Rétes - Hungarian StrudelTheWorldWideGourmet.com
Total time: 1hr to 2hr
Preparation time: 1 hour
Resting time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 20 minutes
Oven temperature: 200° C (400° F)
Difficulty: Average
Nutritional values
per 100 g
Energy:532.1 kcal
Proteins:7.9 g
Fats:33.7 g
Carbohydrate:47.9 g
Fibers:1.6 g
Sugar:0.2 g
Cholesterol:33.3 mg
Sodium:181.3 mg
Calcium:10 mg
SIMILAR RECIPES
Dufflet Rosenberg's Chocolate Shortbread Cookies
Muskatnockerln - Nutmeg Macaroons
Vanillekipferl - Vanilla Crescents
Kouglof or Kougelhopf
Melomakarona - Greek Christmas Pastries
VIDEOS OF RECIPES
scrambled eggs
egg omelet asparagus
egg sunny side up
Avocat - salade
mussels mariniere
mashed potato
salmon cooked on one side
Biscottis 1
Biscottis 2
chocolate chip cookies
Crème anglaise
coconut tempura shrimp
fig butter
Guacamole
pastry cream
potato and cheese pancake
red cabbage jam
chocolate sauce
salmon tartare with mustard
salmon carpaccio
scallop carpaccio
scallop ceviche
strawberries with butterscotch
french style apple pie
Tarte tatin
tempura shrimp
tempura vegetables sesame
tempura vegetables
beets salad
buttercream
Crepe - celestine
breakfast pancake
lemon butter
chocolate whipped cream mousse
plain meringue
farmer's soup
potato and leek soup
swiss meringue
truffles 1
truffles 2
classic dressing
egg yolk dressing
orange dressing
apple beggar's purse
bake pie shell
chocolate pie crust
banana cake
carrot cake
chocolate cake
chocolate genoise
Mayonnaise 3 variations
Mayonnaise
sponge roll
white sponge cake
duck confit leg
duck pan cooked breast
endive salad apples dressing
Foie gras - terrine
chicken stock
bercy sauce
Sauce bordelaise
quick spinach sauce
madeira shallot sauce
sauce port and mushroom
vermouth sauce
apple dressing
cheese parmesan tuiles
potato breakfast pancake
artichokes dressing
mussels curry
mussels honey lemon dressing
Muffin part 1
Muffin part 2
spaghetti squash
Wiener schnitzel
Strawberries with pepper
Duchess Potato
grand marnier sabayon
Omelet HMC
French Style Green Beans
Pilaf Rice
Shortbread Sugar Cookies
Bouquet garni
Chantilly cream
Fraises - coulis
Coating ganache
Cream cheese icing
Pan Pizza Dough
Pizza Dough Mixer
Pizza Dough Thin
Maitre Butter part 2
Maitre Butter part 1
Rack of lamb part 1
Rack of lamb part 2
Rack of lamb part 3
Rockefeller Oysters
Salmon tartare
Onion Soup
Stuffed eggs part 1
Stuffed eggs part 2
Trout amandine
Brushetta
Carrot soup 2
Carrot Soup 1
Apple pie
Cream of asparagus
Cream of mushrooms
Grilled steak
INGREDIENTS
Quantity
Weight/Volume
Unit
Ingredient
**Dough
1000
g
flour
500
g
lard
15
ml
vinegar
salt and pepper (for savory version such as cheese or cabbage)
**Filling
see below
METHOD
- Combine the lard, vinegar and 2 tbsp. flour.
- Combine the remaining flour with enough salted lukewarm water to form a workable dough, neither too sticky nor too stiff.
- Knead it until it comes away from the sides of the bowl, then divide into 16 pieces.
- Roll one piece into a 2.5 cm / 1” thick sheet and brush it lightly with the lard mixture.
- Roll out another piece and place it on top of the previous one. Brush with the lard mixture.
- Continue until you have four layers, but do not brush the top layer with lard.
- Cover the layered pastry with a bowl and let rest for 30 minutes.
- Repeat the process with the remaining 12 pieces of dough so that you end up with four layered “tortes” which will each be rolled out separately.
Rolling the dough
- Lay a table cloth on the table. Sprinkle lightly with flour. Place one of the layered dough portions on it and start stretching the dough with your hands. If you are working alone, move around the table, always stretching the sides of the dough towards the edge of the table.
- If the dough is too elastic, let it rest for 5-10 minutes. If two people are stretching the rétes, they should stand on opposite sides of the table.
- The dough should be stretched until paper thin. Any thick parts left around the edges should be cut off.
- Sprinkle the filling over the pastry in an 8-10 cm (3-4”) strip. Fold the hanging edge of the pastry over the filling with the help of the table cloth.
- Fill the other half of the pastry the same way and roll together. Cut the rétes into pieces that will fit onto a greased baking sheet. Brush the tops with melted lard.
- Bake in a 180° C (350° F) oven for about 25-30 minutes, or until crisp and golden.
CHEF'S NOTES
Traditions
Rétes, or strudel, is one of Hungary’s most renowned dishes. In the old days, bakers would form long pieces of rétes pastry into a circle and bake them. They are sometimes still made in this way in Kistelek and the surrounding region, but these days it is more usual for the strudel to be prepared in a long strip. The round version of rétes was also known as “lie-in” rétes, because it was taken to women recuperating from child birth. The strudel was stuffed with apples, sour cherries or cottage cheese and baked in a round pan. Another variation from the Kistelek region was eight-layer rétes, consisting of a stack of eight thin pastry sheets.
You can sample this delicious pastry with various fillings: beside apple, cherry and cheese, you’ll also find versions containing walnuts, poppyseed or even cabbage!
Cooking tips
It’s best to make rétes on a warm day, since the dough can be rolled more easily in a hot room.
Poppyseed and walnut rétes bake faster than cottage cheese or apple rétes. Therefore, place the poppyseed and walnut variety on one baking sheet, and the cottage cheese and apple on a separate one.
