The apple strudel with the magic pastry is a swirl of thin dough that wraps apples, pine nuts, raisins and intoxicating aromas of cinnamon and lemon. It is a typical dessert from Trentino, even though its origins seem to come from Turkey.
It may not look like it, but this dessert was born in humble kitchens with 2 apples, a bit of flour and a handful of pine nuts — simply using what is found at home to please the family — yet the apple strudel evokes elegance and a regal air.
The magic pastry of this recipe requires 1 egg, but if you want the vegan version you can replicate the magic pastry of the apple-and-onion strudel (see recipe), perfect and super versatile for sweet and savory preparations.
The strudel should be served hot or warm and is excellent accompanied by a vanilla cream.
- Difficulty: Medium
- Cost: Low cost
- Rest time: 2 Hours
- Portions: 10People
- Cooking methods: Oven
- Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients
- 1 cup all-purpose flour (type 00)
- 3 tbsp water
- 1 egg
- 2 tsp olive oil
- 1 pinch salt
- 3 1/4 cups apples (2 large apples)
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 5 tbsp butter (can be replaced with vegetable margarine)
- 1/2 cup breadcrumbs
- 1/3 cup raisins
- 1/4 cup pine nuts
- lemon (grated zest of 1 lemon)
- 1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
- as needed powdered sugar
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Preparation
1 – In a bowl combine all the ingredients for the pastry. Knead the mixture and work it a little on the work surface. Form a ball of dough, oil it and let it rest for at least 2 hours wrapped in plastic wrap.
2 – Soak the raisins in a little water to rehydrate them.
3 – After the resting time, roll out the pastry on a lightly oiled work surface. With a rolling pin, roll it out to form a rectangle of about 12×16 in, very thin.
4 – Peel, core and slice the apples into thin slices. Sauté them for 5 minutes in a pan with the butter. Turn off the heat, transfer them to a bowl and let cool.
5 – In the same pan where you sautéed the apples, lightly toast the breadcrumbs.
Drain the raisins and pat them dry.6 – When the apples are cool, add the other ingredients to the bowl: the toasted breadcrumbs, the raisins, the pine nuts, the sugar, the cinnamon and the grated lemon zest.
7 – Mix the filling well and let it rest for 5 minutes, just enough time for the flavors to meld.
8 – Pour the apple mixture onto the pastry. Starting from the center, spread it over the pastry without touching the edges. Leave at least 3/4 inch of pastry empty around the edges and brush them with a little oil.
9 – Fold like an envelope first the two shorter sides of the pastry, then gently roll it up onto itself until the end. The seam of the dough will remain on the bottom when you place it on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
10 – Brush the surface of the roll with melted butter and bake in a preheated oven at 338°F (convection) for 35 minutes.
11 – When baking is complete, wait for it to cool and then dust the surface of the apple strudel with powdered sugar. Before serving, warm it and accompany with a vanilla cream.
