This apple strudel recipe is inspired by my German friend who is an awesome baker. I asked him to share his authentic recipe with me after my trip to Munich where I ate one of the best apple strudels ever.
Apple Strudel is a classic dessert that’s perfect for the fall season
It’s very popular in Germany and Austria. In Poland, we have a similar dessert called “szarlotka” but the crust is thicker and a little sweeter.
The Mazurian region apple strudel I grew up eating was made with apples rolled in yeast cake and then glazed with sugar. It was also extremely delicious and I still make it at home today.
My favorite way to eat the apple strudel is with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. In Munich, it’s served with vanilla custard that soaks the delicate crust and makes the crust very moist.
Apple strudel is essentially apple pie that’s more refined
In many ways, the apple strudel reminds me of the American apple pie. In taste, the crust is very similar to the traditional American pie version, and the apples are prepared similarly. However, the big difference is thickness and the presentation.
The crust of the apple strudel is extremely thin, almost translucent. The apples are sliced into very thin slivers, and instead of being baked in a pie dish, the apples are rolled inside the dough into a long log. The result is a very refined apple dessert that melts in your mouth.
Adding other flavors to the apple filling
Traditional recipes call for adding raisins and walnuts or almonds, but I prefer one with just the apples. If you’re adding raisins, the preferred method for soaking them is in rum. Instead of rum, you can also soak them in very hot water. Prepare the raisins by soaking them for at least 30 minutes before preparing the filling.
Using the right flour is very important to ensure flexible dough
To make an authentic apple strudel, it’s important to use a good quality flour, one that is fine and has enough gluten to allow the dough to be stretched without breaking. For this recipe I use wheat flour from Poland type 500, “Poznanska”. But you can also use type 450, “Tortowa“. If you’re using North American flour, I recommend using pastry flour. You can also use a very fine Italian flour, the “00” type used for pizzas.
Apple Strudel Dough
Ingredients
- 2¼ cups wheat flour Polish type 500 or 450
- 1 tbs powdered sugar
- 3 + 16 tbs unsalted butter
- 2 tbsp sunflower seed oil
- 1 medium egg
- ⅓ cup bread crumbs
- 1 tbsp spring water
- 1 tsp lemon juice
- ¼ tsp salt
Instructions
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Using a medium bowl, sieve the flour and then add the sugar and the salt. Mix it together with a spoon.
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Add the egg, 3 tablespoon of chopped butter, sunflower seed oil, water, and lemon juice and combine it into the dough with your hands.
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Knead the dough until it feels smooth and elastic and becomes uniform.
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Wrap the dough with foil and allow it to rest for 30 minutes to 1 hour.
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In the meantime prepare the apple filling (see instructions below) and melt 16 tablespoons (220 grams or 8 oz) of butter for coating the rolled out dough.
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After the dough has rested for at least 30 minutes, find a large clean surface area to roll out the dough. You can use the dining room table if you need extra room.
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Preheat the oven to 375° Fahrenheit or 190° Celsius.
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With a rolling pin, roll out the dough into a very large circle, until it becomes almost translucent.
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Using a glazing brush, delicately coat the surface of the dough with the melted butter.
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Sprinkle the breadcrumbs on top.
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Using a spoon, scoop the apples in a row along the edge of the rolled out dough.
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Gently wrap the edges of the dough and start rolling, keeping the row of the apple filling intact.
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Place the rolled apple strudel onto a perchment paper lined baking sheet.
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Bake for 35-40 minutes until you see golden brown color emerge.
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Cool it for at least 20-30 minutes before cutting into it.
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Sprinkle some powdered sugar on top and serve it with a side of vanilla ice cream.
Apple Strudel Filling
Ingredients
- 8-10 medium apples (preferably Gala or Macintosh)
- 4 tbsp brown sugar
- 1-2 tbsp ground cinnamon
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 cup raisins
- 2 tbsp rum (optional) for soaking raisins
Instructions
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Place raisins in a small bowl and soak them in a cup of warm water mixed with rum (optional). While the raisins soak, prepare the apples.
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Wash and peal the apples.
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Slice the apples into very thin slices.
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Place the sliced apples in the sieve. Sprinkle them with lemon juice to avoid browning and let them rest for about 10 - 15 minutes. Gently stir the apples to allow the extra juice to drain.
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Transfer the apples to a large mixing bowl and add the brown sugar, cinnamon, and raisins, and gently stir with a spoon.
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The filling is ready to be added to the dough to make the apple strudel.
{ 6 comments… read them below or add one }
Ola, it looks soooo delicious!
I know what to bake the next weekend.
Keep warm Ola!
Eleonora
Eleonora,
Thank you for visiting my site. Appreciate your comment and hope your strudel turns out well. It’s very delicious and hard to eat just one piece.
Cheers,
Ola
Other than objecting to wanting my email, this is the most detailed blog I have ever seen. Beautiful photography and incredibly simple instructions for something not so simple. Reminds me of my grandmother’s baking – hard to do as she was good!! Let’s have more! -(other bloggers can for sure learn something from just watching what you do. I watch gardening blogs and never seen one as good as this at helping a novice (or even skilled) practitioner.
Thank you PJK for your note and such positive feedback.
I’m happy to learn that you found my site helpful and that it brought back memories of your grandmother baking. I also grew up indulging in my grandmother’s home baking and hope to encourage others to bake more at home. Hopefully with some guidance on my site, this task won’t feel so daunting for many.
Cheers,
Ola
Can I use krupczatka puszysta 500 for baking and making pierogies
Hi Debbie,
Thank you for your inquiry. The beauty about “Krupczatka” flour is that it makes any dough more crumbly. So it’s perfect for cookies, muffins, pastries, and certain pie crusts. However, it’s not suitable for pierogi or apple strudel because their dough needs to be super elastic allowing you to stretch it and mould it accordingly. It would be very difficult to work with a crumbly dough while making apple strudel or pierogi, so I highly recommend you either use “Poznanska” type 500 or “Tortowa” type 450 flours if you want your pierogi extra delicate and less chewy.
Hope this helps 🙂
Ola