Equipment
* optional
Ingredients
Strudel Dough
- 250 g all-purpose flour
- 100 ml warm water, approx 40°C
- 30 ml neutral oil
- 3 ml white vinegar
- 2 g salt
- 5 ml vegetable oil
Buttered Breadcrumbs
- 50 g unsalted butter
- 80 g fine breadcrumbs
Apple Filling
- 1000 g tart apples, peeled, cored, and sliced
- 80 g granulated sugar
- 5 g ground cinnamon
- 60 g raisins
- 30 ml dark rum
- 15 ml lemon juice
Assembly & Finish
- 80 g unsalted butter, melted
- 20 g powdered sugar, for dusting
Nutrition (per serving)
Method
Combine raisins and rum in a small bowl. Let soak while preparing the dough.
In a stand mixer or bowl, combine flour, salt, warm water, vinegar, and 30ml oil. Knead vigorously for 10 minutes until the dough is silky, smooth, and very elastic. If hand kneading, slam the dough against the counter occasionally.
Form the dough into a ball, coat lightly with the extra 5ml of oil, place on a plate, and cover with a warm inverted bowl. Let rest for at least 30 minutes (up to 1 hour) to relax the gluten completely.
While dough rests, melt 50g butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add breadcrumbs and toast, stirring constantly, until golden brown and fragrant. Remove from heat and let cool.
Peel, core, and cut apples into thin slices or small chunks. Toss immediately with lemon juice. Mix sugar and cinnamon in a separate small bowl. Do not mix sugar into apples yet to prevent drawing out moisture too early.
Preheat oven to 190°C/375°F. Prepare a large workspace (dining table) by covering it with the tablecloth and dusting it generously with flour.
Place dough on the floured cloth. Roll out slightly with a rolling pin. Then, using the backs of your hands (knuckles), gently stretch the dough from the center outwards, walking around the table. Stretch until the dough is paper-thin and translucent (you should be able to read a newspaper through it). Aim for a rectangle approx 60x90cm.
Brush the stretched dough liberally with about half of the melted assembly butter. Sprinkle the toasted breadcrumbs over the dough, leaving a 5cm border around the edges. The crumbs act as a barrier to keep the pastry crisp.
Drain raisins. Mix the sugar-cinnamon blend and raisins into the apples. Spread the apple filling over the breadcrumbs on one side (the short side) of the dough rectangle, occupying about 1/3 of the surface area.
Trim thick dough edges if necessary. Fold the side flaps over the filling. Using the tablecloth, lift the filling side and roll the strudel over onto itself tightly, like a Swiss roll, finishing with the seam side down.
Transfer carefully to a parchment-lined baking sheet (you may need to curve it into a horseshoe shape to fit). Brush the entire surface with the remaining melted butter. Bake for 35-45 minutes until deep golden brown.
Remove from oven and let cool for at least 20 minutes to allow the filling to set. Dust generously with powdered sugar before slicing.
Chef's Notes
- The 'newspaper test' is the gold standard for strudel dough. If you can't read a headline through the dough, it is too thick.
- Acid is essential in the dough (vinegar) to relax the gluten proteins, making the extreme stretching possible.
- Do not mix the sugar with the apples until just before assembly. Sugar is hygroscopic and will draw water out of the apples immediately, leading to a soggy pastry.
- If you are intimidated by homemade dough, phyllo pastry is a functional but noticeably different substitute. The homemade version is thicker but more elastic.
- Serve warm, ideally with 'Kanarimilch' (warm vanilla custard sauce) or a dollop of unsweetened whipped cream.
Storage
Refrigerator: 2 days — Texture suffers significantly; pastry will lose crispness.
Freezer: 1 month — Freeze unbaked for best results. If baked, reheating will not restore original texture perfectly.
Reheating: Reheat in a 180°C/350°F oven for 10-15 minutes to recrisp.
