When someone mentions Vienna, what comes to mind are the city’s elegant konditorei, or pastry shops, where luscious cakes are showcased in spotless glass displays. Among the delicacies on offer; sachertorte, or chocolate cake with apricot jam, and apfelstrudel, or apple strudel; are most popular throughout the former Austro-Hungarian Empire, including the northeastern part of Italy where I live. We call this treat strudel di mele, or strucolo de pomi, in the dialect of Trieste.

These days, apfelstrudel are often made with more convenient flaky puff pastries. Traditionally though, it’s prepared with thinly rolled dough, crafted from flour, butter, water and, sometimes, eggs. I’m currently in Jakarta and have had help from Almond Zucchini Cooking Studio’s staff Eva, Nurman and Chindy in making this one, otherwise I’d have chosen puff pastry myself.

Serves 7-8

Crust

225-250g strong flour

1 teaspoon salt

25g melted butter with extra for brushing

75g tepid water

1 small egg with 1 extra beaten for brushing

Icing sugar, to taste, when serving

Filling

600 g or 3-4 tart apples (Malang, Fuji or Granny Smith)

25g melted butter

50-60 g sugar

½ lemon

1 teaspoon powdered cinnamon

30g raisins

10g pine nuts

1 tablespoon flour

1 tablespoon breadcrumbs

* To make crust: Place flour and salt in a bowl. Add melted butter, water and egg. Work dough until combined. Transfer to kitchen counter and knead for five minutes until smooth and soft. Add touch of flour if it seems too sticky or touch of water if too dry.
* Cover with cling film and rest under a warm bowl for 20 to 30 minutes to allow dough to relax.
* Meanwhile, prepare filling. Peel apples, removing fibrous cores and the seeds. Cut into 1.5-cm dice. Transfer to bowl.
* Peel the lemon rind using potato peeler, making sure not to take the bitter white membrane. Squeeze lemon juice over apples and mix to prevent oxidization.
* Melt butter over medium-low heat with lemon rind. Add apples, sugar, cinnamon and pine nuts. Saute for a few minutes until apples soften and release juice.
* Insert flour and cook for further couple of minutes until liquid has thickened. Set aside to cool.
* By now, the crust dough should have rested enough. Spread tea towel on the kitchen counter. Dust surface with flour. Flatten dough with rolling pin into large rectangle, as thin as possible, until you can see cloth pattern underneath or read a newspaper through it.
* Brush surface with melted butter and sprinkle with breadcrumbs. Spread cooled filling in the lower third part of rolled dough.
* Brush borders with beaten egg. Fold bottom edges inwards and trim excess ends so the strudel won’t have too thick a crust.
* Continue to fold using tea towel and transfer to oven tray lined with parchment paper. Make sure folded end stays at bottom so it will not open during baking.
* Prick surface with fork vigorously to allow steam from filling to escape during cooking. Brush with remaining beaten egg and bake at 170°C for 25 to 30 minutes until golden.
* Cool slightly before slicing into portions. Dust with icing sugar and serve warm.

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