Kraut Rolls with Strudel Dough

Sense of Home Kitchen

My heritage is an even mixture of Germans from Russia on my maternal side and the British Isles (they moved back and forth between Ireland and England over the centuries, with some Welsh mixed in for good measure) on my paternal side.  My maternal grandmother spoke of helping to make strudel when she was young, but I never knew her to make it as an adult and I had never had kraut rolls, or runza as it is sometimes called.  Some of the Germans in our area however, have grown up eating these, or something similar, no doubt with German sausage rather than the chorizo I used.

A strudel dough is a stretchy dough and older Germans, including my grandmother, spoke of standing around the kitchen with several family members stretching the dough to get it thin enough.  I was surprised by how much I could stretch the dough without it tearing.  The German food I am familiar with is often quite plain and kraut rolls, as I have heard them called around here, would not have had much more than sauerkraut and either hamburger or a German sausage in them.  I "churched them up", as my daughter said (using a reference to an older movie that is best left forgotten).

I have been cooking from cookbooks lately, making an effort to follow the recipe exactly and trying to learn technique and spice pairings along the way.  It is hard for me to leave a recipe alone, I have a tendency to change them, at least a little, substituting something I think would be better, but how do I know if I have not tried the original recipe?  I think to become a better cook I need to stick to recipes for a while, learning as much technique as I can.

Of course that is not to say I do not have my inspirational moments with a recipe or a mere thought of a recipe that I just have to try, and sometimes, fumbling through, I land upon something very good, like these Kraut Rolls.  I am convinced that this dough filled with anything would be good, and though sauerkraut is not everyone's favorite, added to sausage and wrapped in dough, it is fantastic.

Kraut Rolls with Strudel Dough

~Sense of Home Kitchen~

These rolls can be made with any fresh sausage or even just ground pork or beef, chorizo gives the rolls a little bit of spice.  Serve these with your favorite mustard for dipping, a sweet hot mustard is a good complement.  Great for game day snacks or as the main dish with soup or a vegetable salad on the side.

The Strudel Dough

Makes 2 Strudels

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

3 eggs, well beaten

3 tablespoons canola oil

1/4 cup water

Sift together the flour, baking powder and salt in a large bowl and make a well in the center.  In a small bowl, mix the eggs and oil and immediately pour into the well in the flour mixture and stir until combined.  Mix in the water a little at a time, using just enough to form a soft, malleable dough, when kneaded.

Cover the dough with a kitchen towel and allow it to rest in a warm, draft free area for at least 1 hour.

The Filling
1 medium-sized onion
1 to 2 tablespoons olive oil
1 pound fresh chorizo or your favorite fresh sausage
2 cups drained fresh or canned sauerkraut
6 ounces fresh mozzarella, sliced
1 egg yolk, beaten

Peel and slice the onion. Sauté the onion in olive oil until golden brown, place in small bowl and set aside.  Brown the chorizo in the same pan, breaking it into small pieces as it browns, drain excess oil and set aside.

To Assemble and Bake
Preheat oven to 400° F.

Divide the rested dough into two parts, roll one part flat on a lightly floured surface until it is thin (as seen in the photo above, you do not want this to be a thick, heavy dough).  Strudel dough is stretchy and resistant to tearing, as it is rolled out it will have a tendency to spring back, alternating rolling with stretching the dough a little with your hands helps to get the dough thin and stay in place.

Sprinkle the dough with half the chorizo, half the onions, and half the sauerkraut.  Then lay half the cheese slices on and roll the dough up with the filling inside, creating several layers of dough and filling.

Repeat with the other half of the dough and the filling.

Brush the top of the roll with egg yolk, giving the dough a yellow hue and causing it shine after it is baked.

Bake in a preheated 400° F. oven for 20 minutes or until golden brown.


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