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Slice of sauerkraut strudel on a plate

Traditional Bavarian Sauerkraut Strudel

Crispy strudel dough filled with tangy sauerkraut, bacon, and caraway seeds. This traditional Bavarian comfort food is perfect for cold winter evenings and makes a satisfying main dish.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Resting time 30 minutes
Servings: 4
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: German
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

For the dough
  • 250 g flour
  • 1/8 l lukewarm water
  • 1 egg plus one egg for egg wash
  • 2 tbsp vinegar
  • 2 tbsp oil or melted butter
  • 1 pinch salt
For the filling
  • 750 g sauerkraut
  • 200 g sour cream
  • 200 g bacon
  • 1 onion
  • 1 tbsp caraway seeds
  • salt
  • pepper

Method
 

  1. Weigh the flour and put it into a bowl. Now add the egg, the salt, vinegar and oil or melted butter. Warm the water until it's lukewarm and slowly pour it into the mix. Don't add all the water in one go, but rather mix the dough and add water as necessary. Depending on the temperature and humidity in your kitchen, you need less or more water.
  2. Now, the dough has to rest for about half an hour. Just put it back into the bowl and cover it with a second bowl so that it won't dry out.
  3. In the meantime, finely chop the onion and cut the bacon into small squares or strips. Heat a skillet and cook the bacon until the fat is released. When the bacon has become bright and glassy, add the chopped onions and stir the mixture until the onions are glassy, as well.
  4. Let it all cool down and put the bacon-onion mix in a bowl.
  5. If your sauerkraut has a lot of brine, drain it first. Mine is usually fine without draining since I ferment it with less liquid. Now, add the sauerkraut, the sour cream, pepper and caraway seeds to the bacon and onion mix and stir it together. Don't add salt yet. Due to the sauerkraut and the bacon, it could be salty enough already. Taste the filling and add salt and pepper if necessary.
  6. Preheat the oven to 180 °C (355 °F) top/bottom heat or 160 °C (320 °F) fan oven.
  7. Dust a kitchen towel with some flour and roll the dough out on it. Then stretch it out with your hands as shown in the video until it's very thin.
  8. Spread the filling evenly onto the dough, leaving about 1 inch from the edges free.
  9. Fold in one inch of the dough on the short edges. Now start rolling the strudel by carefully lifting the kitchen towel and letting the dough roll more or less by itself.
  10. Line a baking tray with baking paper and put the strudel onto it.
  11. Mix one egg with a bit of water in a bowl and brush the strudel with it. Alternatively, you can brush it with melted butter or oil.
  12. Put the strudel into the preheated oven and bake it for 40 - 45 minutes.
  13. You know that it's done when the surface is crisp and has turned into a beautiful golden brown. When the strudel becomes suspiciously dark before the end of the baking time, cover it with baking paper or aluminium foil. It'll still bake but won't get too dark.
  14. When the strudel is done, take it out of the oven and let it rest for 2 minutes. This helps the filling settle and allows any juice that's leaked out to be reabsorbed into the dough.
  15. Serve the sauerkraut strudel while it's still hot.

Notes

Serve this traditional sauerkraut strudel as is or with a cream sauce and seasonal salad.