Apple Strudel Recipe: A Step-by-Step Guide to Baking Perfection
Are you ready to embark on a culinary journey that will tantalize your taste buds and impress your loved ones? This Apple Strudel recipe will guide you through creating a flaky, golden-brown pastry filled with the warm, comforting sweetness of apples. This classic dessert is easier to make than you think! Let's get started!
Ingredients You'll Need:
This recipe yields one large strudel. Feel free to adjust quantities based on your needs.
For the Dough:
- 250g all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 100ml lukewarm water
- 50g unsalted butter, melted
For the Apple Filling:
- 1kg apples (Granny Smith or a mix of tart and sweet apples work best), peeled, cored, and thinly sliced
- 100g raisins
- 100g brown sugar
- 50g breadcrumbs
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- ½ tsp ground nutmeg
- Pinch of salt
For the Topping (Optional):
- 50g butter, melted
- Powdered sugar, for dusting
Step-by-Step Instructions:
Making the Dough:
- Combine Dry Ingredients: In a large bowl, whisk together the flour and salt.
- Add Wet Ingredients: Gradually add the lukewarm water and apple cider vinegar to the flour mixture, mixing until a shaggy dough forms.
- Incorporate Butter: Stir in the melted butter until the dough comes together.
- Knead the Dough: Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 5-7 minutes until smooth and elastic.
- Rest the Dough: Form the dough into a ball, cover it with a clean kitchen towel, and let it rest for at least 30 minutes. This allows the gluten to relax, resulting in a more tender strudel.
Preparing the Apple Filling:
- Combine Ingredients: In a large bowl, gently toss together the thinly sliced apples, raisins, brown sugar, breadcrumbs, lemon juice, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt.
Assembling and Baking the Strudel:
- Roll Out the Dough: On a lightly floured surface, roll out the rested dough into a large, thin rectangle (approximately 40x60cm). The thinner the dough, the flakier the strudel will be!
- Spread the Filling: Spread the apple filling evenly over the dough, leaving a 5cm border on one of the long sides.
- Roll Up the Strudel: Starting from the long side without the border, tightly roll up the dough, tucking in the edges as you go.
- Place on Baking Sheet: Transfer the rolled strudel onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
- Brush with Butter (Optional): Brush the top of the strudel with melted butter for extra golden brown color.
- Bake: Bake in a preheated oven at 180°C (350°F) for 45-50 minutes, or until golden brown and the filling is bubbly.
- Cool and Dust: Let the strudel cool slightly before slicing and dusting with powdered sugar.
Tips for Apple Strudel Perfection:
- Thinly sliced apples: This is crucial for even cooking and preventing soggy strudel.
- Don't overfill: Too much filling can make the strudel difficult to roll and may result in a soggy bottom.
- Proper resting time: Allowing the dough to rest is key to achieving a flaky and tender crust.
- Serve warm: Apple strudel is best served warm, perhaps with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or a dollop of whipped cream.
SEO Keywords:
This recipe is optimized for keywords like: apple strudel recipe, homemade apple strudel, easy apple strudel recipe, best apple strudel, apple strudel recipe from scratch, classic apple strudel recipe, how to make apple strudel, apple strudel baking recipe. These keywords are naturally integrated into the text, enhancing SEO.
This detailed guide should help you create a delicious and impressive apple strudel. Enjoy the baking process and the wonderful aroma that will fill your kitchen! Remember to share your baking creations with your loved ones - happy baking!
