APPLE STRUDEL
It’s the holidays! A perfect time to update this post about my favorite European pastry, the Apple Strudel. You will delight your guests with this easy pastry completely homemade by you!
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Where in Europe do you find Apple Strudel?
The apple strudel is common place in Germany, Austria, Switzerland and northern Italy. However, every European country has some version of an apple pastry. One finds Szarlotka in Poland (apple cake), Kolacki in Czech Republic, Apple Galette in France, and Apple Crostata in Italy. Widely grown, apples feature in popular European pastries and baked goods. Interested in learning more about baking in Europe? Check out my post on European Flour for the Expat Baker. Or try your hand at a European bread, like Challah.
My favorite place to buy fresh apple strudel is at the Christkindlesmarkt in Germany. A fresh pastry and a glass of warm spiced gluhwein does a cold, wintry soul a world of good! I hope markets are making a comeback this year after the pandemic!
How To Make Apple Strudel?
Make the pastry, mix the apples with spices & sugar, roll the pastry, fill it, braid it, and bake it. Check out the easy-to-follow instructions below. A note about the pastry…
Traditionally, apple strudel is made with layers and layers of thinly pulled pastry dough. The dough is exceptionally hard to work, is extremely thin, and takes years to master perfectly. In this recipe, I offer an alternative to the multiple layers of difficult pulled pastry – the Easy Puff Pastry. Read recipe below to find out out how to make this easy version. Or, check out my blog post if you want to try the Danish pastry version.
Sharing is Caring
Make this recipe, “Apple Strudel – Delight your Guests with This Easy Pastry” and you will have a homemade treat to serve your friends. Since the recipe makes four generous sized pastries, consider sharing with a coworker, friend or neighbor. They will love to receive this delicious and beautiful pastry! If you make it, share to your Social Media page and tag @christinasbreadbakes on FB, IG, Pinterest or Twitter. Happy baking Bread Bakers!
Apple Strudel with Easy Puff Pastry
Equipment
- Stand mixer with dough hook
- Rolling Pin
- Bench Scraper (or knife)
- Apple peeler & Knife to prepare apples
- Large Bowl
- Sheet Pan
- Pastry Brush
Ingredients
Quick Puff Pastry
- 570 grams Bread Flour 4.5 cups
- 570 grams Cold Unsalted Butter (cut into 2-3 cm/1 in cubes) 2.5 cups
- 1.5 tsp Fine Sea Salt
- 180 ml Cold Water 3/4 cup
Apple Filling
- 6 ea Large Green Apples (or a mix of any firm cooking apples) or 12 small apples
- 160 grams Raisins ½ cup – optional
- 1 tsp Cinnamon ground
- 55 grams Sugar 1/4 cup
- 2 T Corn Starch or flour
- 3 T Orange Juice, fresh is best or substitute lemon
Egg Wash
- 1 ea Egg whisked
- 1 T Whole Milk or buttermilk
Topping
- 170 grams Confectioners Sugar 1 ½ cups
- 1 ea Juice & Zest from Fresh Orange zest orange before juicing
- 35 grams Sliced Almonds ½ cup
Instructions
PUFF PASTRY
- Measure all ingredients.
- Add flour and cubed butter to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook.
- Mix flour and cubed butter on low speed until a coarse meal texture is achieved (like pie dough). Be CAREFUL not to over mix, there should still be small chunks of butter visible.
- Dissolve salt in cold water. With mixer running on low speed, add water/salt mixture. Mix just until the dough is combined.
- Mix water with flour & butter just until the dough is combined.
- Dump dough onto a flat work surface. Knead once or twice to achieve a cohesive dough.
- Using a rolling pin, perform a single fold by rolling dough into a large rectangle, about 1 cm / ½ inch thick.
- Fold in thirds = left side to center and fold right side over center. It should have three folds (like a letter). Repeat twice more (for a total of three single folds).
- Lastly, perform a double fold by rolling dough into a 1 cm / ½ inch thick rectangle. Fold left side to center fold. Fold right side to meet the end of the left side so there is an open seam in the center, like a book laying open flat.
- Then fold in half along the open seam. It should now have 4-layers. Do not roll again.
- Cut the 4 layer dough into four equal pieces, about 330 grams per piece.
- Place the dough in the refrigerator while you prepare the apple filling.
APPLE FILLING
- Peel and core the apples (take out the center seeds).
- Slice the apples in half, turn lengthwise and slice in ½ cm / ¼ inch slices.
- Place sliced apples in a bowl with raisins. Sprinkle with cinnamon, corn starch, and sugar. Stir until well coated. Add orange juice and stir until apples are wet and sugar has dissolved. Set aside.Hint: Any leftover apples can be stored in the refrigerator for up to one week or frozen for three months.
