My OperaApfelstrudel
Thursday, May 28, 2009 2:30:00 AM
Hello, everyone! It's time, once again, for our monthly posting for Daring Bakers! In case you haven't noticed (and probably not, because this is only the 2nd month with this rule), we now post every 27th, no matter what day of the week it is! That makes many things easier for us and for you, who are looking for discovering what was the month's challenge. The only problem is that, sometimes, we'll have to post in the middle of the week, when we might not have too long to write everything we want! Hahahah
But anyways...
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.
And this is the best part of Daring Bakers! C'mon, when would I dare to make my very own Struddel? From scratch!?!
But anyways...
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.
And this is the best part of Daring Bakers! C'mon, when would I dare to make my very own Struddel? From scratch!?!
Apfelstrudels are a mixture of apple pie and bread, made with a paper thin pastry (usually called philo pastry). Making Philo pastry is pretty damn easier than you might think of, after seeing one. It's just so thin, so elastic, so crunchy... We think it just can't be easy to make! But again, we are wrong...
The dough is extremely easy to make (it actually takes about 20 minutes, and only a couple of really cheap ingredients), and it is barely rolled out. The real process is stretching the dough using your hands and gravity. The weight will make it stretch, all you'll nee to do is to hold it, and turn it, taking care not to make any holes in it!
To fill it, you could use most anything, starting from the traditional apple, and then using anything else you'd want... Bananas, nuts & chocolate, pears, mangoes, pineapples, dulce de leche... The options are really endless, but you really should try an apple one, first!
Strudel dough
from “Kaffeehaus – Exquisite Desserts from the Classic Cafés of Vienna, Budapest and Prague” by Rick Rodgers
Yelds enough for 8 servings
1 1/3 cups (200 g) unbleached flour
1/8 teaspoon salt
7 tablespoons (105 ml) water, plus more if needed
2 tablespoons (30 ml) vegetable oil, plus additional for coating the dough
1/2 teaspoon cider vinegar
Combine the flour and salt in a stand-mixer fitted with the hook attachment. Mix the water, oil and vinegar in a measuring cup. Add the water/oil mixture to the flour with the mixer on low speed. You will get a soft dough. Make sure it is not too dry, add a little more water if necessary.
Take the dough out of the mixer and knead by hand on an unfloured work surface. Knead for about 2 minutes. Pick up the dough and throw it down hard onto your working surface occasionally.
Shape the dough into a ball and transfer it to a plate. Oil the top of the dough ball lightly. Allow to stand for 30-90 minutes, covered, at room temperature. This step is really important to make the dough get elastic and stretchy. While the dough is resting, prepare the filling, below.
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. Then, 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. You can use your forearms to support it.
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 2 feet (60 cm) wide and 3 feet (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.
Apple Filling
from “Kaffeehaus – Exquisite Desserts from the Classic Cafés of Vienna, Budapest and Prague” by Rick Rodgers
Yelds enough for 8 servings
2 tablespoons (30 ml) golden rum
3 tablespoons (45 ml) raisins
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 cup sugar
4 tbsp unsalted butter, melted, divided
1 cup bread crumbs
strudel dough
1/2 cup coarsely chopped walnuts (I used almonds)
900g tart cooking apples, peeled, cored and cut into 1cm-thick slices (I used Grannysmith)
Mix the rum and raisins in a bowl. Allow them to rest for at least 10 minutes.
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.
Preheat the oven to 200°C. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
Mix the apples, with the raisins (including the rum), cinnamon and sugar in another bowl.
Stretch the dough as presented above.
Spread about 1 tablespoon of the remaining melted butter over the dough using your hands (a bristle brush could tear the dough, you could use a special feather pastry brush instead of your hands). Sprinkle the buttered dough with the bread crumbs. Spread the walnuts about 7cm from the short edge of the dough in a 15cm-wide strip. Spread the apple 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 struddel rolls onto itself. Transfer the struddel to the prepared baking sheet by lifting it. Curve it into a horseshoe to fit. Tuck the ends under the struddel. Brush the top with the remaining melted butter.
Bake the struddel 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. It is best on the day it is baked.
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