APPLE STRUDEL

Apple Strudel is traditional dessert all around Alpine Regions. The original recipe from 18th century spread from Wiena (Austria) to all neighbouring countries and to all countries of former Habsburg Empire. It is made of stretched dough filled with grated apples and spices.

Apple Strudel

Throughout the history and around different regions a variety of different strudels appeared. We are talking about sweet desserts and savoury varieties, which can be served as a main dish with seasonal salad or as a side dish served with meat stew etc.

Best known strudel around the world is apple strudel. We will make a very traditional apple strudel or in Slovenian cuisine Jabolčni štrudelj. The recipe varies from house to house but it is close to the original recipe. This time we will make very simple basic version, just apples, which is in my opinion, very delicious.

We need stretched dough and apple filling.

Ingredients for the dough:
500 g of soft wheat flour
250 ml of lukewarm water
1/2 tsp of salt
1 tsp of vinegar
50 ml of vegetable oil
1 egg / optional

Main ingredients for the dough 

You can make the dough in a food processor very easily. Put the flour, oil and egg in food processor. Mix the lukewarm water with salt and vinegar. Start mixing with slowly adding water into flour.

Flour, oil and egg

Slowly adding water

When it doesn't stick to the bowl anymore take it out on the working table and finish it with your hands until nicely soft and smooth.

Finish with hands until soft

Split in half

For this amount of flour I am making two strudels. Before finishing the dough, split it into half and work it out. When finished spread the oil over dough, cover it and put to rest for at least 1/2 hour.

Cover with foil

Put to rest

In That time you can prepare everything else.

Ingredients for apple filling:
1000 to 2000 g of apples
150 g of butter
80 g of bread crumbs
1 lemon
cinnamon
sugar

Apples

Grated apples

The best apples for strudel are the ones that taste a bit sour. Wash and clean the apples. Sprinkle the lemon juice over grated apples. In that way they will not turn brown. You can also add sugar and cinnamon.
If the apples are to sweet add more lemon juice.

Melt the butter and mix in the bread crumbs. Stir-fry them just a bit. Be careful not to over fry!

Put the dough on a cotton cloth sprinkled with a bit of flour. Stretch the dough from all sides out to get a very thin layer. They say you should see through it.

Put the dough on cotton cloth

and stretch it out

Stretched dough sprinkled with bread crumbs in butter and apples

Sprinkle with breadcrumbs roasted in butter, save 1/4 for later. Than add apples on 1/3 of the dough together with sugar and cinnamon. Do not be too careful with cinnamon. It goes very well with apples and it makes the specific taste we like. Fold the dough from three sides over the filling as you can see on the photo above.  
Sprinkle the rest of breadcrumbs over these edges and roll all in with the help of the cotton cloth. You will get long roll which you put into a buttered baking tray. You can also use baking paper.

Long roll 

Put the roll into baking tray.

Make small holes with tooth pick to get rid of the air inside. Spread with melted butter or vegetable oil and put into preheated oven.  Bake for 1 hour on 200 degrees C. When baked wait to cool down slightly, then sprinkle with sugar powder. It is the best when still a bit warm.

The best is slightly warm.

Serve it sprinkled with sugar powder. 

As I mentioned before this is simple basic version of that delicious dessert. We can also make a more rich version with adding raisins and nuts to the apple filling. Or using cream to sprinkle the dough instead of butter with breadcrumbs. Of course all this influence the taste of the strudel.

It is up to you to try and find your best and most delicious kind of strudel! And enjoy!

For more photos see this LINK!