Viennese roll stuffed with berries, fruits or other products has won the hearts of many gourmets. Its dough is so thin that it seems as if it is not there, but there is only a filler covered with a delicate crispy crust. This culinary masterpiece is known as strudel. Despite the fact that the main role in its gastronomic symphony is played by the filling, it would not be so tasty if not for the special dough - so tender and elastic that it can be rolled out until transparent without tearing. And this thin layer of flour shell does not get soggy under the berry juice or break through under the weight of the fruit.
It is believed that not every cook can make strudel dough. This process actually requires a certain skill, but even an inexperienced housewife can cope with the task if she carefully studies the instructions and follows them exactly. If you don’t have confidence in your abilities, you can make the first strudel not from stretch dough, but from regular dough, and then move on to more complex options for preparing food.
The history of the origin of strudel
Arab travelers brought strudel to Vienna. It was in the East that thin dough began to be used for making desserts. True, Arab confectioners laid layers of dough on top of each other and coated them with filling, which certainly contained jam from rose petals and orange syrup. It was more like a baklava than a roll. Strudel acquired its modern form in Austria, and the Vienna Library still contains a handwritten recipe for this delicacy, which historians date back to the 17th century.
If at first the roll was prepared only with apples, then after it began to “travel” to different countries, confectioners invented many new fillings - with a variety of fruits, berries, nuts, poppy seeds, cottage cheese, cream, rice, semolina and even cheese. Coffee or rum is often added to the filling for juiciness and piquancy. Nowadays you can find strudel with potatoes, meat, liver, sausages, lard and sauerkraut. But the traditional recipe for strudel with apples, raisins, and cinnamon is still popular. Tourists often ask for classic strudel in Viennese cafes, which is traditionally brushed with melted butter and sprinkled with powdered sugar. This royal dessert is served not only with ice cream, but also with whipped cream.
Let's get some fruit
It's time to start preparing fruit filling for our sweet pastries. Thoroughly wash apples, pears, quinces and plums (if you have other fruits, no problem), remove seeds and pits, where possible, peel the peel. Now cut all the ingredients into small slices and place in a separate bowl, sprinkle with spices for sweet baking, squeeze out the juice from the lemon from which the zest was removed a few minutes earlier, pour in a small portion of Calvados (whisky or rum), then mix. The filler should sit a little, so we move it to the side.
How to prepare strudel
Strudel is made from a yeast-free stretch dough called filo, which is very popular in Mediterranean countries. The main feature of this dough is that it stretches to the thickness of tissue paper without tearing. Austrian confectioners claim that strudel dough should be so thin that a letter from the woman you love can be read through it. This is what distinguishes strudel from regular roll.
Filo is an unleavened dough similar to dumplings. It is prepared using flour, water, vegetable oil, salt and vinegar. Sometimes eggs are added to it, and vegetable oil is replaced with butter. The dough needs to be kneaded for a long time, allowed to rest under a napkin, and then rolled out with a rolling pin on a floured towel and stretched until the pattern on the fabric is visible through it.
After the dough base is ready, brush it with melted butter and sprinkle with breadcrumbs fried in oil. Place the filling on top, roll the dough into a roll and bake in the oven, gradually lowering the temperature.
For the filling, mix thinly sliced apples, raisins soaked in alcohol, chopped nuts (preferably walnuts), brown sugar and cinnamon.
How to prepare strudel dough? Step-by-step instruction
Sift the flour along with a pinch of salt into a deep round bowl. We will use warm water for the dough, pour it into the flour, then add 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil. Mix everything thoroughly and knead a dough that is not stiff, even slightly sticking to your hands. Don't be afraid that the dough is sticky - that's how it should be. Do not add the remaining flour yet, but for further kneading, grease your palms with vegetable oil. You can mash the lump by hand, or you can use a bread maker.
The strudel dough, the recipe for which we cover, is kneaded in a bread machine in the “Dumplings” or “Pizza” modes for 10 minutes. When a good lump is formed, pack it in cellophane, wrap it in a towel and leave at room temperature for another 1 hour. During this time, the gluten will have time to swell, and in the future you will not experience any inconvenience when working with the material. What does our recipe say next? Extracted strudel dough must be kept warm for a long time. This is a very important rule, and if it is not followed, the base will tear when rolling out the layer.
Secrets of making Viennese strudel
Be sure to prepare the strudel dough with butter, because it gives it tenderness, softness and elasticity. Try replacing regular vegetable oil with olive oil - and see how tasty and fluffy the dough becomes. If the strudel filling is too juicy, add an egg to the dough - this will make it denser and will not get soggy. With a thick filling, you can make the dough crumbly by adding a little acid, such as lemon juice.
It is better to take apples for strudel that are sour and juicy - you will be surprised how tasty the roll will be! To make the filling more tender and juicy, add a little sour cream or whipped cream.
Before putting the strudel in the oven, make several punctures on its surface so that the steam does not tear the dough from the inside. While the roll is baking, remove it from the oven twice and brush the surface with melted butter. In this case, it will turn out soft and will melt in your mouth like ice cream.
Recipe for cherry strudel from stretch dough
Of course, meat ingredients can also be used as a filling for strudel, but this dish is most valued as a dessert with fruit or apple fillings. Now we will try to prepare stretch dough for strudel, and then fill it with cherries. We will need the following ingredients for the dough:
- premium wheat flour – 250 g;
- water – 150 g;
- salt - one pinch;
- vegetable oil – 2 tbsp. spoons.
We will immediately divide the flour into 2 parts, 200 grams of which will actually be used for stretch dough, and the remaining 50 grams will be used for rolling out.
