Recipe Manuscript

Smotanková Štrudla

Name: Smotanková Štrudla
Prep time: PTPT20M
Cook time: PTPT40M
Yield: 8
Cuisine: European
Ingredients: 250 g large raisins; 2–3 white bread rolls (about 150 g total), sliced; 50 g unsalted butter (for bread and brushing, plus more as needed); 180 g granulated sugar; 1 lemon, zested; 1 sheet of strudel dough (or enough from a basic strudel dough recipe); 500 ml heavy cream (split: 250 ml for filling, 250 ml for finishing); Additional sugar for sprinkling

"Sour Cream Strudel"

1870

From the treasured pages of Prvá kucharská kniha v slovenskej reči

Unknown Author

Age of Gastronomy (1800 - 1900)European Intermediate Dessert

Original Recipe • 1870

Original Manuscript(circa Age of Gastronomy, 1800 - 1900)

As inscribed by the original author's hand, transcribed with care by Lost Kitchen Scrolls

Smotanková Štrudla

"Pol funta velkých hrozienok očistif, vymyt, v šate utrief a odložit. Porajbané mastné rožky v masle nie velmi na žlto upražiť a odložit; 12 lôtov cukru na citrone obrajbať a potlef. Vytiahnúté štrudlové cesto žemlovými mrvirami po- sypať, celé smotankou poliať, hrozienkami a cukrom posypať, spolu skrutif na dlho alebo do okrúhla tak, aby jedno na druhom neležalo, dať na vymastený ráfový plech, po vrchu štrudlu maslom pomastif a povoľne nechaf v rúre na žlto upiecť. Keď má polievka na stôl prísť, zvari sa za žajdlík smotanky, táto sa na štrudlu vyleje a tá sa nechá v rúre, aby dobre napúchla; potom na kúsky pokrájaf a cukrom posypaf."

English Translation

"Clean and wash half a pound of large raisins, dry them in a cloth, and set them aside. Fry diced buttery rolls in butter until only lightly golden and set aside; rub 12 lots of sugar on a lemon and reserve. Sprinkle stretched strudel dough with the breadcrumbs from the rolls, pour sour cream over everything, sprinkle with raisins and sugar, roll together lengthwise or into a round so that the layers don’t overlap, place on a greased rimmed baking sheet, brush the top of the strudel with butter, and let it bake slowly in the oven until golden. When it’s time to serve soup at the table, boil a half-cup of sour cream, pour this over the strudel, and leave it in the oven to rise well; then cut into pieces and sprinkle with sugar."

Note on the Original Text

Older Slovak recipes often mix specific and vague instructions, expecting an experienced cook. Weights like 'lot' and 'funt' (one lot ≈ 17.5 grams; half a funt ≈ 250 grams) represent historical units that required local knowledge. Orthography features archaic letter forms and phonetic spellings—'poliať' instead of 'poliať', for example—reflecting a blend of spoken and literary Slovak. Furthermore, verbs are often given in the imperative form, presupposing action and immediacy—bake, stir, pour—much like a direct conversation between an expert and an apprentice.

Modern Kitchen Interpretation

Recipe's Origin

Prvá kucharská kniha v slovenskej reči - Click to view recipe in book

Title

Prvá kucharská kniha v slovenskej reči (1870)

You can also click the book image above to peruse the original tome

Writer

Unknown

Era

1870

Publisher

Unknown

Background

An enchanting culinary treasure from the 19th century, this Slovak cookery book serves up a delightful array of recipes (recepty) to tempt the palate and inspire home chefs. A flavorful journey through time, it captures traditional tastes and kitchen wisdom with old-world charm.

Kindly made available by

Internet Archive

Historical Background of the Recipe

Learn about old traditions

This delightful cream strudel recipe hails from an 1870 Slovak cookbook, a time when home baking was both a daily ritual and a mark of household skill. Written in Slovak, the recipe is representative of central European pastry traditions, blending Hungarian, Austrian, and local techniques. The presence of available luxury items—such as cream, raisins, and white sugar—points to festive occasions or gatherings in well-stocked households, where cream-based pastries were a beloved treat.

Culinary Tools when the Recipe was Crafted

Tools and techniques from kitchens of old

In the late 19th century, cooks would have employed heavy, rimmed baking sheets, sturdy wooden boards for stretching strudel dough, and large knives for cutting bread and strudel slices. Mixing bowls made of pottery or tin, as well as a robust iron or wood-fired oven, were standard. A grater or small knife would zest the lemon, and wooden spoons or spatulas helped blend and spread fillings.

Modern Kitchen Adaptation

Ingredients and techniques for today's cooks

ounces, cups, Fahrenheit

Prep Time

20 mins

Cook Time

40 mins

Servings

We've done our best to adapt this historical recipe for modern kitchens, but some details may still need refinement. We warmly welcome feedback from fellow cooks and culinary historians — your insights support the entire community!

Ingredients

9 oz large raisins
2–3 white bread rolls (about 5 oz total), sliced
3 1/2 oz unsalted butter (for bread and brushing, plus more as needed)
1 cup granulated sugar
1 lemon, zested
1 sheet of strudel dough (or enough from a basic strudel dough recipe)
2 cups heavy cream (split: 1 cup for filling, 1 cup for finishing)
Additional sugar for sprinkling

Instructions

Begin by cleaning and washing 9 ounces of large raisins, then pat them dry and set aside.
Lightly toast slices of buttered bread rolls (about 2–3 regular white bread rolls, sliced and buttered) in a pan with butter until they are just barely golden—do not over-brown.
Next, zest one lemon and rub this zest into 1 cup of sugar.
Prepare a sheet of strudel dough (homemade or store-bought).
Sprinkle the toasted bread crumbs evenly over the stretched dough.
Pour over 1 cup of fresh cream (preferably heavy cream), then scatter the raisins and lemon sugar on top.
Roll up the strudel—either into a long log or a round, ensuring the layers do not overlap.
Place the strudel on a buttered rimmed baking sheet, brush the top with melted butter, and bake in a moderate oven (around 350°F) until the surface is beautifully golden brown.
Shortly before serving, bring another 1 cup of cream to a simmer and pour it over the baked strudel.
Return the pan to the oven briefly, letting the strudel absorb the cream and puff up.
Once fully set, cut into pieces and sprinkle with more sugar to serve.

Estimated Calories

450 per serving

Cooking Estimates

You can expect about 20 minutes to get everything prepped and ready. It takes about 40 minutes to bake and finish the strudel. Each serving has around 450 calories, and you will get about 8 servings from this recipe.

As noted above, we have made our best effort to translate and adapt this historical recipe for modern kitchens, taking into account ingredients nowadays, cooking techniques, measurements, and so on. However, historical recipes often contain assumptions that require interpretation.

We'd love for anyone to help improve these adaptations. Community contributions are highly welcome. If you have suggestions, corrections, or cooking tips based on your experience with this recipe, please share them below.