Sour Cherries Strudel
Balkan-style sour cherry strudel!
Servings Prep Time
8servings 45minutes
Cook Time Passive Time
30minutes 30minutes
Servings Prep Time
8servings 45minutes
Cook Time Passive Time
30minutes 30minutes
Ingredients
Dough
Filling
Instructions
  1. In a medium size mixing bowl add warm water and half of the flour, mix together. Mix in the salt.
  2. Add the rest of the flour and mix by hand until you create a compact mass. Take it out on the counter and knead it vigorously for about 10 minutes. If the dough is sticky, sprinkle on some flour as needed. Do it in small increments, a little at a time. The goal is to obtain a soft, non sticky dough. Throw the dough often at the counter and then roll it up using the palm of your hand. Keep repeating that process until the end. This will greatly help in developing proper gluten structure.
  3. Form the dough ball and let it rest for 30 minutes, at room temperature, placed between two clean and floured kitchen towels.
  4. Put a clean tablecloth (material does not matter) on a large table. Flour the center area of the table cloth, area with diameter of approximately 50 cm (20 “).
  5. Place the dough ball in the center of the floured table cloth. Using a rolling pin, gently stretch the dough evenly to about size of the floured area or 50 cm (20″) diameter. Let rest for 5 minutes.
  6. Stretch the dough to the full size of the table and let it drape over the table edges (see instructions below).
  7. Fold in dough ends, creating a rectangular dough shape.
  8. Brush the top of the dough with vegetable oil.
  9. Distribute sour cherries evenly over half of the dough surface, the half that is closer to you.
  10. Sprinkle the cherries with sugar and cream of wheat.
  11. Roll the strudel using the table cloth, starting from your side. When rolled completely with sharp knife cut the strudel in even lengths that will fit your baking pan.
  12. Place the strudel on a parchment paper-lined baking pan and brush the top with vegetable oil.
  13. Bake for 30-35 minutes (conventional oven) at 176 ºC (350 ºF) until golden brown, with the rack placed in the middle of the oven.
  14. Let it cool off for at least 30 minutes. Using serrated knife cut into thick slices and serve warm. Sprinkle with confectioners’ sugar.
Recipe Notes

Stretching dough procedure:

Pick the dough up from the table cloth, being careful not to tear it. Put both of your hands in the middle, and let the dough rest on top of your bent down wrists, draping down over your knuckles. Gently spread your hands apart by 10-15 cm (4″-5″), stretching the dough. Rotate the dough and repeat. When the dough becomes big and cumbersome to work with place it carefully flat on the table cloth. Again insert your both hands under the dough in the same manner as before, having the dough resting on top of your bent down wrists. Only this time hands are not in the middle but 10-15 cm (4′-5″) in from the edge. Stretch the dough by pulling gently both hands towards you. As you pulling towards you at the same time keep spreading hands apart from each other. This way you will be stretching the dough in two directions at the same time. Repeat the same process around the dough perimeter until only 10-15 cm from the dough edge remains unstretched. At that point, use the tips of your fingers, palms up, to gently pull on the edge in small increments as you work around perimeter until completely stretched. Don’t lift it up; it is easier to work if you maintain a low angle where stretching the dough is kept almost level to the table top.