We are living through an event of immense scale, and all we can do is faithfully carry out the small part asked of us: stay home, stay safe, try to stay well. It's lovely to read, to write, to talk with friends on the phone, to finally organize those drawers. But cooking helps too—especially baking sweets, if only for the fragrance that fills the kitchen and the whole house. My friends have always loved the apple strudel I learned from Alvise, my beloved Triestine mother-in-law, who called it in her dialect strucolo de pomi. She also taught me strucolo di guera, made with mashed boiled potatoes… (but that—delicious!—another time).
For the wrapper of strucolo de pomi you can use store-bought puff pastry. For those without access to it but fortunate enough to have flour, here are the standard measurements (from what I make for friends and the little houses), which you can scale down as needed.
I'd like to greet you lightly, as one naturally does after sharing a recipe. But words fail in the face of what is happening. Let us remain silent and let the good fragrance of our strucolo de pomi carry our thoughts.
For the dough
- 300g flour
- 100g water
- 3 tablespoons seed oil
- a pinch of salt
For the filling
- 750g apples (Renettes are ideal, but any mix works)
- 50g breadcrumbs
- 30g butter or margarine
- 60g sugar (though I never use it…)
- 1 egg
- pine nuts and raisins to taste (If the pastry is for adults, soak the raisins in rum until the rum is absorbed)
- cinnamon (I use plenty because I like it, but it's a matter of taste)
- lemon zest (untreated)
Instructions for the dough (Really easy!)
Mix the salt with the flour, then mound it on the work surface with the egg in the center. Gradually add the warm water and oil, working it into a soft ball. Wrap it in plastic film or a floured cloth and let it rest for an hour in a warm spot (I cover mine with a heated bowl).
Of course, if you're using store-bought puff pastry (excellent!), skip straight to the filling.
For the filling
Slice apples thin, grate lemon zest, squeeze the raisins well, add pine nuts and cinnamon.
Lay the dough on a lightly floured surface and stretch it as thin as possible. Place parchment paper on your baking sheet and lay the dough on it, shaping it into a rough rectangle (though an irregular shape is fine!). Toast the breadcrumbs in butter, then spread this mixture over the dough. Add the fruit filling and roll it up using the parchment to help. Seal the edges well and trim any excess dough. You could brush the strudel with egg yolk or milk (but I never do). If any apple juice leaks out, I spread it on top.
Bake at 180 degrees Celsius for 45 minutes—but if it doesn't look done, put it back in the oven. That's the beauty of unleavened sweets!