The Daring Bakers recipe this month, hosted by Linda of make life sweeter! and Courtney of Coco Cooks was strudel, and while the original recipe was apple, we were allowed to fill it however we wanted.  I decided to do a savory version, based on a filling from a mushroom barley pie from Smitten Kitchen.  It turned out pretty well, although the filling could use a little more oomph.  Matt suggested it needed sausage, which I think would be a good idea.

The strudel dough was actually easier to make than I was expecting.  You just mix flour and salt, water, oil, and a bit of vinegar.  The dough has a very nice feel and is easy to knead — not sticky at all.  However, stretching it was a little harder.  I pretty easily got it out to about a foot by a foot.  But, as I continued to stretch it, it started to get holes, especially on the edges, and I never was able to get it as big as the 2 foot by 3 foot recommendation.  This may partly have been because the directions suggest stretching it on a floured tablecloth, but I don’t have any tablecloths, so I just used my kitchen counter.  At any rate, it was still tasty, but I think it would’ve been better if it had been thinner.

I’m not sure it’s quite worth the trouble of making the dough again, but I did like the concept and the filling, so I think I might try it again sometime, but take the easy way out and just use pre-made phyllo dough or even puff pastry.

It was definitely a fun challenge, and thanks again to Linda and Courtney for hosting!

The May Daring Bakers’ challenge was hosted by Linda of make life sweeter! and Courtney of Coco Cooks. They chose Apple Strudel from the recipe book Kaffeehaus: Exquisite Desserts from the Classic Cafés of Vienna, Budapest and Prague by Rick Rodgers.

Mushroom Barley Filling

Adapted from the Smitten Kitchen, originally from Gourmet, November 2008

This makes about 1/3 more filling than you really need for the strudel, but it’s also good on its own. I’m planning to add I added the leftovers from ours to a quiche tomorrow the next night.

3/4 c pearl barley
olive oil
1 large or 2 small onions, sliced in half moons
1 1/2 lb mushrooms, sliced
2 cloves garlic
2 T red wine vinegar
1/2 lb spinach, torn in pieces
1/2 c swiss cheese, grated

Cook the pearl barley: rinse the barley, and put it in a small saucepan. Cover with water up to about an inch above the grains. Add a generous pinch of salt. Cover, and simmer about 20 minutes, until tender, but still with some bite.  Drain.

Meanwhile, cook the onions in a couple tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat until they’re beginning to caramelize. Add the mushrooms, garlic, and a pinch of salt. Cook until the mushrooms are tender. Stir in the red wine vinegar. Add the spinach and cook just a minute or two, until it wilts. When the barley is done, stir it in too. Taste and adjust seasoning, keeping in mind that cheese will be added. Allow to cool, and then stir in the swiss cheese.

Strudel Dough

Adapted from Kaffeehaus: Exquisite Desserts from the Classic Cafés of Vienna, Budapest and Prague by Rick Rodgers

1 1/3 c all purpose flour
1/4 t salt
7 T water
2 T olive oil
1/2 t apple cider vinegar

Stir together flour and salt in the bowl of an electric mixer. In a small bowl, mix the water, olive oil, and vinegar. Stir in to the flour mixture on low speed. Once the dough comes together, switch to the dough hook and knead for a few minutes, until you have a ball of dough that still has a somewhat rough surface.

Knead by hand on an unfloured surface for a few minutes, until the dough is pretty smooth. Let rest for at least 30 minutes, longer if possible. (I only let the dough rest about 40 minutes, and I had a hard time stretching it as much as I wanted. I think waiting an hour to an hour and a half would probably help the gluten relax and solve this problem.)

Flour a large work area, or spread it with a floured tablecloth. Roll out the dough as thin as possible. Then, begin to stretch it by hand, first by picking it up and allowing the weight of the dough to stretch itself for you. When it gets too big to stretch this way, put it down and use your hands to stretch it. (I don’t really have any tips on this, since I didn’t get it to work all that well either. The good thing is, it turned out ok anyway.)

Assembling the Mushroom Barley Strudel

1 recipe mushroom barley filling
1 recipe strudel dough
3 T melted butter
1/4 c panko (Japanese breadcrumbs)
2 T parmesan cheese, grated

Preheat oven to 400 F. Spread the dough gently with melted butter, being careful not to rip it. Sprinkle with the breadcrumbs. Spread the filling in a strip down one edge. Roll up the dough from that end, and then shape it into a circle. Bake at 400 F for about 20 minutes. Sprinkle with the parmesan cheese. Bake for another 10 minutes or so, until golden brown. Let cool a few minutes before serving in slices.

Tags: Daring Bakers, Main Dish, vegetarian

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