Assembling the Strudel
- Preheat the oven to 350°F / 175°C degrees.
- Remove one piece of pastry from the refrigerator and roll into a 35 x 30 cm or 14 x 12 inch rectangle (in portrait shape i.e. short side parallel to you).Hint: If you are using frozen puff pastry dough, remove from freezer and allow to unthaw for approximately one hour, just enough so it can be rolled out easily.
- Transfer the pastry sheet pan lined with parchment paper.Hint: No parchment paper? Use aluminum foil sprayed with cooking oil.
- Place 1/4 of the apple filling in the center of the pastry long ways (perpendicular to you). Leaving about 8 cm / 3 inches of pastry exposed on each side.
- Cut a triangle at the top and bottom of the pastry.
- Cut nine each 2 cm/ 1 in strips on the left and right side of the filling.
- Fold the triangle over the apples and press the corners down to hold the apples in and seal the ends of the strudel.
- Starting on the right side, pull one strip over the apples and press to seal on the left side.
- Next, from the left side, pull one strip over the apples and press to seal on the right side.
- At the bottom, you may need to cut off any excess pastry to achieve a clean finish. Just tuck the ends under the criss-cross pastry or under the strudel.
- Repeat until all strips are criss-crossed over the apples sealing them securely inside the pastry.
Egg Wash
- Whisk one egg with 1 T of milk.
- Brush the egg wash onto the tops and sides of the strudel, being careful to coat every exposed piece of pastry to ensure a golden crust during baking.
- Sprinkle the strudel with coarse Demerara sugar.
- Bake at 350°F / 175°C for 15 minutes, turn pan around and bake for another 10-15 minutes until the pastry is golden brown. Check bottom of pastry to ensure it is also browned. You may see some apple filling bubbling through the braided top, this is okay and a sign it is done.
- Remove from oven and cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes before serving.
- Mix confectioner's sugar and orange juice glaze until smooth. Pour over the finished/cooled strudel. Finish with sliced almonds, if desired.
- One strudel will serve 6-8 people depending on the size of the slice.Hint: Serve warm from the oven with vanilla ice cream. Or rewarm a slice in the microwave for 30 seconds to serve.
Hello Christina, your dough folding is bright, bold and telling. Might you add butter to the folds to laminate the dough?
Also, how did you seal the ends of the four strudel or did you leave them open?
Patrick
Patrick – The butter is already in the mix, so no need to add extra butter in between the folds. That’s why it is a quick/easy puff pastry. Seal the ends by folding any excess dough under the strudel. Thanks for your questions and good luck!
WOW! I am so inspired by this recipe. Such wholesome and festive flavors.
Jacqui – I hope you enjoy it over the holidays!
Awesome and easy apple strudel recipe to keep on deck. It’s perfect whenever you have less then perfect apples at home
Thanks, Nancy!
This was so, so, so good! I used vegan butter and it worked amazingly! I love apple baking recipes and this is one of the best I’ve had so far, everyone loved it.
Hi May – Thanks so much for posting that vegan butter works in this recipe, great to know!
Oooooh, I do love a good strudel! (And when I make it myself at home, I can leave out the raisins — not a fan) LOL!
Sage – I totally get it about the raisins, customizing to your taste is the best. Enjoy!
Love this recipe! I am bookmarking it for my next party!!
Thanks Anybany, Your guest will love it.
I love apple strudel! This recipe looks great with easy to follow instructions! Will make this on the weekend with my homegrown apples. Yum!!
Hi Camilla – Ooooh, homegrown apples in this strudel recipe will be the best! Enjoy.
love this so much! the pictures are super helpful too!
Hi Andrea – Thank you, I am glad you found the photos helpful! Happy baking.
You made this SO EASY! Thank you for the indepth instructions. It was so delicious and flavorful!
Hi Elizabeth – Thank you, I believe with step-by-step instructions anyone enjoy delicious homemade bakes!
I love how the pastry turned out. Thanks for this wonderful recipe 😀
Hi Andra – I am glad your pastry was successful. Super easy, right?!
I absolutely love Strudel and your recipe brings me back to Bolzano, northern Italy.
What a wonderful recipe and I have printed it to make it for my family.
Thank you for sharing
Hi Giangi – I love that my recipe evoked a strong family memory for you! Food & family certainly go together. Happy baking.
Yumm… these look so good. Thanks for sharing detailed instructions on how to make it.
Hi Shilpa – Thanks for the visit and yes, they are just that good. I hope you get a chance to try the recipe!
This apple strudel is amazing! So easy and delicious and it came out perfect!
Hi Kayla – Thanks for the positive feedback! I love hearing from those who try my easy-to-follow recipes. Enjoy your bakes!