A Traditional Strudel Recipe 'Pulled' From The Past (2024)

A Traditional Strudel Recipe 'Pulled' From The Past (1)

It's said the dough for pull strudel should be stretched so thin that a love letter can be read through it. Courtesy of Sasa Woodruff hide caption

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Courtesy of Sasa Woodruff

I never actually had my grandmother's strudel, but for years I was obsessed with it.

She died when I was 4, so I only know about it from my mom. But she tells me that my babina, or grandmother, would pull and coax a ball of dough on the back of her hands, until it stretched so thin that she could pull it over an entire ping-pong table covered with a floured tablecloth.

She made the strudel for my parents' wedding, and two years later, my mom tried making it for their anniversary. But despite being an accomplished baker, mom's dough turned out so badly that she threw it at the walls and on the floor in frustration.

For me, this strudel is less about the pastry and more about connecting to a time before politics forced my grandmother from her family and her country. It was a link to the past. As I started asking around and searching the Internet, I found it's also a skill that's slipping away.

While on a trip to Slovakia last summer to take a Slovak language course (another of the other things my mom didn't teach me), I met 28-year-old Julia Vrablova. She was one of my instructors and, on a whim, I asked if she knew anyone who knew how to make tahana strudla, as the natives say.

"This recipe is kind of forgotten, because it's not so easy to prepare a dough, so people buy it or they make something that reminds them of this kind of strudel, but it's not pull strudel anymore," she says.

But Julia casually said she could make it.

What? Everyone told me I'd have to track down an old babka [grandma] in a small village! I thought Julia was far too young! But she explained that although her family never made pulled strudel, she was obsessed with baking. She researched, found women who could make it, and then learned to do it herself.

The ingredients are simple: high-gluten flour, so the dough can get superstretchy; water, oil, salt and a little vinegar.

Julia kneads the dough, explaining that it has to be worked for at least 30 minutes (she sits on the floor to make it a little easier). It's probably part of the reason why many buy frozen packets of phyllo dough instead.

Other pastry doughs, like for croissants or puff pastries, will get tough if the dough is overworked. But pulled strudel dough is just the opposite: It's about activating the gluten, kneading it and often hitting it so the dough can be pulled into a thin layer without tearing.

Slovak language instructor Julia Vrablova sought out women who could teach her to make the dough for tahana strudla, which can be made with ground poppy seeds, apple or sour cherries. Courtesy of Sasa Woodruff hide caption

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Courtesy of Sasa Woodruff

A Traditional Strudel Recipe 'Pulled' From The Past (3)

Slovak language instructor Julia Vrablova sought out women who could teach her to make the dough for tahana strudla, which can be made with ground poppy seeds, apple or sour cherries.

Courtesy of Sasa Woodruff

Strudel means whirlpool or eddy in German. The pastries probably got that name because the dough sheets are rolled around poppy seeds or sour cherries and apples. It is a staple dish of the former countries of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, which at its height spanned well into Slovakia.

Julia carefully grabs a piece of dough and stretches a piece.

"I'm trying to find out if the dough is elastic enough, because it should be transparent as a paper, like paper for rolling cigarettes," she says.

And some say you should be able to read a love letter or newspaper through it. The thinner the dough, the more delicate the taste.

But the idea of stretching glutenous dough wasn't invented in this part of the world. It probably arrived when the Ottoman Empire stretched into this area. The Greeks have phyllo; the Balkans, borek; and here, that layered dough became strudel.

On a floured tablecloth, Julia rolls out the dough, then picks it up and starts stretching it on the backs of her hands, sort of like pizza dough.

"You can really play with the dough because it's not sticky at all," she says.

Then she places it back on the table and gently coaxes it until it's thinner than a wafer. Never mind the tears; they'll be rolled up in apples and poppy seeds and brushed with melted butter.

After about 45 minutes in the oven, the tops are golden brown and we cut up the rolled pastries. As we bite into the flaky layers, I finally know enough to start practicing the strudel my grandmother made — and hopefully I won't end up throwing it at the walls.

Radio producer Sasa Woodruff blogs at Trowel And Fork.

Recipe: Apple Pull Strudel

Dough

3 2/3 cups (500 grams) bread flour

1 cup (250 ml) warm water

1 tablespoon oil

1 tablespoon white vinegar

1/4 tsp salt

Apple Filling

6 to 8 peeled and grated apples (I like Granny Smiths)

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

1/4 cup (50 grams) granulated sugar

3/4 cup (90 grams) plain breadcrumbs

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

Zest of one lemon

1/2 cup (113 grams) unsalted butter (for brushing) OR coconut oil

Powdered sugar to taste

With a stand mixer

In a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook, combine flour, water, oil, vinegar and salt. Mix for about 20 minutes on medium-low speed. Dough will change from a shaggy mass into a soft and pliable mass. Remove dough from mixer.

By hand

Knead the dough for 30 to 40 minutes. When you start, the dough will be craggy, but keep kneading and working the dough until it's soft, smooth and pliable.

For both methods

Shape dough into a ball and place in a metal bowl, cover with plastic wrap and let it sit at room temperature for about an hour. (You can also refrigerate it at this point and use it the next day.)

While the dough is resting, peel and grate the apples on the coarse side of the grater. Place the apples in a sieve over a bowl and squeeze out as much juice as possible. Put the apples back in a bowl and add lemon juice and cinnamon and set aside.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Take a square card table (I use one that is 33.5 inches square), cover with a cotton tablecloth and lightly coat with flour.

