Friday, September 03rd 2010

Apple Strudel

2 cups flour
1/2 tsp salt
1 egg, beaten
2 tablespoons oil
1/2 cup tepid water
8 tablespoons melted butter

3/4 cup toasted bread crumbs
6 green apples, peeled, cored and thinly sliced
1/4 cup raisins
3/4 cup broken walnuts or almonds, or a combination
1/4 sugar
1 tsp ground cinnamon
grated rind of 1 lemon

Sift flour and salt into a bowl. Make a hole in the center of the
flour and add the egg, oil and water. Stir until a soft dough is
formed that comes clean away from the sides of the bowl (it does not matter if some flour is left in the bowl). Knead dough on a lightly floured board for 15 minutes until it is has as elastic texture. Cover it with an inverted warm bowl and let it rest in a warm place for 1 hour.

Cover a large kitchen table with a cloth. Rub the sheet with flour. Roll out the dough as large as possible with the rolling pin, lifting up dough frequently to prevent sticking. Brush dough lightly with a little of the melted butter. Now dust your hands with flour. Place your floured hands palm side down under the dough. Now with your knuckles gently pull the dough from the center out, gently stretching until it is as thin as paper. When finished, it should be about 30 x 40 inches in size and some will hang over the edge of the table. If any holes have formed, these may be patched with small pieces of dough pressed firmly into place.

Brush again with melted butter, generously this time, about 6
tablespoons of melted butter should be used. (Save the remainder to brush over the outside of rolled-up strudel.) With scissors trim the edges of the dough. Add the filling.

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Sprinkle the crumbs over the strudel dough, keeping a 2-inch margin around all sides. Combine apples, raisins, walnuts, sugar, cinnamon and lemon rind. Pat this mixture into a long mount on the 30-inch side of the dough, 2 inches from the end. Fold over the 2-inch end margin. Now fold over the dough the dough lenghtwise on both sides.

Gradually lift the sheet and very carefully roll up the strudel,
taking care that the fragile dough does not break. Shape with your fingers as you roll up the strudel. Place the rolled strudel in a horseshoe shape on a buttered baking sheet. Brush with the remaining melted butter.

Bake in an oven preheated to 375F, for 45-50 minutes until richly golden and flaky-crisp. Cool slightly after removing from oven and while warm sprinkle with confectioners' sugar. Serve while still warm with vanilla sauce.