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Desserts

Iginio Massari’s Apple Strudel

Iginio Massari's Apple Strudel: paper-thin dough and a rich filling of Reinette apples, hazelnuts and cinnamon. The traditional recipe.
Recipe Iginio Massari’s Apple Strudel
  • Difficulty Medium
  • Preparation 45 minutes
  • Cooking 1 hour
  • Servings for 8-10 people

When the days grow shorter and the temperatures drop, the scent of Iginio Massari’s apple strudel can turn any room into a place of pure comfort. This holiday apple dessert is not just a treat for the palate but a true plunge into the authentic, comforting flavors of home baking. With our apple strudel recipe, you will learn how to make apple strudel following the advice and refined technique of master pastry chef Massari, for a result worthy of the finest pastry shops.

The magic of this apple pastry dessert lies in the choice of ingredients and in careful handling of the dough: no shortcuts, only true “strudel dough”, made with Manitoba flour (a strong, high-protein flour), which gives you a thin, crisp shell able to hold a rich, moist filling while keeping a perfect balance between texture and flavor. Inside, this apple and hazelnut strudel holds fragrant Reinette apples, soaked raisins, pine nuts and crunchy chopped hazelnuts, while cinnamon adds the warm, spiced note that makes every slice of this easy apple dessert unmistakable.

We will guide you step by step, sharing all the tricks for a soft strudel with pine nuts and apples that keeps its pastry light and fragrant, perfect as an indulgent apple snack recipe or as a treat after Sunday lunch or a family dinner. If you love flavorful baked desserts, we also recommend Apple Crumble Cake, delicate Apple Turnovers or the surprising Invisible Apple Cake, which turns every break into a celebration. Get your ingredients ready and follow along: your baked dessert with cinnamon and raisins will win everyone over and fill the house with a wonderful aroma.

Ingredients for 8-10 people

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Method

  1. To make Iginio Massari’s Apple Strudel, start with the filling: soak the raisins in lukewarm water for about 20 minutes; once plumped, drain them and squeeze them carefully to remove the excess water.
  2. Meanwhile, wash and peel the Reinette apples, core them and cut them into thin slices, then place them in a large bowl and add 50 g of melted butter, the sugar, the ground cinnamon, the pine nuts, the chopped hazelnuts, the lemon juice and grated lemon zest, and finally the sponge cake crumbs.
    Iginio Massari's Apple Strudel, step 2: sliced apples with sugar, cinnamon, nuts and sponge cake crumbs in a bowl
  3. Gently mix all the filling ingredients so the flavors blend perfectly, then let the mixture sit and absorb the flavors while you make the dough.
  4. In a stand mixer or a large bowl, add the sifted Manitoba flour along with the salt, olive oil, eggs and lukewarm water, and knead vigorously until you have a soft, elastic dough.
  5. Transfer the dough to a lightly floured work surface and knead it for a few more moments until perfectly smooth and even, then cover it with a clean kitchen towel or an upturned bowl and let it rest at room temperature for 30 minutes.
  6. Once the resting time is up, flour the work surface well (or use a floured kitchen cloth) and start rolling out the dough with a rolling pin; then, with floured hands placed under the sheet, lift it and gently stretch it from the center outward until it is very thin and almost transparent.
    Iginio Massari's Apple Strudel, step 6: stretching the dough until very thin
  7. Brush the whole surface of the stretched dough with 50 g of melted butter (taken from the finishing amount) and spread the apple filling evenly over it, leaving a small border free along the sides.
    Iginio Massari's Apple Strudel, step 7: apple filling spread over the buttered dough
  8. Using the cloth or your hands, gently roll the dough over itself to form the classic strudel, sealing the ends well so the filling doesn’t leak out during baking.
    Iginio Massari's Apple Strudel, step 8: rolling up the strudel
  9. Place the strudel on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and bake it in an oven preheated to 170 °C (340 °F) for about 60 minutes, or until the top is nicely golden and crisp.
    Iginio Massari's Apple Strudel, step 9: the strudel on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper
  10. Take the strudel out of the oven and, while it is still hot, brush the top with the remaining 20 g of melted butter to give it shine and soften it slightly, then let it cool until warm before dusting it generously with vanilla powdered sugar. Finally, remember to download our App with exclusive content and fewer ads!

Variations and Alternatives

If you are short on time, you can replace the homemade strudel dough with a roll of rectangular store-bought puff pastry or ready-made phyllo dough, slightly reducing the baking time. For the filling, you can vary the nuts by using walnuts or almonds instead of hazelnuts.

Tips

For an excellent result, make sure the dough is stretched so thin that you could read a newspaper through it, as tradition demands. If the dough feels too tough while you work it, add an extra splash of water, since absorption depends on the flour. Serve the strudel warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or a dollop of unsweetened whipped cream.

Storage

Apple strudel keeps for 2-3 days under a glass cake dome or covered with plastic wrap, at room temperature if it isn’t too warm, otherwise in the fridge. We recommend warming it slightly before serving it again.

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