Porcini Mushroom Strudel

To prepare the porcini mushroom strudel, start with the shortcrust pastry: place the flour, cold butter cut into pieces, a pinch of salt, and thyme leaves in a mixer 1. Then blend for a few seconds until you get a sandy mixture 2. At this point, transfer the mixture to a clean work surface and form the classic fountain shape in the center. Start kneading by gradually pouring in the water 3.

Continue kneading by hand 4 until you get a compact dough 5; shape it into a round form 6, then wrap the shortcrust pastry in plastic wrap and let it rest in the fridge for 40 minutes. To learn how to prepare and store the shortcrust pastry optimally, you can consult our recipe Easy Shortcrust Pastry.

In the meantime, prepare the strudel filling: clean and peel the shallot, place it on a cutting board, and slice it finely 7. Now focus on cleaning and cutting the porcini mushrooms; to perform this operation correctly, consult the Cooking School guide: How to Clean Porcini Mushrooms. Once cleaned and washed, slice them 8. Afterward, pour a drizzle of oil into a non-stick pan and let the shallot brown, then add the porcini mushrooms 9.

Finish by adding thyme leaves 10 and cook with the lid on for about 20 minutes, until the mushrooms are slightly wilted and browned. Turn off the heat and let them cool. Now take the shortcrust pastry out of the fridge, remove the plastic wrap, and start rolling it out with a rolling pin, trying to form a rectangle of about 16x20 inches with a thickness of 1/5 inch. Once the dough is rolled out, form a first layer of Emmentaler slices 12.

Pour the cooked porcini mushrooms over the cheese layer 13 and finish with another layer of Emmentaler slices 14. Then gently roll up the shortcrust pastry: take the pastry from one of the longer sides and fold it inward, being careful not to let the filling spill out 15, and seal the two ends like a package.

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and place the strudel with Emmentaler and porcini in the center, then beat an egg in a small bowl, add a tablespoon of milk, and, using a kitchen brush, glaze the surface of the strudel 16. Sprinkle with poppy seeds 17 and bake in a preheated static oven at 350°F for 45 minutes; if using a fan oven, bake at 320°F for 35-40 minutes. Once this time has passed, remove the strudel with Emmentaler and porcini from the oven and let it cool on a rack, then slice it 18 and serve it as an appetizer!