For the filling we'll take:
- pitted cherries – 800 g;
- walnuts (almonds) – 50 g;
- granulated sugar – 300 g;
- crumbly shortbread cookies (ground breadcrumbs) – 50 g;
- butter for coating the surface of the dough - 100 g.
If you don't want to use cookies, you can replace this ingredient with another 50 grams of nuts.
Master class on making strudel
Yes, it’s a little scary to approach strudel, but fear has big eyes. Get over yourself and just try. You will be surprised how quickly and easily it is prepared if everything is done according to the rules.
Cooking stages.
Mix the sifted flour with salt, water, egg and vegetable oil. Quickly mix the dough with a spoon. Knead the dough with your hands until it becomes soft and elastic. Roll the dough into a ball, cover with a towel and leave to rest for half an hour.
Peel the apples from seeds and peel and cut into small pieces. Add sugar and cinnamon to the apples and mix well.
Spread a large kitchen towel on the table, sprinkle with flour and roll out a thin sheet of dough. Periodically help with your hands, stretching the dough in different directions and trying not to tear it. Brush the layer with melted butter and sprinkle with breadcrumbs. Place the filling on the dough, leaving 3 cm from the edges. Roll the dough into a log, lifting the edges of the towel. Lightly pinch the entire length of the roll to prevent it from falling apart in the oven. Place oiled baking paper on a baking sheet and place the strudel seam side down. Brush the product with melted butter.
Bake the strudel for half an hour or a little longer in an oven preheated to 200 °C. Cover it with a towel and let cool.
Everyone can make strudel using this recipe, and even if the dough tears a little when rolling out and the roll starts to leak in the oven, it will not become any less tasty! Serve this beauty with ice cream and be sure that the dessert turned out no worse than the Viennese confectioners!
Puff pastry strudel with cherries
Preparing strudel from stretch dough is a long and labor-intensive process, and there is often not enough time. Not every housewife can afford to spend half a day in the kitchen, rolling out the dough with a rolling pin until transparent. In this case, store-bought puff pastry without yeast comes to the rescue. This saves time and effort, and the result is no worse.
For the filling, use fresh canned or frozen pitted cherries. If you take the berry out of the freezer, it should sit and thaw, and the released moisture should be drained. Mix 400 g cherries, 100 g sugar and 200 g ground vanilla crumbs.
Roll out a sheet of puff pastry weighing 500 g into a thin layer. Brush it with melted butter, place the filling on top and roll it up, and then brush it again, but with a beaten egg. Make several punctures with a toothpick and place the strudel on a baking sheet lined with oiled parchment. Bake for 45 minutes at 180°C.
Decorate the pastry with buttercream and cherries. After trying this yummy, you will be convinced that puff pastry is a good choice for strudel!
Layered version of the base for strudel
This dough can be stored in the refrigerator for a very long time. It can be used with almost all types of fillings because it contains no sugar.
Required ingredients:
- 250 grams of sour cream, flour and butter;
- vanillin - on the tip of a knife;
- salt – 1 pinch.
Cooking time will be 40 minutes, calorie content 374 kcal.
Instructions for preparing puff pastry for strudel are described below. Remove the stick of butter from the refrigerator in advance. When it becomes soft, put it in a mixer cup and beat. Add in the following order: sour cream, sugar, vanillin and salt. Mix all ingredients until smooth, add sifted flour. Roll the resulting mass into a ball, wrap in cling film, and place in the refrigerator for two hours. After which you can take out the dough and roll it into a thin sheet.
Pancakes made with sour cream are very soft and delicate in taste. Try cooking them with a variety of fillings.
A recipe for incredibly tasty pasta cooked with minced meat and tomato sauce.
Read how to cook cabbage soup from fresh cabbage in a slow cooker here.
Plum strudel in pita bread
This simple and quick recipe will surprise even those who seem impossible to surprise. It is ideal for receiving unexpected guests.
First prepare the filling. Mix a glass of sugar with 3 tbsp. l. grape vinegar, place in a frying pan and heat the mixture over the fire until the sugar is completely dissolved. As soon as the syrup boils, add 0.5 kg of plums cut into pieces and cook until the filling thickens.
Separately, beat 2 eggs with half a cup of sugar until the mixture at least doubles in size.
Place two thin pita breads on top of each other and brush them liberally with beaten eggs. Spread the plum filling evenly on top and wrap the strudel in a roll, slightly tucking the edges of the pita bread inside. Bake the dessert for 20 minutes at 170°C, and sprinkle the finished roll with powdered sugar.
Curd strudel from store-bought phyllo dough
Nowadays you can buy frozen phyllo dough in the store, so there should be no problems with preparing the classic Viennese strudel. And if you change the filling a little, you can pamper yourself and your loved ones with a variety of recipes from the same dough. Try making cottage cheese strudel - tender, tasty and very beautiful.
For the filling you will need 600 g of soft cottage cheese (not grainy or creamy), which must be mixed with 2 eggs, 170 g of sugar and 1 tsp. vanilla extract.
Divide 500g sheets of phyllo dough into two piles and brush each with melted butter, coating the sheets as well as the inside. Place the filling on both sheets, roll the strudels and brush with oil again.
Bake the dessert for about 40 minutes on a baking sheet covered with oiled baking paper at 200°C. Sprinkle the finished strudels with cinnamon and powdered sugar and enjoy this delicious delicacy!
Viennese chefs say that the ability to bake the right strudel is the same as the art of dancing a waltz beautifully. Try and compare, is this true?
