Austrian strudel: recipes, ingredients, cooking tips

2024 Author: Isabella Gilson | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:14

With the onset of cold weather, more and more people want to while away autumn evenings with a cup of cocoa or fragrant hot tea. In such cozy moments, there is nothing better than wrapping yourself in a checkered blanket and, inhaling the tart smell of cinnamon, feast on a piece of fresh Austrian pie.

The story of one dish

Translated from German strudel - "funnel", "whirlwind". It is no coincidence that the dessert got its name, because for its preparation the dough is rolled up, and the filling is put inside.

Austrian culinary experts called it strudel in the 18th century, but the first recipe for a milk-cream dessert was recorded in 1696 and is still kept in the Vienna library. As for the true roots, scientists found them in Byzantium, although they were most popular during the reign of the Habsburg dynasty. This explains the fact that the Austrian strudel has won the love of most of the population of the mainland.

Unfortunately, history could not preserve for posterity the name of the first person who prepared such a wonderful dessert. Despite this, the importance of strudel is difficult to overestimate,after all, until recently in Austria, the groom had the right to terminate the engagement if the bride's strudel did not suit his taste. Therefore, who knows, maybe it will not be superfluous for us to learn the secrets of its preparation?

3 interesting facts

Reiner Shobin, a native of the Austrian town of Leoben, shared interesting information about the main symbol of his country.

1. What about puff pastry?

Under the pressure of a heavy rolling pin, the bun of dough very quickly turns into a smooth thin layer. Taking the edges, the cook begins to stretch it in different directions. The dough expands and surprisingly does not tear, gradually turning into an almost transparent canvas. A couple of minutes and you're done! At first glance, it seems that only a virtuoso can create such a thing. But Reiner assures that for the thinness of the dough, only the highest grade flour with a high gluten content is needed, as well as skill … though it comes with experience.

2. Production secret.

Everyone knows that in order to cook an Austrian apple strudel, you need to stock up on a simple set of products - flour, egg, water, butter, raisins, apples and, in some cases, rum. But to achieve an exhaust test, someone who knows some tricks will succeed. The dough is kneaded intensively and for a long time, then they give it a "rest" under the film, and preferably with a warmed bowl - at least half an hour. All tourists who visited the Schönbrunn imperial house are told a legend about how the personal chef of the Habsburg dynasty ordered his subordinates to stretch the dough so thinly that through it he couldread letters. Just look how hard work it is!

3. Oriental roots.

One version says that the Austrians adopted the recipe for the extract yeast-free dough from the Turks. According to another, he was spied on in Hungary, where oriental tastes reigned after a century and a half of Ottoman rule.

Debut release

Interestingly, until 1815, outside the Austrian Empire, few people knew about the existence of strudel. And at the congress, where the diplomats and monarchs of Europe celebrated the victory over France, instead of traditional multi-tiered cakes, pastries made from light dough folded into many layers, decorated with whipped cream, made their debut. Everyone especially liked the way the Viennese dessert was served - a slice of fresh fruit, a scoop of vanilla ice cream and a cup of Melange coffee.

Today, the Austrian strudel, whose recipe has more than a hundred variations, is made not only from apples. Now cherry, nut, cottage cheese and poppy seeds are considered to be classic fillings. Many even compare the preparation of a dessert with the ability to dance the famous Viennese w altz: beautiful, easy, smooth, but the first time you can’t repeat it. But still, many housewives managed to make friends with the capricious dough. And even get additional benefits from it: excess dough, with a slight movement of the knife, turns … into noodles! Desserts are good, of course, but who wouldn't want a hearty home-cooked meal?

Six top secrets

1. Correct dough. Sometimes additional ingredients may be specified in the recipe. Fat and egg are often added to the Austrian strudel. We will talk about the first one a little later, but it is advisable to add the second product if you plan to have a juicy filling in the form of fresh cherries.

2. Good rolling dough. This is a guarantee of an airy and gentle result. Before you begin to roll out a thin layer, make sure that your dough meets three parameters: silkiness, smoothness and elasticity.

3. Secret Ingredients. In Austria, it is customary to add two products that make the dessert taste unforgettable and incredibly refined. We are talking about walnuts and rum. The alcohol soaks the dough, and the nuts add a twist.

4. Apples + sour cream. As we now know, Austrian strudel can be prepared from different berries and fruits. Sometimes even vegetables act as a filling. But that's not it… To keep the apples from getting tough, dip them in a little sour cream or whipped cream.

