Homemade Flaky Strudel Pastry Recipe

Are you tired of store-bought pastries that lack the flakiness and richness of homemade ones? Don’t worry, we understand the struggle!

Picture this: warm, golden-brown pastries straight out of the oven, with a delicate buttery aroma that fills your kitchen. Every bite is a symphony of layers, a perfect balance of crispiness and softness. So, get ready to indulge in the ultimate pastry experience and impress your friends and family with your baking prowess!

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What makes Strudel Pastry so Special?

Strudel pastry is a popular, sweet treat that originated in Austria and has become a beloved dessert all over the world. This flaky, buttery pastry is traditionally filled with apples and cinnamon, but can also be filled with various fruits, nuts, or even savory ingredients like cheese and spinach. What makes strudel pastry so special is its delicate layers of dough that give it its signature flakiness and texture.

Is Strudel Dough The Same As Filo Pastry?

Many people often confuse strudel dough with filo pastry, but they are actually quite different. Strudel dough is made from a simple mixture of flour, water, and oil or butter while filo pastry is made from layers of paper-thin dough that require brushing with melted butter. This difference in ingredients results in a different texture and taste for each type of pastry. Strudel dough is more rustic and has a thicker, flakier texture, while filo pastry is thinner and crisper.

Ingredients

• 3.5 cups flour, all-purpose Robin Hood preferred
• 1 tsp salt
• 3 tbsp vegetable oil (or canola) + 2 tbsp oil 
• 1 egg
• 1 cup warm water + 2 tbsp warm water

How To Make Homemade Flaky Strudel Pastry

Preparing the Strudel Pastry

Use the hook attachment wih your Stand Mixer to combine all ingredients together in a large mixing bowl.

When all blended (after about 8 min), the result must be nice and smooth and sticky to the touch. Not hard like bread dough but softer.

Remove from the mixing bowl and knead by hand, form into a round shape.

Place in a medium sized bowl and coat with 2 tbsp oil to keep moist as it rests. 

Alternatively, can wrap the bowl in plastic omitting the need for oil as it rests.

Leave it to rest for 30-60 minutes at room temperature.

Adding a Filling to the Strudel

Cover your countertop (large table or kitchen island) with a large clean table cloth. We use the same tablecloth repeatedly for just making strudel. 

Sprinkle with flour. 

Place the dough in the middle and start stretching it out from the middle working outwards in a circular motion. Pull the dough outward as far as it can go and as thin as possible without breaking.

Beginner tip – use a roller to help roll the dough flat until you get the hang of doing it by hand.

Once stretched out, use a knife to cut off and remove the thicker outer edges.

Leave it to sit on the cloth for 15 minutes. During this time, pull and lift the edges to give the dough some air underneath, about 3 times in total. This helps give the pastry a flaky texture.

In the meantime, prepare the filling, such as apple cinnamon strudel filling (coming soon), sour cherry strudel or cottage cheese filling (also coming soon).

Melt ½ cup butter and mix with 3 tbsp of oil and sprinkle over top of dough with fingers or a spoon. 

Starting on the side closest to you, cover the dough with your filling (about ¼ of the dough with filling). 

Use your fingers to begin rolling the edges along the side with the filling. Then lift the cloth to continue rolling tightly the strudel into a long rectangular shape.

Prepare pan (such as a baking sheet, pizza pan or shallow glass baking pan). Always must be greased.

If using a round pan, transfer the strudel to the outer edges of the pan and continue until all the strudel is in the pan (will be a spiral shaped strudel). 

Alternatively, use a rectangular pan and start on one end, and continue until all the strudel is in the pan. 

Add some more butter and oil to the top (use leftover or make more).

Bake at 390F for 23 minutes. Check and if golden color, it’s ready. 

Certain fillings may take longer to bake such as cheese vs apple. For more instructions, refer to these recipes separately.

Tasty And Rewarding Treat

Making your own homemade flaky strudel pastry is not only a delicious treat, but also a rewarding experience. The process may seem daunting at first, but with the right recipe and techniques, you can easily create this beloved pastry in your own kitchen.

So why settle for store-bought when you can impress your loved ones with your very own homemade version? We hope this recipe has inspired you to embark on your strudel pastry-making journey and we can’t wait for you to experience the joy and satisfaction of taking that first bite into a warm, flaky, homemade strudel.

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