This Lemon Poppy Seed Braid is the first loaf of bread I was ever taught…
Lemon, Pistachio, and Feta Strudel
Those of you who visit this blog regularly know how much I enjoy baking breads. The good thing about making them at home is that you get to enjoy some of those delicious celebratory breads that you can’t even buy at the stores. Don’t be intimidated by bread making, as like all things, practise makes perfect. I have said it before, but I am going to say it again, “There is nothing like the aroma of homebaked breads!”.
Strudel is a pastry made from thinly stretched dough with a filling inside and is closely associated with Austrian and German cuisine. Probably the best known kind of strudel is the apple strudel with a filling of apples, raisins, cinnamon, and breadcrumbs. If you have not tasted strudel, I must say that it is really a treat.
Homemade strudel recipes normally uses pre-packaged phyllo pastry for the dough. The traditional strudel dough is quite a challenge to make as it uses flour with a high gluten content which has to be worked vigorously and stretched very thin. This recipe that I am sharing uses a bread like dough and has a lemony filling which is quite different but delicious. It should be taken in small quantities as the filling is very rich.
The recipe was adapted from my favorite The Cooks Encyclopedia of Bread Machine Baking. The original recipe calls for soft goats cheese and though it turned out really well, the family was not too thrilled by the goats cheese and so I have changed it by using a mix of feta and cream cheese. I have also omitted the egg yolks and changed the amount of fruits and nuts used. Here is my version.
Lemon, Pistachio, and Feta Strudel
1 cup low fat milk
1 egg
2 cups unbleached white bread flour
½ tsp salt
1 tbsp sugar
¼ cup butter
1 tsp rapid rise dry yeast
Filling
2 oz feta cheese
4 oz fat free cream cheese
½ cup fat free small curd cottage cheese
2 tbsp sugar
grated zest of 1 lemon
½ tsp vanilla extract
⅓ cup golden raisins
⅓ cup pistachios, peeled
¼ cup dried apricots, chopped
2 tbsp butter, melted
½ cup slivered almonds
Pour milk and egg into bread machine pan. Add flour. Place salt, sugar, and butter in separate corners of bread pan. Make a shallow indentation in the center of flour and add the yeast. Set bread machine to dough setting and press the start button.
In the meantime, grind slivered almonds using a food processor. Remove and set aside.
To make the filling, place feta cheese, cream cheese, and cottage cheese in a bowl. Using a fork, mashed cheeses so that they are well mixed and there are no huge clumps. Stir in vanilla extract and lemon zest. Mix well and add golden raisins, pistachio, and apricots.
When dough cycle is complete, remove and place dough on a lightly floured surface. Punch down gently and roll out to a rectangle 14×10 inches. Brush dough with melted butter. Sprinkle ground almonds onto buttered dough. Spread cheese filling over dough. Fold in the edges along both the long sides to prevent cheese from oozing out when melted during baking. Starting from the short side, roll up like a jelly roll. Place on a baking sheet seam side down. Cover with lightly oiled plastic wrap and let rise for 30 to 45 minutes.
Preheat oven to 375˚F. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes. Remove and place on wire rack to cool. Slice and serve warm.
Enjoy…..and have a wonderful day!
Rick says
It is as beautiful as a christmas ornament.
roxan @ kitchen meditation says
Looks good! Wish you could send me a piece through the computer ;]
Cristina @ TeenieCakes says
You do make beautiful breads…I commented on your breads in a reply post. This strudel looks amazing and such a great combination of flavors. Like everything about the title of this bread – just delicious!
Scott K says
yum!
bunkycooks says
This look very tasty! I would think the bread dough is much better for you than the actual strudel pastry.
Cherine says
yummy this looks wonderful!
Yummy Team says
It looks perfect and delicious..
simply.food says
wow this lemon and pistachio struden looks so very nice.Simply delicious.
Subhie Arun says
wow..this looks absolutely wonderful….
luvtoeat says
Oh that bread looks beautiful Biren! And I definitely agree with you, there is nothing like the aroma of fresh baked homemade bread. Yummilicious!
Jay says
Hy Biren,
Healthy n nutritious recipe with cute presentation.
Rumana Rawat says
Yummy Looks Wonderful:-)
ceecee says
Looks delicious and pretty!
Biren says
@Rick – Thanks Rick! It would be great for Christmas.
roxan@kitchen meditation – Good to see you here 🙂 If only I can teleport it somehow…..
Cristina@Teenie Cakes – Awww, Cristina, that's nice of you. Thank you very much.
@Scott K – Thanks!
@bunkycooks – Thanks and you are right to say that bread dough is probably better as the strudel pastry has way more butter in it.
@Cherine – Thanks!
@Yummy Team – Thank you.
@simply.food – Thanks!
@Subhie Arun – Thanks!
@luvtoeat – Thanks LeQuan! The aroma of homebaked breads is so inviting 🙂
@Jay – Thank you.
@Rumana Rawat – Thanks!
@ceecee – Thanks!
JillyAn says
That looks SO good! Feta cheese is probably my favorite food in the entire world. My waistline is expanding just looking at the pictures.
Kamalika says
Looks like a tricking thing….urs look so perfect…don't know wkether i would be able make it or not…
denise @ quickies on the dinner table says
It's beautiful Biren!! And loaded with so many things that I like – almonds, golden raisins, feta, pistachios and lemon! It does look very festive and is perfect for Christmas morning brunch I think 🙂 This might be the next bread I make!
shahana says
wow! looks so delicious and perfect!
Cinnamon-Girl says
This is a very special strudel! The filling sounds like quite a treat. I bet it tastes heavenly!
Angie's Recipes says
What an unique strudel! I gotta try it for sure!
Have a nice weekend!
Angie
Mary says
My word, Biren! This bread looks fantastic and the idea of using bread dough as a skin is one I've never seen before. You are very creative. I hope you are having a wonderful day. Blessings…Mary
5 Star Foodie says
Wow, this sounds incredible! What a terrific combination with pistachio and feta!
Gulmohar says
That sounds like a great filling for strudel…looks beautiful too
Mother Rimmy says
What a treat! Fantastic combination of ingredients! I love pistachio.
MaryMoh says
Nothing beats homemade bakes. I can just imagine all the lovely aroma in your house all the time. This one looks perfect and very delicious.
tigerfish says
it's like a nougat in your strudel 😉
Biren says
@JillyAn – I like feta too. It is good as is and in most baked stuff as well.
@Kamalika – It is easier than it looks. Just roll it up like a jelly roll 🙂
denise@quickies on the dinner table – Thanks Denise! I never thought of it as a Christmas bread but it should work beautifully. I usually make a sweet festive wreath for Christmas.
@Shahana – Thanks!
@Cinnamon-Girl – Thanks Reeni! It is a very rich bread and is quite a treat!
@Angie's Recipe – Thanks Angie. Hope you have a great weekend too!
@Mary – Thanks Mary! It is fun to make loaves that are different 🙂
@5 Star Foodie – Thanks Natasha! I do like the filling very much 🙂
@Gulmohar – Thanks you.
@Mother Rimmy – Thanks and I like pistachios too 🙂
@MaryMoh – Thanks Mary! I love the aroma of home baked bread 🙂
@tigerfish – You are so right…it does look like nougat!
sweetlife says
what a great treat, lemon, pistachios and feta..what great flavor..I bet the house smelled divine..
sweetlife
s says
This looks sooo pretty..In fact there are a lot of dishes I am tempted to try from ur blog….
Joy says
BIREN this looks AMAZING i am totally making this one weekend. YUM YUM YUM golly I wish I could have a slice right now…