5. Olive oil. Before sending the semi-finished product into the oven, do not forget to grease its surface with cooking oil to make the crust crispy and appetizing.

6. Finishing touch: topping. It happens that the finished dessert is served without registration. To fully enjoy the taste, be sure to decorate a piece of treat with ice cream, vanilla sauce or whipped cream. Do not deprive yourself of bright gastronomic emotions!

Cooking the perfect base

To get a thin puff pastry, sift the flour (900 g) several times and collect it in a slide on a work surface. Making a small indentationbeat in eggs (6 pcs.) and mix the first two ingredients thoroughly. Then add warm water (175 ml) and 3 pinches of s alt in portions. Knead the dough.

Mix vegetable oil (9 tbsp.) with apple cider vinegar (1/2 tsp.) and add to the resulting flour semi-finished product. Knead vigorously until the dough is no longer sticky to your hands, ideally they should remain clean. Cover with cling film and let it rest for about 40 minutes.

Apple strudel recipe

Based on the previously kneaded dough (400 g), let's move on to the most delicious part - preparing the filling. So, to prepare a classic Austrian strudel, take a kilogram of Golden apples, peel them, be sure to remove the core and cut into cubes. Squeeze the juice from one lemon on top so that they do not darken, losing their attractive appearance. Then generously sprinkle the fruits with granulated sugar (190 g) and leave in this form for about half an hour. At the same time pour the raisins (100 g) with the juice of one orange and also set aside for 30 minutes.

Classic Austrian strudel is impossible to imagine without thin dough. To do this, spread a clean towel on the work surface and do not forget to sprinkle it with flour. Start rolling with a rolling pin, and then stretch the edges of the semi-finished product with your hands, as shown earlier in the video. Spread the filling of apples and raisins in an even layer on the resulting layer. Brush the free edges of the pastry with olive oil. Roll the layer into a roll, as shown in the photo.

Be sure to grease the surface of the dessert, as well as the baking sheet, with creamy cooking oil before sending it to the oven. Bake at 180°C for up to 30 minutes.

Plum filling recipe

In a small skillet, lightly fry breadcrumbs (4 tbsp.) in melted butter (100 g). Then add pitted and halved plums (700 g), sprinkle with sugar (100 g), add nuts and raisins (75 g each), and at the end put a teaspoon of cinnamon. Mix well and fry for 1-2 minutes over medium heat.

Spread the warm filling on the pre-rolled dough. Don't forget to fold the edges over so the ingredients don't fall out during baking. Roll the dough into a roll, brush the surface with olive oil and place in the oven.

Chocolate pear strudel

This dessert takes a bit of work to prepare. But believe me, the result will be so amazing that you will want to repeat it … Whatever you want! I'll have to repeat, because it is eaten in minutes.

So, how do you make an Austrian chocolate and pear strudel? First, fry almonds (150 g) in a dry frying pan, and then chop them in a blender. Throw a canned pear (150 g) on a sieve to get rid of the liquid - excess moisture in the filling is not needed. Divide eggs (4 pcs.) into yolks and proteins. Beat the latter in a dry container until a strong foam. Then enter granulated sugar (75 g) and resume the process. So that proteins do not lose their structure, remove them inrefrigerator and proceed to the next step.

In a small bowl, transfer the chocolate pieces (100 g). Put in a water bath. As soon as it melts and acquires a uniform texture, beat it with butter (175 g). Then start introducing the yolks one by one. Stir the mass to a smooth glossy texture. Add egg whites, pears, cinnamon and almonds. Stir.

Roll out the dough (400 g) in the same way as for other types of strudel. Spread the chocolate-pear filling in an even strip and roll up. Bake for 30 minutes at a temperature not exceeding 180 ° C.

Cooking vanilla sauce

Austrian strudel is impossible to imagine without topping. A classic Viennese dessert should never be served without the most delicate sauce.

For cooking, pour milk (500 ml) into a saucepan, add vanilla sugar (1 tsp), mix and bring to a boil. Remove from fire and set aside. Beat granulated sugar (to taste) with two yolks until white, add starch (2 tsp) and mix thoroughly, avoiding the formation of lumps. Now gradually pour milk into the yolk mass, while not stopping the whipping process. Place the saucepan over low heat and simmer until the sauce thickens.