Apple Strudel

Apple Strudel
Karl Weiser
Hotel Imperial- Vienna, Austria
Series- World #221


Description:
Strudel, a traditional Viennese treat, consists of extremely thin pastry rolled around a filling. Karl Weiser chooses apples with raisins and walnuts — and a touch of rum — for his filling. The difficulty comes in stretching the dough so thin that it is translucent without tearing it. You will need a large work table. Use a high-gluten flour, like bread flour, so that the dough will be stretchy. This recipe makes one large strudel; for ease in handling in the home oven, we suggest cutting it in two before baking.

Dough

• 2-1/4 cups bread flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 egg yolk
• 1 tablespoon canola oil
• 2/3 cup cool water

Filling

• 1/3 cup unsalted butter
• 2/3 cup fine bread crumbs
• 1 pound apples (preferably, Granny Smith)
• Juice of 1 lemon
• 1/4 cup raisins
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 tablespoon cinnamon
• 1/4 cup walnuts, chopped fine
• 1 tablespoon rum
• 1 cup clarified butter

• Confectioner's sugar for dusting
• Cinnamon for dusting

To make the dough: In a large bowl, combine the flour and salt. Mix the egg yolk, oil, and 1/2 cup of the water together. Make a well in the flour mixture; put the egg mixture in the well and begin to mix, adding more water as necessary to make the mixture gather in a ball. Add water gradually to reach this point. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured board and knead the dough until elastic, 8 to 10 minutes. Gather the dough into a ball and place on a flat surface. Bring water to a boil and pour into a large bowl; let stand 1 minute. Pour out the water and place the hot bowl over the dough. Let the dough rest 1 hour.

To make the filling: Melt the butter in a saucepan and add the bread crumbs; toss to coat. Set aside. Peel, core, and roughly chop the apples and put them in a large bowl. Toss with the lemon juice, raisins, sugar, cinnamon, walnuts, and rum.

To assemble: Cover a large work top with a cloth and sprinkle the cloth with flour; spread the flour over the cloth with your hands. Place the dough in the center and begin stretching it. Slip your hands under the dough and pull backwards with your knuckles. When it is half the size of the work top, brush it with clarified butter. Continue stretching it until it has expanded to cover the top and is thin enough to see through. Trim off the outer edges if necessary to allow room to stretch it this thin. Brush with more butter as needed to keep it coated and moist. Do not make any holes.

When the dough is fully stretched and translucent, brush again with melted butter and spread with a thin layer of the buttered bread crumbs.

Preheat the oven to 400 F. Butter two baking sheets. Trim the edges of the dough so that they are even. Spread the filling across the dough. Lift the cloth under the dough on a long side and use the cloth to lift and roll the dough around the filling. When the strudel is completely rolled, cut in half and place half on each prepared baking sheet. Brush with any remaining butter. Bake 40 to 45 minutes, until the pastry is golden and the apples are softened.

To serve: Slice the cooked strudel and sprinkle with confectioner's sugar and a light dusting of cinnamon.