How To: Braided Strudel

Step 1: Gather the food and equipment. You will need a sheet tray lined with parchment, rolling pin, flour for dusting, egg wash, pastry brush, and a knife. Prepare the strudel filling as directed and cool completely before assembling the strudel. For ease, this can be done the day before. Defrost one sheet of puff pastry.

Step 2: Dust your work surface with flour. Unfold the pastry, and roll it into an even 14×10-inch rectangle.

Step 3: Place the puff pastry on the parchment-lined sheet tray. Then, slice 1-inch strips on each side of the dough, leaving a 4-inch gap in the center for the filling.

Step 4: Spoon the cooled butternut squash mixture down the center of the pastry to make a mound. 

Step 5: Starting at the top, fold the pastry strips over the butternut squash mixture, alternating sides, to cover the mixture.

Step 6: Keep working your way down the filling, folding the left side over the filling, then repeating on the right side, creating an attractive braid.

Step 7: If there are extra strips of dough once you get to the end, you can slice them off and fold the end up. If you would like to make this ahead of time to make the holiday prep a little easier, prepare it up to this point, then cover it with plastic wrap and place it in the refrigerator until it’s time to bake it. We’ve found it’s best served the day it is baked.

Step 8: Brush the dough with an egg wash to give the outside of the strudel a nice gloss; then, bake at 400 degrees for 25 minutes, until your strudel is puffed and golden.

Step 9: Serve while warm!

Braided Butternut Squash Strudel

Ingredients: 
1 small (2 pound) butternut squash, seeded, peeled, and cubed into ¾ inch chunks
½  Vidalia onion, roughly chopped
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons roughly chopped sage
1 (4 ounce) log goat cheese, crumbled
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Flour, for dusting
½ (17.3 ounce) package puff pastry sheets (1 sheet), thawed
Egg wash (1 large egg yolk beaten with 1 tablespoon water)

Directions:
Heat oven to 400 degrees. Line a rimmed sheet tray with parchment.

Add the squash and onion to the prepared sheet tray. Drizzle with 2 tablespoons olive oil, and season with salt and pepper. Toss the squash and onion together, and make sure it’s all in a single layer. Roast for 35- 40 minutes, until tender and the edges are lightly golden. Add to a bowl and cool completely. Once the mixture is cool, sprinkle with the fresh sage and goat cheese and toss to combine.

Dust your work surface with flour. Unfold the pastry and roll into a 14×10-inch rectangle. Place the dough on the sheet tray lined with parchment paper. Slice 1-inch strips on both sides of the rectangle, leaving a 4-inch gap in the center of the dough for the filling. Spoon the cooled butternut squash mixture down the center of the pastry to make a mound.

Starting at one end, fold the pastry strips over the butternut squash mixture, alternating sides, to cover the mixture.  If there are extra strips once you’re done braiding, you can just cut to remove them and then tuck in the ends. Brush the pastry with the egg wash and bake for 25 minutes, until puffed and golden.

Let the pastry cool on the baking sheet on a wire rack for 15 minutes.

 Serves 10 as an appetizer