Apfelstrudel
Ingredients
- Dough: 250 g bread flour, 1 egg, 3 tbsp oil, a splash of vinegar or lemon juice, warm water, pinch of salt
- Filling: 1 kg tart apples (Granny Smith), peeled and thinly sliced, 100 g sugar, 1-2 tsp cinnamon, 80 g raisins, zest of 1 lemon
- 50 g breadcrumbs, toasted in 50 g butter
- melted butter, for brushing
- powdered sugar, for dusting
Dating back to 1696 in Vienna, apple strudel is built on an unleavened, elastic dough stretched by hand — not rolled — until it's thin enough to read newsprint through. It's filled with tart apples (Granny Smith holds its shape well), sugar, cinnamon and raisins, along with buttered breadcrumbs to soak up the juices, then rolled up and baked until the pastry shatters into flaky, paper-thin layers.
Method
Knead the dough ingredients into a smooth, elastic ball; the dough should be soft and slightly tacky. Rest it, covered in oil, for at least 30 minutes.
Toast the breadcrumbs in butter until golden; set aside to cool.
On a large floured cloth, roll the dough out as much as possible, then use the backs of your hands to gently stretch it from the center outward until paper-thin.
Brush the stretched dough with melted butter and scatter the toasted breadcrumbs over two-thirds of it.
Toss the sliced apples with sugar, cinnamon, raisins and lemon zest, then spread over the breadcrumbs.
Using the cloth to help, roll the strudel up tightly from the filled end, tucking in the sides as you go.
Transfer seam-side down to a lined tray, brush generously with melted butter, and bake at 200°C (400°F) for 35-40 minutes until golden and crisp.
Cool slightly and dust with powdered sugar before slicing.
Ingredients
- 2½ cups all-purpose flour
- ¼ tsp salt
- 1 egg
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil, plus 1 tbsp for coating the dough
- ¾ cup (6 oz) warm water
- 8 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored and thinly sliced
- ½ cup lemon juice (about 2 lemons)
- 1 cup sugar
- 2 tbsp ground cinnamon
- 1 cup raisins
- 1 cup fine breadcrumbs
- 8 tbsp melted butter
- Powdered sugar, to serve
Wolfgang Puck grew up in Austria and served this strudel at Spago as a tribute to home. The dough is the classic pulled kind: a soft flour, egg, oil and water paste kneaded for ten minutes, rested, then stretched over the backs of the hands until it is thin enough to read through. Tart Granny Smith apples are tossed with lemon juice, cinnamon sugar and raisins, laid on a strip of breadcrumbs that catches their juice, and rolled up in the sheet. It is brushed with butter twice during baking for a shattering, deep gold crust.
Method
Sift the flour and salt into a mound and make a well. Beat the egg with 2 tablespoons of oil and the warm water, pour into the well and work the flour in with a fork, then knead on the table for 10 minutes until smooth and elastic.
Coat the dough with the remaining tablespoon of oil, wrap tightly in plastic and rest in a warm place for 20 minutes.
Toss the apples with the lemon juice. Mix the sugar and cinnamon, then add it to the apples with the raisins.
Roll the dough out on a floured cloth to about 30 x 30 cm, then slide your hands underneath and stretch it with the backs of your hands, pulling outward, until it covers the table and is almost transparent.
Brush the sheet with melted butter. Spread the breadcrumbs in a 5 cm wide line about 10 cm in from the bottom edge and spoon the apple mixture on top of the crumbs.
Using the cloth to help, roll the strudel up from the bottom edge into a log. Trim the ends, tuck them under, set it on a baking sheet and brush with butter.
Bake at 190°C (375°F) for 20 minutes, brush with butter again, rotate the pan and bake for 20 minutes more until golden brown.
Cool slightly, dust with powdered sugar and slice.
