This authentic Austrian apple strudel (apfelstrudel) recipe is made from scratch featuring homemade strudel dough. The dough can be a tedious process so if you want to make an easier, quicker version, you can substitute puff pastry or filo.
Apple strudel (or apfelstrudel) is a dessert hailing from Austria and contains a thin flaky crust filled with a sweetened apple filling flavoured with cinnamon and raisins.
Strudel is a type of rolled pastry that is filled with either sweet or savoury ingredients ranging from meat and cheese to the classic Apple Strudel. It gets it’s name from the German word for whirlpool, as the final baked product resembles a swirl similar to a whirlpool.
Although there is some debate around it’s birthplace, most signs point to it originating from Austria, with some considering it to be the national dish. Although it is popular among surrounding countries like Germany and Hungary, the oldest known recipe lives in the Vienna Town Hall Library and dates back to 1697.
The main difference between apple pie and apple strudel is in the pastry, as the filling is much the same. Apple strudel’s pastry is very elastic and is pulled and stretched until it is paper thin. It is then rolled around the filling to form a spiral when cut into. On the other hand, apple pie is encased in a top and bottom layer of shortcrust pastry which isn’t kneaded so that it remains light and crumbly.
Strudel dough is made very simply with flour, water, oil and a tiny pinch of salt. If possible, aim for a high protein flour as the gluten is what makes a dough elastic and easier to roll paper thin.
The dough is kneaded, rested, then carefully stretched and pulled by hand until it is so thin that you can see through it.
You will need:
– 100g melted butter
– 2 slice white bread, cubed, around 80g
– 30g skinned hazelnuts
– 600g granny smith apples, around 3 large apples, peeled and thinly sliced
– 1/3 cup raisins, soaked in boiling water for 10 minutes, then drained
– 1/4 cup caster sugar
– 1/4 tsp cinnamon
– Icing sugar for dusting
Transfer to a lightly floured surface and knead for a few minutes or until the dough is smooth and elastic. A good way to tell if it’s done is when pressed with your finger, the indentation should spring back. If it doesn’t, keep kneading.
Alternatively, you can do this step in a stand mixer and knead it with a dough hook attached.
Transfer the dough to a lightly oiled bowl and roll it around so it is well coated. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and set aside to rest for at least 30 minutes, but if you have the time, leave it for an hour to allow the gluten to relax so it’s able to be stretched easily.
When the dough has finished resting, preheat the oven to 180C.
You can definitely use filo or puff pastry if you don’t feel like making the dough from scratch, but then it technically wont be a traditional Apple Strudel anymore.
Strudel dough is quite unique where it is thin and crisp but also elastic, so it has a slight chew to it. Filo pastry isn’t kneaded, so it is has a brittle and flaky texture that is quite different from strudel dough.
To make apple strudel with Filo Pastry, follow the same process as you would if you were making a spanakopita. Brush a few sheets of filo pastry with melted butter and stack them on top of each other. From here, you can follow the recipe from this point as if it was strudel dough.
Lay out a sheet of puff pastry and top with breadcrumbs and apples in a line down one side of the pastry. Brush the border with an egg wash and fold the exposed half of the pastry over the apple and press the edges to seal. You don’t want to roll the puff pastry over itself like you would with strudel dough as it wont cook properly and go doughy.
After you knead the dough for a few minutes, you will notice it starting to tighten and pull back on itself. If you want to test it, press it with your finger, and if the indentation springs back, it’s done. Leave it to rest for at least 15 minutes before rolling it out.
If your dough is tearing when you stretch it out, it can mean that it is still too tight or simply that you’re rushing the process. You want to take your time with it and gently tug and stretch the dough until it is paper thin.
If it seems like its bouncing or pulling back a lot while you work it, cover it as best as you can with a damp towel and let it rest for 5 or 10 minutes to let the gluten relax. If it’s an option, use a high protein flour, as it is the gluten which gives dough it’s elasticity and stretch. More gluten equals greater elasticity which means its easier to work with and stretch.
I always prefer Granny Smith apples in any baking because they hold their shape better than other varieties and aren’t too sweet. If you have other apples lying around that need to be used, it’ll still be great with them, but if you have the option, choose Granny Smith.
As the only animal product in strudel is butter, it can very easily be made vegan by substituting regular butter for vegan butter.
I’d suggest eating the strudel within 3-5 days stored in the fridge.
I wouldn’t really recommend freezing it after baking as any cooked pastries get freezer burn very easily and can go brittle when thawed. But if you would like to pre-prepare it, you can make it in it’s entirety, wrap it in cling wrap and store it in the freezer. When you’re ready to bake, defrost it and bake it as usual.
Nothing beats eating an apple strudel hot, straight from the oven, but strudel is still delicious served cold with a scoop of ice cream or a dollop of cream. You can heat it up in the microwave before serving just to warm through the filling if you’d like.
The reason apple strudel can go soggy is excess liquid seeping out of the fruit into the pastry. The breadcrumbs role in the recipe is to prevent this from happening, as it absorbs this liquid during baking before it has a chance to reach the pastry (in very much the same way that a crepe does in a beef wellington). However, sometimes it mightn’t be enough. That being said, you can simply increase the amount (and thickness of the layer) of breadcrumbs in the recipe but this could potentially overshadow the apples.
Another preventative measure is to let the sliced apples sit, or macerate, in the sugar and lemon juice for at least 15 minutes, to allow any excess liquid to be pulled out. Then, you can either thicken this liquid by reducing it in a small pot and fold it back through the apple mix, or simply discard it.
I’ve have never had this issue, but if you are finding it happening to you and you’re following the recipe carefully, maybe give one of these options a try.
Mon Mack Food is my little space to share my passion for food. It is also a place to document the recipes I’ve created while cooking for friends and family! While it is now just a hobby, my absolute dream is to build this project into something I can one day call my job 🙂
