachment at the bottom
23
.
Step 24
Always using the help of the cloth, transfer the apple strudel onto a rectangular baking tray lined with baking paper, positioning the closure on the bottom, and brush the surface with more melted butter
24
.
Step 25
Bake the strudel in a static oven at 200°C for about 40 minutes
25
.
Step 26
Take the strudel out of the oven and let it rest for at least 3 hours, so that the ingredients release all their flavor and the dough reaches the right consistency, making it easy to cut. Then dust it with icing sugar, cut into slices and serve
26
.
Advice
You can enrich the strudel filling with dark chocolate, nuts or other dried or dried fruit, such as figs, apricots or plums. If you don’t like it, you can omit the raisins and add other types of fruit instead, such as pears or apricots. Instead of breadcrumbs you can use chopped hazelnuts or almonds: they will perform the same function of protecting the pasta.
To prepare a vegan apple strudel you can replace the strudel dough with matta pasta , to be filled with the filling from our recipe.
storage
The apple strudel can be stored at room temperature, under a glass bell jar, for 2-3 days although, inevitably, after the first few hours it will tend to lose its fragrance due to the humidity released by the filling. It can be frozen, both raw and cooked, for 1 month.