Can I put off baking a strudel?

[Kim Shook]

Can I make this strudel a couple of hours ahead of time up to the baking part and then put it in the oven to bake as we are sitting down to dinner so that it will be warm? I know that I'll have to cover and refrigerate so that the phyllo won't dry out, but otherwise will it work and not get soggy?

[Marlene]

I'd bake it ahead of time, then just slip it in the oven at 180 or so to warm while you're having dinner.

[jfield]

I agree with Marlene. When it comes to trying to hold fruit with something you want to be crispy, you're just asking for trouble. Bake it--cool and leave at room temp, then reheat during your meal. Less stress for you, I think, because you won't be worrying about if it's soggy.

By the way, I'm a big strudel fan....

[theabroma]

Can I make this strudel a couple of hours ahead of time up to the baking part and then put it in the oven to bake as we are sitting down to dinner so that it will be warm?  I know that I'll have to cover and refrigerate so that the phyllo won't dry out, but otherwise will it work and not get soggy?

←

Once you have rolled the strudel, brush the outside of it with melted butter. Let it set up a bit, and then tent it with foil or a towel, but don't wrap it entirely. I would just leave it sitting in the coolest, least humid place in the kitchen.

Don't know what kind of filling you are using ... but once the strudel is rolled, it is better to keep it dry so it will crisp well when baking. Preheat the oven, and slip it in ahead of dinner ... giving it time to cook plus about 15-20 minutes to cool down and settle prior to cutting and serving.

Regards,

Theabroma

[Kim Shook]

Thank you so much for the advice. I went ahead and cooked it a couple of hours ahead of time and then warmed up the slices as recommended by Marlene and JField. I wasn't happy with my results: clickety but it didn't have anything to do with this issue. I think that I just saturated the thing with butter and maybe next time I'll use more layers of phyllo.

[alanamoana]

Thank you so much for the advice.  I went ahead and cooked it a couple of hours ahead of time and then warmed up the slices as recommended by Marlene and JField.  I wasn't happy with my results:  clickety but it didn't have anything to do with this issue.  I think that I just saturated the thing with butter and maybe next time I'll use more layers of phyllo.

←

Hey Kim,

I took a look at your picture, it doesn't look bad, but here are a couple of ideas:

1) oven temp...start very hot, which will get the moisture in the butter to turn to steam and cause expansion between the layers before it evaporates. this will give you a nice crisp texture on your phyllo. you can then turn the oven down to finish baking all the way through. if it looks like it is getting too dark on the bottom, just double pan

2) you don't have to butter between EACH sheet of phyllo. we used to do two sheets and then butter.

3) did you use bread crumbs in between layers of phyllo? a lot of strudel recipes call for this which helps to absorb moisture and give you the distinct layering/crispness that you're looking for.

4) and as someone else mentioned on the dessert thread, you can make bigger sheets of phyllo by overlapping them end to end. just make sure to do this on a large cloth (an old stained tablecloth is a good thing to have around for this), so that it is easy to roll up your strudel once everything is layered.

hope that helps a little

[theabroma]

Thank you so much for the advice.  I went ahead and cooked it a couple of hours ahead of time and then warmed up the slices as recommended by Marlene and JField.  I wasn't happy with my results:  clickety but it didn't have anything to do with this issue.  I think that I just saturated the thing with butter and maybe next time I'll use more layers of phyllo.

←

Kim, there is another trick with phyllo strudel, which will result in a more traditional type of strudel, but is a bit more work to put together. It does tend to result in a crisper strudel: put a clean sheet on a large table, and tack it underneath. The table I used was 8' long, by 3.5' wide. Mist the sheet with cornstarch. Lay out an overlapping (by 1") series of single sheets of phylo, 'glued' together with a light brush of butter. Then do a second row, similarly glued and overlapping. And on, and on, until you have an overlapping quilt of a single layer of phyllo sheets. Brush the whole lightly with melted butter. Sprinkle the sheet lightly with fresh breadcrumbs. Starting at one narrow end, put the filling in a line, about 4" in from the edge, and from side to side, with about a 2" margin on each side. Untack the sheet, and standing at the filling end, gently pull the sheet towards you, rolling the strudel into a log as you go. If you have a large baking sheet, butter it and roll the strudel onto it. Otherwise, if you are going to cut it in half, leave a gap in the filling in the middle of the line - 3" or so, and once it is all rolled up, roll each half onto the sheet pan.

This type of strudel is traditionally dusted with confectioner's sugar once it has cooled a bit, and served with a pregnant dollop of whipped cream.

This patching and rolling will result in a crisper, more traditional strudel. If you want to give it a really smooth look, you can cover the final rolled log(s) with a single sheet of phyllo --- to cover up the "joints".

You can, alternatively, lay down a single sheet long side towards narrow end of table, and put another sheet at the edge, and so on until the dough is about 11" wide (length of phyllo sheet) and 6' long. Put an appropriate amount of filling 3" into the narrow end, and don't forget to leave at least 1.5" margin on each side. Roll that bad boy up, and you will have a smooth, small strudel. You can make several instead of one huge one.

Oh, and be sure to brush it very lightly with butter prior to baking.

Regards,

Theabroma

Edited September 13, 2008 by theabroma (log)

[robi]

how did it go?

as to butter, damn straigh you want butter on everylayer!!

here in hugary the best strudel - the austrians took it from the Hungarians, who took it from teh Turks - there is lard!!!!! on each layer, not butter!!! tatses great !!1

The top layer here is covered with SOUR CREAM and sugar, it is great!

a great filling is cheese curds mixed with some egg, sugar and raisons to taste!

If you really want good stuff and want to wow the guests... make the dough, phylo dough or any store bought dough is just not right. and if you get into the Turkish type called burek, you will notice there are different types of doughs depending on what filling is to be used!!!

and ths stuff and be handled..... Hungarians say you have to pull it slowly and carefully, the Turks toss and streatch it... and it is very cool to see a huge sheet of this dough in the air!!!!

robi