Old World Apple Strudel
This is my grandma’s recipe for apple strudel, and I call it Old World because well, this recipe is old. Ever since I could remember I watched my baba stretch out the dough to cover the entire table. It was paper thin, then she would drizzle on oil, apples, sugar, cinnamon and raisins. Then she would carefully roll it up and transfer it into a pan. Once baked it was a true masterpiece.
The dough is not for the faint of heart. It requires 2 sessions of kneading and resting. This is critical for the flexibility of the dough. The development of gluten through 2 stages of kneading makes it very easy to stretch out paper thin. From start to finish, the process takes exactly 3 hours.
Tips For Making Perfect Apple Strudel
- DON’T MAKE THE DOUGH TOO DRY NOR TOO STICKY The dough should be soft when you knead it, but if it’s too sticky it will tear easily while stretching. Too dry and it will be difficult to pull.
- KNEAD THE DOUGH VERY WELL It should be very smooth and free of veins after kneading. It takes about 10 minutes each session to properly develop the gluten.
- GIVE THE DOUGH AMPLE TIME TO REST It’s important to let the gluten strands relax before stretching the dough. If you are experiencing a lot of resistance while pulling, cover the dough and let it rest for another 15 minutes.
- USE A DRY APPLE Red Delicious is a perfect kind for strudel because they are not too juicy. If you are using juicier apples, sauté them for a few minutes and cool before filling strudel.
- OIL YOUR FINGERS WHILE STRETCHING It will prevent the dough from folding into itself and sticking.
This is a challenging recipe without a doubt, but I know you’ve got this!
Old World Apple Strudel
Ingredients
STRUDEL DOUGH
- 1½ cups all purpose flour
- 1½ tablespoons vegetable oil
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¾ cup water
FILLING
- 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 5-6 apples Red Delicious works best
- ⅓ cup sugar
- ½ cup raisins
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
Instructions
- For the dough, combine the flour, oil and salt in a bowl. Slowly add water, stirring in enough to form a dough that is soft but not sticky. You may need to add a little more water than the recipe calls for.
- Once the dough comes together, knead for 8-10 minutes until smooth and elastic. Cover and rest for 30 minutes.
- After resting, knead the dough again for another 8-10 minutes. This second kneading is necessary to make the dough very flexible. Now using a pastry cloth lined surface, flatten the dough out slightly. Cover and rest again for another 30 minutes.
- After the second rest, begin stretching out the dough. Start from the middle and work your way out to the edges using a pulling motion. Walk around the table as you stretch so the pastry maintains an even surface. Try to maintain and square or oval shape that is symmetrical. The dough should be thin enough to read a newspaper through. If desired, trim the edge. (See notes for how you can use these scraps.)
- Preheat oven to 375F/190C. Oil the bottom of a 9"x13" baking pan or even a baking sheet. Peel, core and slice the apples into uniform pieces. Drizzle 2 tablespoons of the oil over the dough. Sprinkle apples evenly over, followed by the sugar, raisins and cinnamon. Grab the tablecloth on either side of the horizontal way of the strudel and begin rolling it up. Continue using the tablecloth to roll it the entire way as the dough would tear by handling it.
- Carefully place the strudel into the prepared pan and brush with remaining 1 tablespoon oil. Bake for 45 minutes or until lightly golden. Sprinkle with powdered sugar if desired. Enjoy!
Video
@icookandpaint Old World Apple Strudel ~ my baba’s recipe ❤️ #applerecipes #applestrudel #ilovetobake #bakeontiktok
♬ original sound – I Cook and Paint