Apple Strudel / Apfelstrudel

This amazing strudel is an old recipe from my Bohemian great-grandmother. No she was not wild and wacky, she was from Bohemia / Moravia. My mum remembers, how she used to come into the kitchen when she was little and see my great-grandma stretching the strudel dough to as thin as possible. Well this is how you do it yourself in just under 2 hours.

Ingredients for the dough

• 250g / 8.8oz flour
• a pinch of salt
• 100ml / 3.4oz warm water
• 1 egg
• 20ml sunflower or rape oil

For the filling

• 1kg / 2.2lbs apples
• 100g / 3.5oz breadcrumbs
• 50g / 1.8 oz butter to roast the breadcrumbs in
• 120g / 4.2oz sugar
• 10g / 0.4oz cinnamon
• 170g / 4oz raisins
• 10g / 0.4oz lemon juice
• a shot of rum
• More butter (~ 100g / 3.5oz) to melt and spread on the dough before and after baking

Extra: Vanilla custard: Milk (500ml / 17 fl. oz) and ½ package vanilla pudding powder

1. Start with the strudel dough by mixing all ingredients together until the dough if peeling away from your hands and table
2. Form the dough to a ball and have it soak in a small bowl for about 30 minutes. After its bath the strudel dough will be very elastic and easy to stretch.

While the dough is taking its bath, prepare the filling:

1. If you like, peel the apples, otherwise only pit and cut them in small pieces.
2. Melt butter in a frying pan, add breadcrumbs and roast until they are golden brown.
3. Mix cinnamon with sugar
4. Then mix the strudel filling: apples, cinnamon and sugar, breadcrumbs, raisins, lemon juice, and rum
5. Now take the dough out of its oil bath and roll it in flour. Roll it flat to a square shape on a floured kitchen towel and stretch it with your hands until it is just holding together, but you can see through the dough easily.
6. Spread the melted butter on the strudel dough before adding the apple mixture.

7. Cut off the thick sides and roll the strudel, from the short edge. Fold in both ends before you start to roll

8. Place the strudel carefully on a baking tray either with baking paper or butter.
9. Bake the strudel at 190°C or 375°F for about half an hour until it is golden brown.

Immediately after taking the strudel out of the oven, apply the rest of the melted butter and have it sit for another 30 minutes.
(If you like add some icing sugar on top) and serve the apple strudel with warm vanilla custard.

 

If you like to have it as a main course, it serves about a family of 4. If you’re having it as dessert, I’d say it is enough for 10-12 portions.