Melt the stick of butter or coconut oil. Place the dough in the middle of the table, roll it out into a circle and then brush with butter or coconut oil. Then gently pick up the dough and start gently stretching it on the backs of closed fists, moving around the edge of the dough and letting gravity stretch it down.

Then gently place the stretched dough back on the table, drip with more butter and slowly stretch the dough until it hangs over the edges of the table. Don't get discouraged by tears — they will be wrapped up in the apples.

Once the dough is stretched, cut off the edges hanging over the edge. Then cover about a third of the area with bread crumbs, then the grated apples, and sprinkle the sugar on top.

To roll, lift up one edge of the tablecloth to help the dough roll around the ingredients. I like to brush each roll with butter. Once it's all rolled up, fold under the edges and place it into a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.

You'll have to make the roll into an "S" shape so it will fit into the pan. Brush the top with butter and bake for 45 to 60 minutes or until it's golden brown on top. Serve warm, sprinkled with powdered sugar.

A Traditional Strudel Recipe 'Pulled' From The Past (2024)

FAQs

What is the historical origin of strudel? ›

However, the first hand-written strudel recipe is housed in Austria's Vienna Town Hall Library dating back to 1697. Even so, scholars think it was popular long before that in the Ottoman Empire and came to Central Europe through the empire's strong ties to Turkey, the Middle East and its traditional baklava.

What are the different types of strudels? ›

These include apple strudel, almond strudel, semolina strudel, rice strudel, quark strudel, milk-cream-strudel, grape strudel, poppy strudel, nut strudel, cabbage strudel, meat strudel, damson strudel, cherry strudel, pear strudel, apricot strudel, ham strudel, coffee strudel, Parmesan strudel, roll strudel, mushroom ...

What is the most popular strudel? ›

The best-known strudels are apple strudel (Apfelstrudel in German) and Topfenstrudel (with sweet soft quark cheese, in Austrian German Topfen), followed by the Millirahmstrudel (milk-cream strudel, Milchrahmstrudel).

What is the typical production method for a strudel? ›

Traditional strudel dough is made from scratch, rolled, and stretched over a table until it is paper-thin.

When was the first strudel made? ›

Often mistaken for being of German origin, the oldest known strudel recipe dates back to 1697 and survives today in a handwritten cookbook in the Vienna Town Hall Library.

What dough is strudel made from? ›

Like Phyllo Dough, this requires a little elbow grease; most strudel recipes call for store- bought phyllo or puff pastry, which both work interchangeably with this dough for any strudel recipe.

What is a French strudel? ›

Strudels filled with soft cheese, sour cherries and poppy seeds were all popular at the time. The pastry, defined by its rolled-up shape (strudel translates as 'whirlpool'), can also be filled with meat or vegetables. It is said to derive from Turkey's baklava, which entered Austria during the Ottoman occupation.

What is a strudel slang? ›

a plump or well-built female. 2002. 2002. S. Maloney Something Fishy (2006) 56: A waitress, a bit of a strudel, a fleshy blonde in her late twenties.

What is streusel vs strudel? ›

Easy to confuse due to the similar names, strudel and streusel are actually different types of dessert. An apple strudel has thin sheets of pastry wrapped around the filling, while streusel is a crumbly sweet topping of sugar, flour, and butter that is often layered over pies and cakes.

What country is famous for strudel? ›

Strudel is most often associated with the Austrian cuisine, but is also a traditional pastry in the whole area formerly belonging to the Austro-Hungarian empire. In these countries, apple strudel is the most widely known kind of strudel.

What is similar to a strudel? ›

Unlike streusel which is a crunchy, buttery toppings in baked goods, strudel is a filo-like pastry dough made with oil typically filled with fruit or vegetables. While the two have a lot of differences, there are some similarities between them. Both strudel and streusel tend to feature in sweet baked goods with fruit.

What is strudel in German? ›

Strudel is a layered pastry with a sweet filling, like apples. It became popular in the Hapsburg Empire in the 18th century. The word comes from the German word which literally means “whirlpool”. A pastry dough is rolled or stretched thin, then filled and rolled up.

Why is my strudel soggy? ›

Chef Jürgen suggests adding the filling ingredients in a single layer after rolling out the dough; mixing the filling together prior to assembly will result in a soggy strudel as the sugar will draw the water out from the apples.

Why add vinegar to strudel dough? ›

Some rely on vinegar to help the dough stretch without springing back. Bread flour gets the thumbs-up in many recipes because its higher gluten content makes the dough more elastic.

Is strudel made from puff pastry? ›

Apple Strudel Ingredients

Golden raisins: Golden raisins take the flavor and texture up a few notches. Flour: All-purpose flour thickens the apple strudel filling. Puff pastry: Two thawed puff pastry sheets are key to making this easy apple strudel.

Did apple strudel originate in Germany? ›

Although many people think that this sweet dish comes from German origins, apple strudel is actually an Austrian food, hailing from Vienna.

What's the difference between a strudel and a streusel? ›

Easy to confuse due to the similar names, strudel and streusel are actually different types of dessert. An apple strudel has thin sheets of pastry wrapped around the filling, while streusel is a crumbly sweet topping of sugar, flour, and butter that is often layered over pies and cakes.

What does strudel mean in slang? ›

a plump or well-built female. 2002. 2002. S. Maloney Something Fishy (2006) 56: A waitress, a bit of a strudel, a fleshy blonde in her late twenties.

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