South Tyrollean Apple Strudel

For pasta

• 300g flour
  
• 1 egg
• 1 pinch salt
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1/4 cup water
• 2tbsp butter

For filling

• 500g apples
• 1/2 cup breadcrumbs
• 2 tbsp butter
• pine nuts
• raisins
• lemon zest, grated
• 2 teaspoons Rum
• 4 tablespoon sugar
• 1 tablespoon cinnamon

Make a well in the center of the flour, place the egg inside, butter and add the water.

Add the rest of the ingredients and mix well.

Make a dough which is smooth and solid.

Melt the butter in a pan, add the bread crumbs and brown well.

Cut the apples into segments.

Mix the apples with the bread crumbs, pine nuts, raisins, grated lemon, cinnamon and the remaining ingredients. Leave it all to gain flavor.

Roll out the dough and lay the filling on top.

Close the dough by wrapping up the filling carefully, prick all over with a fork, brush with butter and sprinkle some pine kernels on top. Put the strudel into the oven for about 40 minutes at a temperature of 180C.

FOOD HISTORY

Even if people generally think that strudel is an Austrian dish, this sweet is originally Turkish. In fact, the precursor to the strudel is baklava, a Turkish dessert stuffed with dried fruit and spices. The Hungarians and Austrians were introduced to baklava during the invasion of Eastern Europe by the Ottoman Empire during the 16th century. From 1526 to 1699, the Turks dominated the Hungary and, during these two centuries, the Hungarians adopted many different aspects of the Ottoman culture, including various Turkish recipes.
In 1699, when the Turks lost their power over Hungary to the Hapsburgs, the recipe for baklava spread throughout Austria and became known as strudel. Unlike traditional baklava, strudel was made with the apples that grew across Europe.
During the Congress of Vienna in 1816, Austria gained control of Venice and the surrounding region and strudel spread throughout Northeastern Italy