Cherry Strudel
By Snowflakes and Schnapps
Published on 04 October 2022
A luscious variation on the classic strudel.Time and servings
1 hr 25 minsTotal time
10Servings
45 minsPrep time
40 minsCooking time
Ingredients
- 225 g of plain flour
- 0.5 tsp of cider vinegar
- 160 g of cherry jam
- 80 g of white breadcrumbs
- 1360 g of cherries in syrup, drained
- 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil
- 150 g of unsalted butter
- 2 tsps of lemon juice, freshly squeezed
- 1 egg, lightly beaten
- 1.5 tablespoons of cherry liqueur or syrup
- 55 g of ground almonds
- 45 g of soft brown sugar
- 1.5 tsps of ground cinnamon
- 1 dusting of icing sugar
Method
Step 1
Sift the flour and a pinch of salt into a bowl and make a well in the centre. Combine the egg, all but 1 teaspoon of the oil and the vinegar and pour into the well with 2½ tablespoons of lukewarm water. Mix well until a soft dough forms, adding an extra teaspoon of water if required.Step 2
Gather together and knead on a clean work surface for about 8 minutes, or until smooth and slightly elastic. Shape the dough into a ball and rub all over with the remaining oil. Put on a plate, cover with plastic wrap and leave to rest in a warm place for 2 hours.Step 3
Meanwhile, prepare the filling. Melt the butter in a saucepan over low heat and cook for 1 minute. Remove from the heat and sit for 5 minutes to allow to settle. Spoon off any foam from the surface and then pour the butter into a small, clean saucepan, making sure to avoid adding any of the sediment from the bottom of the first pan. Set aside until ready to use.Step 4
Combine the jam, cherry liqueur and lemon juice in a bowl and stir until smooth. Add to the cherries and mix well. Cover and set aside. Combine the breadcrumbs, ground almonds, sugar and cinnamon in a separate bowl and set aside.Step 5
Preheat the oven to 190°C (375°F/Gas 5). After the dough has finished resting you can start the process of stretching it. You will need a large surface area to work on, such as a round table — about 1 x 1 metre (about 3¼ x 3¼ feet). Place a clean, fine cloth such as muslin (cheesecloth) over the top of your work area — it should be large enough to hang over two sides of your table. Tie a small weight, perhaps a teaspoon, to each corner to help weigh it down and then lightly sprinkle the surface of the cloth with the extra flour. Unwrap the dough and pull it into a round shape, about 15 cm (6 inches) in diameter. Place the dough in the centre of the cloth and lightly flour a sturdy rolling pin. Using strong, smooth strokes, roll out towards the edges of the cloth, working around the pastry but do not roll back over the area you have rolled — always roll outwards until you cannot roll it any further and the pastry is about 50 x 50 cm (20 x 20 inches).Step 6
Lightly flour your clean, jewellery-free hands and forearms. Carefully lift up the dough at the edge closest to you and slip your arms between the dough and the cloth, so that they are just under the centre of the dough circle. Lift the dough off the table, ensuring the dough drapes evenly on either side. Now form your hands into fists and carefully stretch the dough by moving hand over hand outwards towards the edges of the dough. You will need to rotate the dough regularly so you stretch it evenly all over — this may take some practice and is easier if you enlist a friend to help!Step 7
When the dough has stretched about as far as you think it will go without tearing, and is about 60 x 60 cm (24 x 24 inches), place it back down onto the cloth. Carefully pull the dough out so that it is as wrinkle-free as possible. The dough should be almost transparent, however you may find that a few areas are a little thicker than others. If so, slip your hand underneath those patches and gently stretch them out so they are as thin as the rest of the dough. Trim the edges of the dough to form a rectangle-like shape. If your dough tears in places just pinch the edges together to seal it.Step 8
If needed, gently re-melt the butter you have set aside. With a long side of the pastry in front of you, brush two-thirds of the butter over the pastry and then sprinkle the breadcrumb mixture over the top, leaving a border of about 10 cm (4 inches) along the longer edges and 5 cm (2 inches) along each of the shorter edges.Step 9
Evenly spoon the cherry mixture on top of the breadcrumb mixture, just along the edge closest to you. Lightly brush the furthest edge from you with a little of the remaining butter. Using the cloth to help you, fold up the border of dough over the cherries and then carefully roll the strudel over twice. Fold in the two side edges and continue to roll up. Transfer the strudel to a large baking tray, seam side down. Keep the strudel straight, if possible, but if you find it is too long you can curve it gently to fit onto the tray. Brush the remaining melted butter over the top. Cook for 40 minutes, or until the pastry is crisp and golden. Remove from the oven, liberally sift icing sugar over the top and allow to rest for 15 minutes before cutting into thick slices.Step 10
Serve warm with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream if desired.