Almás Rétes (Hungarian Apple Strudel)
Local name: Almás rétes
In short: Paper-thin stretched dough rolled around spiced apples, raisins and buttery breadcrumbs, baked until crisp and golden. It takes about 1 h 40 min in total and makes 8 servings.
- Prep
- 1 h
- Cook
- 40 min
- Resting
- 30 min
- Total
- 1 h 40 min
- Servings
- 8
- Difficulty
- Challenging
- Calories
- 400 kcal
Rétes is the Hungarian strudel, made from a dough stretched by hand until you can almost read a newspaper through it. The classic apple filling, almás rétes, mixes tart apples with sugar, cinnamon, raisins and breadcrumbs toasted in butter, which soak up the juices. Other favorite fillings are sour cherry, sweet cheese, poppy seed and cabbage. Stretching dough sounds hard but is easier than it looks, and phyllo is a fair shortcut.
Instructions
- Mix the flour, salt, egg, oil and water into a rough dough, then knead for 10 minutes until smooth, soft and elastic. Shape into a ball, coat with oil, cover with a warm bowl and rest for 30 minutes.
- For the filling, toss the apples with the sugar, cinnamon, lemon juice and raisins. Melt the 40 g of butter in a pan, fry the breadcrumbs for 2 to 3 minutes until golden, and cool.
- Heat the oven to 190°C (375°F). Cover a table with a clean cloth and dust it with flour.
- Roll out the dough, then stretch it over the backs of your hands, working from the center out, until it is paper-thin and about 60 x 80 cm (24 x 32 in). Trim the thick edges.
- Brush the dough with melted butter. Scatter the breadcrumbs over the bottom third and pile the apples on top, leaving 5 cm (2 in) free at each side.
- Fold in the sides, then use the cloth to lift the dough and roll the strudel up loosely. Cut it in half if it is longer than your tray.
- Slide the strudels seam side down onto a baking tray lined with baking paper. Brush with melted butter.
- Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, brushing once with butter, until deep golden brown and the apples are tender.
- Cool for 15 minutes, dust with powdered sugar and slice with a serrated knife.
Tips
- If stretching feels daunting, use 6 to 8 sheets of thawed phyllo pastry layered with melted butter. Bake in the same way for about 30 minutes.
- Use firm, tart apples such as Granny Smith and slice them thinly. Toasted breadcrumbs absorb the juices and keep the pastry from turning soggy.
Questions and answers
What are the classic Hungarian rétes fillings?
Apple (almás), sour cherry (meggyes), sweet cheese with raisins (túrós), poppy seed (mákos) and cabbage (káposztás) are the traditional fillings.
Can I freeze strudel?
Yes. Freeze the unbaked, rolled strudels on a tray, then wrap them. Bake from frozen at 190°C (375°F) for about 50 minutes. Baked strudel can be frozen too.
Why did my strudel dough tear?
The dough was probably under-kneaded or not rested enough. Knead until elastic, rest for 30 minutes under a warm bowl, and stretch gently with the backs of your hands rather than your fingertips.
How long does it take to make Almás Rétes (Hungarian Apple Strudel)?
About 1 h 40 min in total: 1 h of preparation and 40 min of cooking.
How many calories are in Almás Rétes (Hungarian Apple Strudel)?
About 400 kcal per serving, with 5 g of protein, 55 g of carbohydrates and 16 g of fat. These values are estimates.
Nutrition per serving
| Calories | 400 kcal |
|---|---|
| Protein | 5 g |
| Carbohydrates | 55 g |
| Fat | 16 g |
| Fiber | 4 g |
| Sugar | 30 g |
| Sodium | 190 mg |
Estimated values, calculated from the ingredients.
