My German apple strudel is based on my great-grandma's recipe with layers of fresh juicy apples sweetened with cinnamon sugar and raisins. The flaky homemade dough (no puff pastry here!) is rolled repeatedly so there are numerous layers of the filling and Strudelteig, just like traditional Apfelstrudel!
My Oma's Cherished Apfelstrudel Recipe
My Grandpa grew up with his mom making Apfelstrudel from scratch, and his love of authentic German apple strudel never diminished. While growing up in Germany, my Grandpa would tell me stories about how his mom would roll out the dough so thin that it would cover their entire wooden dining table and you could see the patterned tablecloth through it.Â
Most recipes pile the filling in a heap and just roll the dough once. But my Grandpa always considered that plain old apple pie, since real German apple strudel is made from paper-thin, flaky layers of Strudelteig dough rolled up numerous times with thinly sliced apples, raisins, and nuts. Which is exactly the method passed down from my Oma that I recreate!
For the filling, there are a few tricks I learned. First, don't skip soaking the raisins, which helps them provide bursts of fruity flavor, rather than adding a weird chewy texture. And the lemon juice is necessary to prevent the apples from browning, so use fresh lemons if you can over the bottled stuff for the best flavor.
And if making homemade pastry dough sounds intimidating, the dough is actually really stretchy, and I have lots of tips below for working with it. Buuuut if you really don't have the time to make it from scratch, I get it. You can substitute store-bought phyllo dough, which I use as a shortcut in some of my other strudel recipes, including my mini apple strudel.
My Notes on Key Ingredients
- Flour - I prefer all purpose flour here which creates a really stretchy dough that doesn't tear as easily.
- Vegetable oil - The higher fat content in vegetable oil compared to butter keeps the dough moist and pliable.
- Water - You want to use warm water, around 105°F to 115°F, which helps enhance gluten formation and aids in keeping your dough elastic.
- Powdered sugar - This topping adds a necessary layer of sweetness, and covers any imperfections in your baked strudel dough, but you could also pour vanilla sauce on top instead.
- Breadcrumbs - Panko, unseasoned breadcrumbs, or even ground graham crackers are necessary in the filling to soak up excess moisture. In testing when I skipped them, the pastry baked up a little soggy on the bottom.
Let's Make Oma's German Apple Strudel!
For the full step-by-step directions and ingredient measurements, scroll down to the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
1. Soak the raisins.
3. Mix in oil & water until it forms a shaggy dough.
5. Rest the dough.
7. Mix in raisins, apples, lemon juice, sugar, cinnamon, & nutmeg.
9. Gently stretch out the dough.
11. Sprinkle with breadcrumbs.
13. Roll the edge of the dough over the filling.
15. Continue adding portions of the apple filling.
17. Transfer to a baking sheet and brush with melted butter.
19. Cool for at least 20 min before slicing.
2. Whisk flour and salt.
4. Knead the dough until it's soft and stretchy.
6. Prep the apples.
8. Roll out the dough on a lightly floured, patterned tablecloth.
10. Brush with melted butter.
12. Add a line of apple filling.
14. Brush with more melted butter on the top.
16. Use parchment paper or the tablecloth to roll the dough.
18. Bake until golden and crispy, turning halfway through.
20. Serve plain or with vanilla sauce or ice cream.
Recipe Testing Tips for Making Strudelteig
- Place the dough on top of something like a newspaper or patterned tablecloth to help determine how thin to stretch it. My Oma said that your strudel dough isn't thin enough until you can read the newspaper through it.
- Knead the dough for at least 8 minutes, which will help the dough become stretchy and less likely to tear.Â
- Allow the dough to rest after kneading it for at least 30 minutes, so the gluten can relax.
- Remove any jewelry before stretching the dough. I accidentally tore my dough on my ring once.
- If your dough does tear while stretching it out, don't panic. Just gently use your fingertips to press the dough back together. I've even cut a piece of dough off an edge and used that to patch any holes in a pinch.
Traditional German Apple Strudel (From Scratch)
developed & tested by:
Equipment
Ingredients
Dough
- 1½ cups all purpose flour
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 3 Tablespoons vegetable oil
- ⅓ cup warm water (around 115°F temp)
Filling
- ½ cup raisins
- 2 pounds apples (I recommend using Granny Smith, Honeycrisp, Gala, or Jonagold)
- 1 Tablespoon lemon juice (from half a medium lemon)
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ½ cup unsalted butter, melted (one stick)
- â…” cup unseasoned bread crumbs or Panko bread crumbsÂ
Topping
- ½ cup powdered sugar
Instructions
Prepare the Strudel Dough
- Cover the raisins with hot water or hot apple juice in a bowl and allow them to soak for at least 30 minutes.
- In a large mixing bowl with a wooden spoon, or in the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, combine the flour and salt.
- Add the oil. Slowly add the water while mixing the dough. Continue mixing until it forms a crumbly, shaggy dough. (It will be pretty dry at first, but it'll soften once you knead it.)
- If kneading by hand, place the dough on a clean work surface, and knead for a full 10 minutes, until the dough is soft and stretchy. If kneading with a stand mixer, replace the paddle attachment with a dough hook and knead on medium speed for about 8 minutes.
- Form the dough into a ball and leave it on your work surface, either covered by a kitchen towel or your mixing bowl turned upside down. Let the dough rest for 30 minutes.
