When many people think of apple strudel, they immediately think of Austria and the grand palaces of Vienna. What they might not know is that apple strudel is also a staple dessert in Trentino-Alto Adige, the northern Italian region that borders Austria.
The original recipe for apple strudel is believed to be derived from the Turkish baklava. Originally adapted by the Hungarians at the time of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, the recipe then took root in Austria, which ruled over parts of Northern Italy (including Trentino-Alto Adige) during the empire’s reign.
A journey through Trentino-Alto Adige by car is a wonderful experience that I’ve been lucky enough to enjoy many times. On the way, you are treated to stunning views of the surrounding mountains, as the region is covered by a large part of the Dolomites and the southern Alps.
The region is made up of two provinces, Trento in the south (close to Lake Garda) and Bolzano in the north (around half an hour from the Austrian border). It’s a great place to visit in the winter, thanks to its snow-capped mountains (see the photo above) and its wonderful Christmas markets!
In January, Giordano and I took a day trip with some friends to visit the city of Bolzano. We had planned to go for New Year, but changed our minds when we found out that our friends wanted to go too!
We began by visiting the Forst beer factory on the outskirts of the city. The brewery was established in 1857 and is now one of the biggest in Italy. They have their own Christmas market – featuring giant Christmas trees made entirely of green beer bottles – and a lovely little ice skating rink just in front of the main restaurant where we had our lunch.
Along with our traditional Tirolese dishes, we decided to try some of Forst’s special Christmas beer, and of course we couldn’t leave without trying some delicious apple strudel!
Later, we enjoyed a good walk around Bolzano’s beautiful city centre to give us the chance to digest our lunch! I especially loved Piazza Duomo, where we got to see Bolzano Cathedral and its surrounding (and very busy!) Christmas markets.
In the past we’ve also brought a bit of Bolzano to our menu when we made apple strudel on our Vanstaurant. We made it on a few consecutive weekends and it sold out every time!
Trentino-Alto Adige is a region that’s famous for apples, but what’s the best apple to use in a strudel? There seems to be quite a bit of debate as far as this is concerned, but it really comes down to personal taste. If you prefer a sweeter strudel, I think Golden Delicious is the way to go, but my favourite apples are Granny Smiths, which have a tangy aftertaste that perfectly complements the sweetness of the pastry.
To make our apple strudel, you will need:
PASTRY INGREDIENTS
- 130g “00” flour
- 30ml water
- 1 egg
- 1 tablespoon sunflower oil
- Pinch of salt
FILLING INGREDIENTS
- 750g apples
- 60g granulated sugar
- 60g breadcrumbs
- 50g unsalted butter
- 50g sultanas
- 25g toasted pine nuts
- 2 tablespoons rum
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon powder
- Zest of 1 lemon
- Start by making the pastry. Sift the flour into a bowl and add a pinch of salt, followed by the egg and the water.
- Begin mixing the ingredients together with your hands. Once the dough begins to form, add the sunflower oil and continue kneading until you have a neat ball of dough. If the mixture is still too sticky, add another 10-20g of flour.
- Transfer the dough to a flat surface and continue kneading until the dough is elastic in texture. Form a dough ball and transfer it into a lightly oiled mixing bowl. Cover the top of the bowl with cling film and leave to rest in a cool dry place for 1 hour.
- While the dough is resting, make the filling. Begin by soaking the sultanas in rum. If you prefer not to use alcohol, you can soak the sultanas in lukewarm water instead.
- Melt a small amount of butter in a frying pan. When it begins to sizzle, add the breadcrumbs and mix until lightly toasted. Use a wooden spoon to mix to prevent the breadcrumbs from burning. Once lightly toasted, remove from the heat and leave in the pan to cool.
- Peel the apples and remove the core, making four wedges per apple. Cut each wedge into thin slices.
- Transfer the sliced apple to a large mixing bowl and add the sugar, toasted pine nuts, lemon zest, cinnamon powder and sultanas. Drain the sultanas of all liquid before adding them to the mixing bowl.
- Melt the remaining butter on a very low heat in a small pan, then transfer the dough to a lightly floured cloth and roll out into a rectangle measuring around 35x45cm.
- Brush the rolled out dough with the melted butter – but don’t go all the way to the edges – and cover with the toasted breadcrumbs. This will absorb the liquid from the apples while the strudel cooks.
- Spoon out the apple mixture on top of the breadcrumbs and spread evenly.
- Start rolling up the strudel from the long edge. It’s very important at this stage not to tear the dough; you can use the cloth underneath to help you roll the strudel up. Make sure you seal the strudel at the edges too, so you don’t lose the filling!
- Cover a baking tray with baking paper and place the rolled strudel on top, taking care to position the sealed part of the strudel face down.
- Preheat the oven to 200° and cook for 40 minutes, or at 180° for 30 minutes if using a fan-assisted oven.
- Once the strudel is cooked, leave to cool, sprinkle with icing sugar and then cut into slices.
Let us know what you think of the recipe in the comments below, and catch up on even more of our Glorious Recipes here and here.
A presto!
Laura