Name: AUTHENTIC APPLE STRUDEL (ÄPFELSTRUDEL) – VIENNA, AUSTRIA
Prep time: 1 h 10 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 1 h 30 min
Yield: 10
Ingredients: 380 g wheat/plain/all purpose flour; 85 g sunflower oil; 150 ml water; pinch of salt; 1 egg; 1.50 kg sour apples (e.g. Boskoop, Cox Orange, Breaburn, Granny Smith); 1 handful of raisins; 80 g sugar; 2 tbsp rum; juice of 1 lemon; 1 tsp cinnamon; 50 g butter; 120 g breadcrumbs; 50 g butter for glazing

The sweet, sugary scent of freshly baked apple strudel – there is nothing else quite like it! It is a traditional Viennese pastry and is also popular in other countries such as Italy, Germany, Romania, and Poland.

It consists of sour apples and sweet raisins wrapped up in blankets of thin, flakey pastry. The dessert is then dusted with powdered sugar and served with fresh whipped cream, vanilla ice cream or vanilla custard.

The History of Apple Strudel

The earliest knowledge of strudel dates back to 1697, in the form of a hand-written recipe, stored today in the Wienbibliothek im Rathaus library in Vienna.

The pastry grew in popularity in the 18th century. Here, Austrian cuisine, in general, was formed due to the multi-cultural influences throughout the expansion of the Austrian Habsburg Empire.

Many variations of strudels exist today. The pastry can be either savoury, with ingredients such as spinach, cream cheese or pumpkin or sweet, made with apples, berries, and other fruits.

This recipe is an authentic, traditional recipe that we learned from scratch in an immersive Austrian cuisine cooking class in the historic city of Vienna. This strudel incorporates the traditional ingredients of toasted breadcrumbs and sweet raisins. These ingredients complement the strudel perfectly and are a delicious addition!

Similarly to wiener schnitzel, apple strudel is viewed as one of the national dishes of Austria, and it is a cherished pastry frequently shared among family and friends due to its large size.

Hot, sweet and light, apple strudel is the PERFECT post-dinner treat, and with a variety of possible fillings – it’s an ideal choice for any time of the year!

I hope you enjoy this authentic apple strudel recipe! Let us know if you make any additions or substitutions.

For another Austrian specialty, why not try my Crispy & Flavourful Chicken Schnitzel?

Mahlzeit!

–ARIA

AuthorariaesmeraldaDifficultyIntermediate

Yields10 Servings

Prep Time1 hr 10 minsCook Time20 minsTotal Time1 hr 30 mins

For the dough

380 g wheat/plain/all purpose flour

85 g sunflower oil

150 ml water

pinch of salt

1 egg

For the filling

1.50 kg sour apples (e.g. Boskoop, Cox Orange, Breaburn, Granny Smith)

1 handful of raisins

80 g sugar

2 tbsp rum

juice of 1 lemon

1 tsp cinnamon

50 g butter

120 g breadcrumbs

Other ingredients

50 g butter for glazing

Mix the flour, oil, egg and water together with salt and knead with your hands for 15 mins until the dough is even

Add more water or flour if that dough is too sticky, then cover the dough, put it in the fridge and let it rest for 30 mins - 1 hour

Meanwhile, melt 60 grams of butter in a pan and then fry the breadcrumbs until golden

Peel the apples, remove their core and quarter them

Slice the quarters into thin slices and put them into a bowl with the sugar, cinnamon, raisins, rum, lemon juice and then mix together well

Take the dough from the fridge and cut it in half, set half aside

Roll one half out and stretch the dough until it is super thin and square in shape

Lay the dough down and spread out half the breadcrumbs in a line at the base of the dough

Spread half of the apples and then lightly cover the rest of the dough in some melted butter

Roll dough from the apple base until contained, whilst folding in the ends, then cut off any excess dough

Repeat the same actions, using the rest of the breadcrumbs and apples for the other half of the dough that has been set aside

Transfer strudels to a baking tray, lightly spread some egg or butter over the top of the pastry

Bake at 220 degrees C for about 20 minutes

Serve hot with whipped cream or vanilla custard

Ingredients