Prepare the Apple Filling
- While the dough is resting, prepare the apple filling. Peel quarter, and thinly slice the apples, discard the cores. (You want the apple slices as thin and as evenly sliced as possible, so use a sharp kitchen knife or a mandolin.)
- In a large bowl, mix the soaked and drained raisins, apple slices, lemon juice, granulated sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Set aside.
Stretch the Strudel Dough
- Preheat the oven to 400°F (205°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- On your work surface, spread out a smooth, patterned tablecloth or large patterned towel. Lightly flour it, then place the dough on top and begin rolling out the dough with a rolling pin. Once the dough is rolled out as thin as possible, gently begin stretching the dough to get it thinner. To stretch the dough, ball your hands into fists, place them under the dough in the center, then drag the dough on the tops of your hands and knuckles as you bring your hands towards the edge of the dough. Continue on all four edges of the dough, until it's stretched out enough to see the pattern of your tablecloth or towel underneath. The dough will end up around 16 inches by 24 inches.
- Take the parchment paper lining your baking sheet, and place it on your work surface. Transfer the stretched-out dough on top of the parchment paper. (This will ensure you don't shape your strudel too big for your baking sheet.)
Add the Filling and Shape the Strudel
- Use a soft pastry brush or your fingers to brush ¼ cup of the melted butter over all the dough.
- Spread the bread crumbs evenly over all the dough.
- With one of the longer edges closest to you, use a slotted spoon (a spoon with holes in it) to spread out a few large spoonful's of the apple filling in a long line, leaving about a one-inch space on the edge without any filling.
- Lift up the edge of the parchment paper or cloth towel or table cloth closest to you to roll the edge of the dough over the filling, so the apple filling is covered by dough.
- Brush the top of the dough with some of the remaining ¼ cup of melted butter that's covering the apple filling. Add another few spoonful's of the apple filling, parallel to the covered apple filling. Again, roll the dough over the newly placed apple filling, using the edge of your tablecloth or linen to lift it up and over.
- Continue layering the apples and rolling the dough a bit at a time, brushing with melted butter after each roll. This creates numerous layers of apple-pastry-apple-pastry.
- Place a new piece of parchment paper onto your baking sheet. (The one used to roll the strudel is probably now soaked with melted butter). Gently but in a quick motion with confidence, transfer your fully rolled apple strudel to the prepared baking sheet. Brush the top of your strudel with the remaining melted butter.
Bake the Strudel
- Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, rotating the baking sheet 180 degrees after 15 minutes, through to ensure even baking. The strudel is done baking once the top is golden.
- Allow your strudel to cool for 20 minutes, then dust the top with lots of powdered sugar. Slice and enjoy!!
Notes
- Apples: Try to cut the apples as thinly and uniformly as possible with a sharp kitchen knife. If the apple slices are different sizes in thickness, they'll cook at different times so some slices will still be crunchy while others are soft.
- Raisins: Feel free to leave out the raisins, or substitute golden raisins for a milder flavor, depending on your preference. And for even more flavor, my dad usually soaks raisins in rum, apple juice, or port wine instead of hot water.
-
Kneading: If you're kneading the dough by hand and it seizes up (feels really tense and hard to knead), throw the dough ball down on your work surface a few times from about one foot in the air. This will help relax the gluten so you can continue kneading.
- Storing: Apple strudel is best on the day it's made, while the crust is still crispy. I store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. I recommend warming it in the oven or a toaster oven, then sprinkling it with a little extra powdered sugar or a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
Ashley says
Hi, I will be making your apple strudel for Thanksgiving this year- felt it was appropriate after my first trip to Germany this fall where my Omi is from! How long can the strudel sit out before I bake it? I want to serve it warm but will need to prep the strudel in the morning or early afternoon before cooking in the oven to serve as dessert in the evening. Any tips would be so appreciated! Also, is it possible to substitute vegetable oil for olive oil? Thank you!
Carissa Erzen says
Hi Ashley, that's so exciting you visited Germany this fall! How did you like it?
I wouldn't leave the strudel out too long after assembling it, since the juices from the filling could soak into the dough. To prep it as much as possible ahead of time, I'd recommend mixing & refrigerating the fruit & spices for the filling. Then mix the dough, knead it, and pop it in the fridge. You can then take it out of the fridge and let it sit & warm up for closer to an hour instead of just 30 minutes before rolling it out.
I've also baked the whole strudel but left the powdered sugar off, then reheated it on a baking sheet in the oven for about 10-15 minutes at 325F just before adding the powdered sugar & serving it, which worked great!
And yes, olive oil in place of the vegetable oil shouldn't make a difference in the flavor, since it's a relatively small amount.
I hope that helps! I'd love to hear how your strudel turns out!
Ashley says
Or even coconut oil? Thank you
flora says
I did the strawberry strudel but didn't know you have the original apple one as well, excited to try this next time!
Carissa Erzen says
Yes! We have ALL the strudels including strawberry, apple, blueberry, cheese, and cherry! If you want any other flavors, just let me know!
Lina says
Not hard to make and my German friends approve of it!
Carissa Erzen says
Haha that's great to hear!
Grudenven says
This worked exactly as written, thanks!
Carissa Erzen says
Awesome, I'm so glad!