Strudel The Strudel is a pastry with a sweet or savory filling rolled up in a very thinly stretched dough. The name "Strudel" means Whirlpool since the dough is rolled and the center of the pastry resembles a whirlpool. Traditionally, Strudel dough is made from scratch out of high-gluten flour, water, and oil. Preparing the dough is manually intensive. It requires an intense kneading period to develop the gluten strands, followed by a resting period for the dough (and the baker!). This gives the dough the elasticity it needs to be stretched into a very thin sheet - so thin that it is almost transparent. Easier recipes replace this process by substituting the traditional dough with a ready-made phylo-dough or puff-pastry dough.         Photo: © Martin Pfetscher      Region Throughout Germany  Main Ingredients Traditional dough is made from flour, water, and oil. Fillings can be sweet or savory. Filling often includes a layer of bread crumbs to absorb excess liquid, preventing the dough from getting to moist. History The history of the Strudel dates back hundreds of years. It was made as an easy yet satisfying meal by the poor. However, it was the Turkish Baklava pastry, introduced into Austria in 1453, that laid the foundation for the Strudel. The Austrians first created the Wiener Apfelstrudel (Viennese Apple Strudel). Gradually over time, other Strudels with different fillings were created.