Hungarian Sour Cherry Strudel (Meggyes Rétes)

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• Classic Hungarian flavor: tart sour cherries wrapped in shatteringly crisp pastry.
• Juicy but not soggy: buttered breadcrumbs and a touch of cornstarch manage the juices perfectly.
• Authentic technique, home-cook friendly: clear instructions for hand-stretched dough (plus a phyllo option in Variations).
• Beautiful to serve: crackly top, ruby-red filling, and a snowfall of powdered sugar.

Grocery List

• Produce: Sour cherries (fresh, frozen, or jarred), 1 lemon
• Dairy: Unsalted butter
• Pantry: All-purpose flour, granulated sugar, powdered sugar, ground cinnamon, cornstarch, fine salt, neutral oil, white vinegar, plain dry breadcrumbs, vanilla sugar or vanilla extract (optional)

Full Ingredients

Strudel Dough

• 300 g (2 1/2 cups) all-purpose flour
• 180 ml (3/4 cup) warm water (about 110°F/43°C)
• 1 tbsp neutral oil (plus a little more for greasing)
• 1 tsp white vinegar
• 1/2 tsp fine salt

Buttered Breadcrumbs

• 85 g (6 tbsp) unsalted butter
• 120 g (1 1/4 cups) plain dry breadcrumbs

Cherry Filling

• 700 g pitted sour cherries (fresh pitted; or thawed and well-drained frozen; or well-drained jarred Morello cherries)
• 175 g (3/4 cup + 2 tbsp) granulated sugar
• 1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 tsp finely grated lemon zest
• 2 tbsp cornstarch
• Optional: 8 g packet vanilla sugar or 2 tsp vanilla extract

Assembly & Finish

• 60 g (1/4 cup) unsalted butter, melted
• 2 tbsp neutral oil
• Powdered sugar, for dusting

Step-by-Step Instructions

Step 1: Mix and knead a classic strudel dough

In a mixing bowl, whisk flour and salt. Add warm water, 1 tbsp oil, and vinegar. Stir until a shaggy dough forms, then knead on an unfloured surface for 8–10 minutes until very smooth, soft, and elastic. The dough should feel slightly tacky but not sticky. Lightly oil the surface, place in a bowl, cover tightly, and let rest at room temperature for 60 minutes to relax the gluten fully.

Step 2: Toast the buttered breadcrumbs

In a skillet over medium heat, melt 85 g (6 tbsp) butter. Add breadcrumbs and cook, stirring frequently, until evenly golden and nutty, 3–5 minutes. Scrape into a bowl to cool. These will absorb cherry juices and keep the strudel crisp.

Step 3: Prepare the cherry filling

In a large bowl, combine cherries, sugar, cinnamon, lemon zest, and cornstarch (and vanilla, if using). Toss gently to coat. Let sit 5 minutes, then pour off any pooled liquid. If using frozen or jarred cherries, drain extremely well before tossing; blot with paper towels if very wet.

Step 4: Preheat and set the workspace

Heat the oven to 400°F (200°C). Line two rimmed baking sheets with parchment. Clear a large table and cover it with a clean cotton tablecloth or large tea towel. Lightly flour the cloth. Melt 60 g (1/4 cup) butter and combine with 2 tbsp oil for brushing; keep warm.

Step 5: Stretch the dough paper-thin

Place the rested dough on the floured cloth. Roll it to a large rectangle, then slide your hands underneath and, using the backs of your hands, gently stretch from the center outward until the sheet measures about 32×24 inches (80×60 cm) and is thin enough to read a pattern through. Trim the thicker outer edges. Work patiently; a few small holes are fine.

Step 6: Fill, roll, and transfer

Brush the entire dough with the butter-oil mixture. Sprinkle the toasted breadcrumbs evenly over the surface, leaving a 2-inch (5 cm) border all around. Using a knife or pizza wheel, cut the large sheet in half crosswise to make two shorter rectangles. Pile half the cherry mixture in a long, even mound along a long edge of each rectangle. Fold the short sides over the ends of the filling to seal. Using the cloth to help, roll each strudel up tightly into a log, ending seam-side down. Carefully transfer the logs to the prepared sheets, seam-side down. Brush the tops with more butter-oil and poke 6–8 small vents along each log with a skewer or tip of a knife.

Step 7: Bake, cool, and finish

Bake at 400°F (200°C) for 30–35 minutes, rotating pans halfway, until deeply golden, blistered, and crackly. Cool on the pans for 20 minutes to set the juices. Dust generously with powdered sugar. Slice with a serrated knife into 1–1.5 inch (2.5–4 cm) pieces and serve warm or at room temperature.

Pro Tips

• Warm dough stretches best: if your kitchen is cool, let the dough rest near the preheating oven for a supple, elastic texture.
• Juicy cherries need insurance: for extra-wet fruit, swap 2–3 tbsp of the breadcrumbs for fine semolina to absorb juices.
• Mix butter with oil: butter gives flavor, a little oil prevents scorching and helps keep the crust shatter-crisp.
• Use the cloth: the tablecloth makes rolling neat and tight—lift and roll rather than pushing the dough.
• Phyllo alternative: see Variations for a quick version if you prefer store-bought phyllo.

Variations

• Phyllo Rétes: Use 10–12 phyllo sheets (9×14 in). Layer on a towel, brushing each sheet with butter-oil and sprinkling lightly with breadcrumbs. Add cherries, roll, and bake 20–25 minutes at 400°F/200°C.
• Almond-Cherry: Stir 60 g (1/2 cup) finely ground blanched almonds into the breadcrumbs and add 1/4 tsp almond extract to the filling.
• Dark Chocolate-Cherry: Fold 60 g (1/2 cup) chopped dark chocolate into the cherry mixture; reduce sugar by 2 tbsp.

Storage & Make-Ahead

Best the day it’s baked. Store leftovers covered at room temperature for up to 1 day, or refrigerated up to 3 days. Re-crisp on a parchment-lined sheet at 350°F (175°C) for 8–10 minutes. To freeze unbaked: assemble, freeze on a sheet until firm, wrap well, and bake from frozen at 400°F (200°C) for 45–55 minutes, tenting with foil if browning too quickly. To freeze baked: cool completely, wrap slices, and reheat at 350°F (175°C) for 10–12 minutes.

Nutrition (per serving)

Approximate values per slice (1/12 of recipe): 340 calories; 16 g fat (9 g saturated); 50 g carbohydrates; 4 g protein; 2 g fiber; 150 mg sodium.