Daring Bakers, May 2009 – Apple Strudel

The May Daring Bakers’ challenge was hosted by Linda of make life sweeter! and Courtney of Coco Cooks. They chose Apple Strudel from the recipe book Kaffeehaus: Exquisite Desserts from the Classic Cafés of Vienna, Budapest and Prague by Rick Rodgers.

Strudel dough

200 g flour
1/8 tsp salt
100 ml water, plus more if needed
30 ml vegetable oil, plus additional for coating the dough
1/2 tsp cider vinegar

Combine flour, salt, water, oil and vinegar in a bowl. Knead it into soft dough. Shape into ball. Oil the top of the dough ball lightly. Cover the ball tightly with plastic wrap. Allow to stand for 30-90 minutes (longer is better).

Cover your working area with table cloth, dust it with flour and rub it into the fabric. Put your dough ball in the middle and roll it out as much as you can. Pick the dough up by holding it by an edge. This way the weight of the dough and gravity can help stretching it as it hangs. Using the back of your hands to gently stretch and pull the dough.

The dough will become too large to hold. Put it on your work surface. Leave the thicker edge of the dough to hang over the edge of the table. Place your hands underneath the dough and stretch and pull the dough thinner using the backs of your hands. Stretch and pull the dough until it’s about 60 cm wide and 90 cm long, it will be tissue-thin by this time. Cut away the thick dough around the edges with scissors. The dough is now ready to be filled.

Here’s a link to a strudel making video that might help you a bit.

Apple strudel

30 ml golden rum
40 g raisins
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
80 g sugar
100 g unsalted butter, melted
1 1/2 cups (350 ml) fresh bread crumbs
strudel dough (recipe above)
60 g coarsely chopped walnuts
900 g tart cooking apples, peeled, cored and cut into thin slices (use apples that hold their shape during baking)

Mix the rum and raisins in a bowl. Mix the cinnamon and sugar in another bowl. Heat 3 tablespoons of the butter in a large skillet over medium-high. Add the breadcrumbs and cook whilst stirring until golden and toasted. This will take about 3 minutes. Let it cool completely.

Make the strudel dough as described above. Spread about 3 tablespoons (or more if needed) of the remaining melted butter over the dough using your hands. Sprinkle the buttered dough with the bread crumbs. Spread the walnuts about 8 cm from the short edge of the dough in a 15cm wide strip (I spread it in a 25 cm wide strip). Mix the apples with the raisins (including the rum), and the cinnamon and sugar. Spread the mixture over the walnuts.

Fold the short end of the dough onto the filling. Lift the tablecloth at the short end of the dough so that the strudel rolls onto itself. Transfer the strudel to the prepared baking sheet by lifting it. Curve it into a horseshoe to fit. Tuck the ends under the strudel. Brush the top with the remaining melted butter.

Line a large baking sheet with baking paper. Bake the strudel in a preheated oven on 200°C for about 30 minutes or until it is deep golden brown. Cool for at least 30 minutes before slicing. Use a serrated knife and serve either warm or at room temperature dusted with powdered sugar. It is best on the day it is baked.

My notes: I didn’t shape it like a horseshoe. When I rolled it, I just cut it into 2 equally long parts. Also, when I took it out of the oven I covered it with a damp kitchen cloth to soften it.