South Tyrolean Apple Strudel with Cinnamon and Vanilla Cream

La storia di questo piatto

Born where the Alps whisper in two languages, this strudel carries centuries of Austrian-Italian dialogue folded into its golden, paper-thin shell — a pastry that belongs to mountain villages where wood smoke and apple orchards are the same breath.

Ingredienti

• 250 g All-purpose flour
• 120 ml Warm water
• 40 ml Extra virgin olive oil
• 5 g Fine sea salt
• 600 g Rennet apples
• 80 g Raisins
• 60 g Shelled walnuts
• 8 g Ground cinnamon
• 50 g Brown sugar
• 30 g Panko breadcrumbs
• 200 ml Whole milk
• 2 pieces Egg yolk
• 40 g Granulated sugar
• 5 ml Vanilla extract
• 15 g Cornstarch
• 20 g Clarified butter

Preparazione

1. Pour the flour into a mound and create a well in the center, then add water, oil, and salt into it: work everything together with your hands, pulling the flour from the edges toward the middle, until you feel the dough become smooth and soft under your fingertips, like the lobe of an ear. Cover it with a cloth and let it rest for half an hour: the flour relaxes and then it stretches out beautifully, thin without tearing.
2. Peel the apples and cut them into small, uniform dice, so they all cook together at the same rate without some pieces staying raw while others soften. Combine them in a bowl with the raisins, the walnuts broken into pieces, the cinnamon and brown sugar, mixing everything well by hand so that every little piece becomes fragrant from the spices.
3. Stretch the dough out on a floured cloth, gently pulling it under the sheet with your hands until it becomes thin as a veil, almost transparent enough to read through — if it gets too thin in one spot don't worry, you can fix it by folding a bit of the thicker part over it. Sprinkle breadcrumbs all over the entire surface: this is the secret that absorbs the juice from the apples and keeps the pastry crispy even after baking.
4. Distribute the apple filling over half of the dough sheet, leaving a border about two finger-widths empty all around so nothing spills out during baking. Lift the cloth from the side with the filling and let the dough roll over itself naturally, guiding it gently with your hands until it forms one compact roll.
5. Slide the strudel onto the baking sheet lined with parchment paper, using the cloth to help you, and curve it slightly into a crescent shape if you want it to fit comfortably on the pan. Brush the entire surface with clarified butter: this is what gives it that shiny, golden, crispy exterior that everyone loves.
6. Place it in an oven that's already well preheated to 180°C and let it bake for forty minutes, resisting the urge to open the oven door during the first twenty minutes. You'll know it's done when the surface is golden brown and you smell a gentle fragrance of caramelized apple wafting from the oven, with a crust that looks like thin glass and feels crispy to the touch.
7. While the strudel bakes, place the milk with vanilla on the stove and warm it gently, making sure it never comes to a boil. At the same time, whisk the egg yolks with sugar until they become pale and fluffy, almost the color of straw: this is the sign that you've incorporated enough air into the mixture.
8. Dissolve the cornstarch in a little cold milk so it doesn't form lumps, then combine it with the whisked yolks. Pour the hot milk in a thin stream while stirring constantly, then return everything to cook in a bain-marie for five minutes, stirring without stopping: the cream is ready when it coats the back of a spoon and when you run your finger across it, a clear line remains.
9. Remove the strudel from the oven and let it rest for ten minutes before slicing it: this allows the juices to settle and the slices won't fall apart. Serve it warm, with a generous spoonful of hot vanilla cream poured alongside — always taste a small piece yourself first, it's the sweetest way to make sure everything is perfect.