When searching for accommodations on Airbnb in Munich, I clicked on over to the Airbnb experiences and discovered an “experience” to Learn How to Bake Apple Strudel. I could not have picked a more darling mini-class, where we learned to bake this traditional Bavarian/Austrian dessert. Michaela was a kind and patient teacher who prepared the proper ingredients in a lovely house. It was a great way to spend a morning in outside Munich.
Learn How to Bake Apple Strudel
After we met Michaela, our host and teacher, at the gate of her home, she asked us to wash our hands and offered us an apros. She gave an overview of what our strudel-baking journey would entail. During our time together, we would make two apple strudels. The first one we would watch how she did each step and the second we would do. With this structure, there was very little down time. We were fully engaged throughout the process by learning, then doing. She gave us each a recipe sheet, where we could take notes. Even when we were the ones doing the activity, it was always with her guidance.
At a Glance:
- Rating: 4 (out of 4) stars – Loved it and want to try other Airbnb Experiences
- Intensity: Comfortable clothes to bake in
- Location: About 45 mins from downtown Munich
- Cost: $70/per person, not including transportation
- Timing: 4+ Hours, including travel
- Restrooms: Inside her home
Highlights:
- Learn to make this traditional Bavarian and Austrian Dessert
- Enjoy the fruits of your labor with coffee or tea
- Super cute activity
- Private baking lesson for you and a guest
- Opportunity to ask Michaela, the host, questions about German traditions
In general, here is the order in which we did our tasks:
- Prepared the dough and allowed it to rest
- Toast the breadcrumbs and peel the apples
- Utilize Michaela’s slicer to speed up the slicing process
- Roll and stretch the dough
- Add filling and roll the strudel
- Bake the strudel
Michaela had little tips and tricks along the way, making each step easy and attainable. The apple peeling goes quite quickly with three people peeling and cutting up the apples into chunks. The trickiest part is stretching the dough to make it nearly see-through. Eventually, we completed all the steps and when we were ready to pop our strudel in the oven, Michaela’s made some coffee and as that was brewing, her strudel was ready to come out of the oven and eat!
Enjoying the Strudel
After a healthy sprinkling of powdered sugar, Michaela asks how much we would like to eat. One of the best parts of the entire experience is being able to choose the size of our slice! After she pops the strudel on a plate, we took a few pictures outside with our creation. It was a little chilly outdoors, so we brought our coffee and strudel over to her lovely dining table, which had large windows and lots of natural light.
The apple strudel was delicious! The outer pastry was a little crispy, which is only the case when you eat it straight out of the oven. It was warm, sweet without being too sweet, and was simple in that it didn’t have raisins or nuts. I may be partial, but it was the best apple strudel I have ever had.
We chatted with Michaela, asking her anything we saw and confused us during the last week in Germany and Austria. Michaela has traveled through a number of states while working for an international company. Her tale of burnout and career transition sounded so familiar to my own story and so many of my friends. Without another appointment to get to, we truly enjoyed the downtime at Michaela’s. She gave a large portion of our own strudel to take home. We stored the strudel in a backpack, which we enjoyed the heavenly smell everytime we opened the backpack. I don’t recall the strudel making it see the next morning.
Recreating the Strudel a couple months later
A few months after my trip to Germany, I attempted to recreate the apple strudel. It was good, but the pastry outer was not quite right. In terms of the process of making it, I have got to say, it was not easy. The dough is definitely the hardest part because I could tell it seemed a little tough as I was kneading it. Michaela encouraged us to reach out if we had any questions, but the source of the issue is likely not using a scale to measure the ingredients. Only as an adult watching the Great British Bake-Off did I realize the precision of a scale! I don’t think I am the only American to realize the same thing.
I give myself a solid B grade on my first solo strudel. It was a good effort, but with a little practice and a scale, I bet I could get the dough in good shape.
Getting to Michaela’s Home
Michaela sent us a PDF of directions well in advance of our experience. She recommends which ticket to get on the S-Bahn. Her home is about 45 minutes away, so the ticket necessary is for the furthest zone. This S-Bahn ticket is a bit spendy, but you can use it for the rest of the day on any public transportation. From the Station, Michaela’s home is only a short walk uphill. It could not be any easier. Her PDF instructions include directions for driving.
Overall thoughts: Bake Apple Strudel
For my first Airbnb Experience, it was a great success. You need an Airbnb account, but do not need to have stayed in an Airbnb to book this experience. I loved that it was a private baking experience with my mother and I. It was so lovely to be in a home setting, rather than a sterile kitchen. We also enjoyed our time chatting with Michaela. Can I also say that I am very proud of myself for attempting to make the strudel again? It makes me so happy to know the recipe and skills I learned are all the way from Germany!
Have you taken a cooking or baking class in a foreign destination? Are there any places I should definitely do one? Leave a comment below! Also, have you done any Airbnb Experiences? I’ve been curious about them for a while, so it was fun to try one out. What Airbnb Experiences have you had and would recommend others to do?
Happy Travels,
Hanna
