There's not many who don't like apple strudel and making it from scratch is deeply satisfying for any home cook to say the least. This version isn’t the classic Austrian pastry, but a sweet pasta dough taught in an old Italian cookbook first published in 1998 called 'Italy, the Beautiful Cookbook' by famed cook and author Lorenza De Medici that’s been in my kitchen for decades.
The dough itself is really just a humble pasta dough and so typically Italian - just flour, eggs, a touch of sugar, and patience. It’s kneaded until smooth and elastic, then rested so it can relax enough to stretch without tearing. This is the part I love most: the slow, careful rolling, coaxing it thinner and thinner until it drapes across the bench like soft fabric. It ends up being rolled so thin you can almost read a newspaper through it - sort of like a think filo pastry. One can imagine this kind of recipe being made for generations in Italian kitchens throughout Italy.
The filling is where the New Zealand element comes in. I use soft mealy apples like gala or other cooking apple (not the granny smith or braeburn apples that tend to hold their shape), along with a layer of a tart non-berry jam such as fig or apricot. In this photo and video I used a fig and orange paste which I had in the fridge. The apples are sliced thinly and tossed with cinnamon, sugar, and a handful of raisins or sultanas, then zest from our infamous East Coast Gisborne Oranges. Sometimes I soak the sultanas or raisins in a little rum or Sicilian marsala, depends on the mood of the day.
Once the filling is spread across the dough, the whole thing is rolled up gently like a parcel - firm but not tight, just enough to hold everything together. Baked until golden, the strudel emerges with a crisp exterior and a soft, fragrant centre that tastes like winter comfort and old‑world simplicity.
It’s a dessert that connects past and present: an Italian technique, a Kiwi kitchen, and the quiet pleasure of making something by hand. A reminder that some recipes don’t need modernising, they just need making. The cooked strudel log is best left to the next day before eating, and served either warm or at room temperature as the outer layer can be crunchier than expected.
Watch me make apple strudel on this short YouTube tutorial:
Ingredients
2 cups (250g) high grade white flour
1 egg, whisked until fluffy
1 tablespoon sugar
Pinch of salt
3 tablespoons (60g) unsalted butter, melted
2 tablespoons extra melted butter for brushing before baking
About 3 mealy cooking apples, peeled, cored, and sliced thinly
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ cup (45g) flaked or slivered almonds (optional, but very nice)
¼ cup raisins or sultanas, soaked in water while you make the dough then drained (Optional: soak in 2 tbsp dark rum or Sicilian Marsala instead, then drain before using)
Zest of 1 orange
½ cup tart jam, heated in the microwave for brushing (not berry), plus extra for brushing over the top when the strudel roll comes out of the oven
3 tablespoons powdered/icing sugar, to serve
Method
To make the pastry, place the flour in a bowl and make a well in the centre. (If you’re a keen pasta or pastry maker, you can use the traditional method of piling the flour on the bench and working the remaining ingredients in). Add the egg, sugar, salt, the first measure of melted butter, and enough warm water to form a smooth dough.
Knead on a lightly floured surface for a few minutes. Cover the dough with a heated bowl and let it rest for 20 minutes — an ordinary breakfast bowl warmed in the microwave works perfectly. Knead again for a few more minutes.
Lay an old tea towel on a flat surface and dust it generously with flour. Roll the dough out on the cloth with a floured rolling pin, working it as thin as possible. Letting the dough stretch over the edge of the bench helps achieve a very thin sheet. You should be able to see the pattern of the tea towel underneath.
Brush the dough liberally with second measure of melted butter, then spread over the jam. Arrange the thinly sliced apples evenly on top, then sprinkle over the cinnamon, almonds (if using), raisins, and orange zest.
Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Carefully roll up the strudel, tucking in the sides as you go and easing the cloth away. Moisten the final edge with a little water so it seals and keeps the filling inside during baking.
Transfer the roll to a large baking sheet and slide the strudel onto it. Bake for about 30 minutes. You don't want a crispy pasta strudel! You can brush over more jam on the outside while it's hot.
When cold move to a serving plate. Best left to the following day before serving so the pasta dough layers soften. Dust with the icing sugar before serving, and serve warm or at room temperature with cream or icecream.
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