Apfelstrudel: Austrian Apple Strudel

Apfelstrudel: Austrian Apple Strudel

Apfelstrudel is Austria's national dessert: paper-thin pulled dough rolled around apples, raisins, cinnamon and sugar. In Viennese cafés it is served with warm vanilla sauce or whipped cream.

History of the dish

Strudel came to Austria from the Ottoman Empire via Hungary in the 17th–18th centuries. The thin pulled dough is related to Turkish yufka and Greek filo. Viennese pastry chefs made apfelstrudel the symbol of coffee-house culture.

Key ingredients

Pulled dough (flour, water, oil, vinegar), apples (tart — Golden, Antonovka), breadcrumbs (fried in butter), raisins, cinnamon, sugar, lemon zest, butter.

How to cook at home

Pull the dough by hand on a floured tablecloth — it must become transparent (you should be able to read a newspaper through it). This takes 10–15 minutes. Place the filling on the near edge and roll using the cloth — not your hands.