Original South Tyrolean Apple Strudel

Name: Original South Tyrolean Apple Strudel
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 40 min
Total time: 1 h 10 min
Yield: 8
Ingredients: 170 g of All Purpose Flour; 60 ml of Water; 1 Eggs; 1 tablespoon of Vegetable Oil; 1 pinch of Salt; 850 g of Apples; 80 g of Raisins; 35 g of Pine Nuts; 70 g of Sugar; 3 tablespoons of Rum; 75 g of Bread Crumbs; 60 g of Butter; 1 teaspoon of Cinnamon; 1 Lemon; Butter; Powdered Sugar

Original apple strudel with homemade stretched dough, apples, raisins, pine nuts and cinnamon: the traditional South Tyrolean recipe, step by step.

Recipe Original South Tyrolean Apple Strudel

Difficulty Medium
Preparation 30 minutes
Cooking 40 minutes
Servings for 8 people

Apple strudel, or Apfelstrudel, is the signature dessert of South Tyrol (Alto Adige) and the whole Alpine region: a wrapper of paper-thin stretched dough enclosing a soft filling of apples, raisins, pine nuts and cinnamon. Its history goes back a long way: according to tradition it descends from Ottoman baklava, which reached Hungary with the Turkish conquests and was enriched there with apples, then spread to Vienna, where a handwritten recipe from 1696 is preserved, and finally to the valleys of Trentino-Alto Adige, which adopted it thanks to their fragrant apples.

The authentic version uses no store-bought puff pastry and no crumbled cookies: the dough takes just a few minutes to make with flour, water, egg and a drizzle of oil, while the breadcrumbs toasted in butter soak up the fruit juices and keep the base dry. In this recipe you will find precise amounts, timings and all the tricks for an apple strudel that is crisp outside and juicy inside, perfect as an afternoon snack, for breakfast or as a dessert with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

Ingredients for 8 people

For the strudel dough:
170 g of All Purpose Flour
60 ml of Water lukewarm
1 Eggs medium, at room temperature
1 tablespoon of Vegetable Oil
1 pinch of Salt
For the apple filling:
850 g of Apples Golden Delicious or Reinette, weighed whole
80 g of Raisins
35 g of Pine Nuts
70 g of Sugar granulated
3 tablespoons of Rum or lukewarm water
75 g of Bread Crumbs
60 g of Butter 40 g to toast the breadcrumbs, 20 g melted for the dough
1 teaspoon of Cinnamon
1 Lemon
To finish:
Butter melted, for brushing to taste
Powdered Sugar to taste

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Method

To make the apple strudel, start with the dough: put the flour in a bowl with the egg, the pinch of salt and the vegetable oil, then start kneading, adding the lukewarm water a little at a time. Work the mixture for a few minutes, until you have a smooth, elastic ball of dough that doesn’t stick to your hands.
Shape it into a ball, flatten it slightly, cover it with an upturned bowl or plastic wrap and let it rest for 30 minutes at room temperature: resting relaxes the gluten and will let you stretch the dough very thin without tearing it.
Meanwhile, soak the raisins in the rum (or in lukewarm water if you prefer to avoid alcohol) for about 15 minutes.
Peel and core the apples and cut them into slices that are not too thick, then cut each slice into three pieces. Small, even pieces cook evenly and won’t risk piercing the dough as you roll it up.
Melt 40 g of butter in a skillet and, when it starts to sizzle, add the breadcrumbs. Toast them over medium heat, stirring often with a wooden spoon, until golden and fragrant, then let them cool slightly.
In a small nonstick skillet, toast the pine nuts over very low heat for a couple of minutes, keeping them moving because they burn easily. Transfer them to a plate and let them cool.
Combine the apples in a large bowl with the sugar, the drained and well-squeezed raisins, the grated lemon zest, the cinnamon and the soaking rum. Add the now-cool pine nuts and mix carefully to distribute the flavors.
Take the dough and roll it out on a clean, lightly floured kitchen towel. Work it first with the rolling pin and then, if you like, with the backs of your hands, until you have a rectangle about 2 mm (1/16 inch) thick. Make sure the surface always stays dry and floured.
Melt the remaining 20 g of butter, let it cool slightly and brush it over the whole surface of the dough. Scatter the toasted breadcrumbs on top, leaving about 2 cm (3/4 inch) free along the edges.
Spread the apple filling over the layer of breadcrumbs, leveling it without going past the free border. Using the towel to help you, roll up the strudel starting from the long side, gently so as not to tear the dough, then seal both ends well by folding them underneath.
Brush off the excess flour and transfer the strudel to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, seam side down. Brush the whole surface with melted butter.
Bake on the middle rack of a conventional oven preheated to 200 °C (400 °F) for about 40 minutes, or in a convection oven at 180 °C (350 °F) for about 30 minutes, until the surface is well browned.
Take the strudel out of the oven and let it cool for at least 3 hours, so the filling firms up and the slices stay whole when cut.
Before serving, dust generously with powdered sugar. Finally, remember to download our App with exclusive content and fewer ads!

Variations and Alternatives

If you prefer to avoid alcohol, soak the raisins in warm water or apple juice. The pine nuts can be replaced with coarsely chopped walnuts or hazelnuts, while some of the apples can make way for pears for a sweeter, more delicate filling. For a more intense aroma, add a pinch of ground cloves or the seeds of half a vanilla bean to the filling. If you like a more rustic taste, use brown sugar instead of granulated sugar.

Tips

Choose firm, slightly tart apples such as Golden Delicious, Reinette or Granny Smith, which don’t fall apart during baking. Don’t skip toasting the breadcrumbs in butter: this is the layer that absorbs the fruit juices and prevents a soggy base. Squeeze the raisins well and don’t let the sugared filling sit for long, because the apples release water. For a shinier, more golden surface you can replace the butter for the finish with an egg beaten with a tablespoon of milk. Serve it warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, a drizzle of honey or a warm vanilla sauce.

Storage

Apple strudel keeps for 2 days at room temperature, under a glass dome or covered with a kitchen towel, and the next day it is even better because the flavors blend. You can freeze it once baked, whole or in slices, only if you used fresh ingredients that were never thawed: let it thaw at room temperature and warm it for a few minutes in a hot oven to bring back its crispness. Always add the powdered sugar just before serving.