Equipment
Ingredients
Pear Filling
- 600 g firm pears, peeled, cored, and diced into 1cm cubes
- 1 lemon, zested and juiced
- 75 g brown sugar, packed
- 100 g pistachios, shelled, toasted, and roughly chopped
- 40 g semolina
- 3 g ground cinnamon
- 2 g ground cardamom
Pastry and Garnish
- 150 g phyllo dough, thawed
- 115 g unsalted butter, melted
- 15 g powdered sugar
Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition is estimated per serving. Nutrients without complete source data are omitted.
Full nutrition
- Calories
- 335 kcal
- Protein
- 5 g
- Carbohydrates
- 40 g
- Fat
- 19 g
- Fiber
- 5 g
- Sugar
- 19 g
- Sodium
- 96 mg
- Saturated Fat
- 8 g
- Monounsaturated Fat
- 7 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat
- 2 g
- Cholesterol
- 31 mg
- Potassium
- 262 mg
- Calcium
- 39 mg
- Iron
- 1.4 mg
- Magnesium
- 28 mg
- Phosphorus
- 96 mg
- Zinc
- 0.5 mg
- Vitamin A
- 102 mcg
- Vitamin C
- 5 mg
- Vitamin E
- 0.8 mg
- Vitamin K
- 5 mcg
- Vitamin B6
- 0.3 mg
- Vitamin B12
- 0.0 mcg
- Thiamin
- 0.22 mg
- Riboflavin
- 0.11 mg
- Niacin
- 1.1 mg
- Folate
- 29 mcg
- Water
- 74 g
Sources: Aggregated Public Data, USDA FoodData Central
Method
Preheat your oven to 190°C/375°F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
In a large mixing bowl, toss the diced pears with the lemon juice and lemon zest to prevent them from oxidizing and turning brown.
Add the brown sugar, chopped pistachios, semolina, cinnamon, and cardamom to the pears. Stir well until all the fruit pieces are evenly coated with the spices and sugar.
Place a large sheet of parchment paper on your work surface. Lay out one sheet of phyllo dough and lightly brush the entire surface with melted butter. Keep the remaining phyllo covered with a damp towel to prevent drying.
Place a second sheet of phyllo directly on top of the first and brush with more butter. Repeat this process until you have a stack of 6 to 8 buttered sheets.
Spoon the pear filling along one of the long edges of the phyllo stack, shaping it into a compact log and leaving a 3cm border on the short ends and the starting long edge.
Fold the short ends inward over the filling to seal the sides. Then, using the parchment paper to help lift, gently but tightly roll the phyllo over the filling toward the opposite long edge.
Carefully transfer the strudel, seam side down, onto the prepared baking sheet. Brush the entire outside generously with the remaining melted butter.
Using a sharp chef knife, make several shallow diagonal cuts across the top layers of the phyllo to allow steam to escape and prevent the pastry from bursting.
Bake the strudel in the preheated 190°C/375°F oven for 35 to 40 minutes, or until the pastry is deep golden brown and completely crisp.
Remove the strudel from the oven and allow it to cool on the baking sheet for at least 45 minutes. The filling needs this time to set; cutting it too early will cause it to collapse.
Just before serving, use a fine mesh sieve to dust the top of the cooled strudel with powdered sugar.
Chef's Notes
- Bosc or Anjou pears hold their shape best during baking. Avoid highly overripe, soft pears as they will turn to mush and release too much water, ruining the flaky pastry.
- Toasting the pistachios for 5 to 7 minutes before chopping will significantly elevate their earthy flavor and ensure they stay perfectly crunchy amidst the soft pear filling.
- Phyllo dough dries out and shatters extremely quickly. Only unwrap it right before you are ready to assemble, and keep the stack covered with a damp towel while you brush each sheet.
- The resting time after baking is not optional. Cutting into a hot strudel will cause the fruit juices to flood out, whereas resting allows the starches in the semolina to absorb and set the liquid.
Storage
Refrigerator: 3 days — Cover loosely with foil. Pastry will soften significantly in the refrigerator.
Freezer: 1 month — Freeze unbaked. Bake directly from frozen, adding 10-15 minutes to the cooking time.
Reheating: Reheat slices in a 150°C/300°F oven for 10 minutes to restore the crisp texture of the phyllo. Do not microwave.
Troubleshooting
Phyllo dough tears while assembling
Cause: Dough dried out from air exposure or was handled too forcefully
Fix: Patch any tears with a small scrap of extra phyllo dough brushed with butter
Prevention: Always keep unused phyllo sheets covered with a slightly damp, clean kitchen towel
Soggy bottom pastry
Cause: Pears were too ripe and released excess moisture, or semolina was omitted
Fix: Cannot be fixed
Prevention: Ensure you use firm pears and include semolina or breadcrumbs to absorb the juices
Strudel bursts open during baking
Cause: Steam could not escape from the filling as it heated
Fix: Cannot be fixed, but can be concealed with an extra dusting of powdered sugar
Prevention: Always score the top layers of the phyllo dough before placing it in the oven
Cultural Context
While traditional Austrian apple strudel is made with a highly elastic hand-pulled dough, the use of phyllo pastry offers an accessible, wonderfully crisp alternative. Incorporating pistachios and cardamom introduces subtle Middle Eastern undertones, beautifully bridging European pastry techniques with Levantine flavor profiles.
