Apple strudel (Wiener Apfelstrudel)

True Apfelstrudel is always made with the well-travelled strudel pastry or dough that was brought to Austria from Arabia via the Ottoman Empire and Turkey. Although a little time-consuming, is not as difficult as it seems and is well worth attempting if you haven’t made it before.

Credit: Alan Benson

• serves

  12

• prep

  1 hour

• cook

  50 minutes

• difficulty

  Ace

Ingredients

• plain flour, for dusting
• 100 g butter, melted, plus extra to grease
• icing sugar, to dust
• custard or cream, to serve

Strudel dough

• 250 g (1⅔ cups) plain flour
• large pinch salt
• 80 ml (⅓ cup) lukewarm water
• 1 egg, lightly whisked
• 2 tbsp vegetable oil, plus extra to brush
• 2 tsp fresh lemon juice

Apple filling

• 1.5 kg cooking apples (such as granny smith)
• 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
• 120 g (⅔ cup seedless raisins)
• 80 g butter
• 100 g (1¼ cups) fine fresh white breadcrumbs
• 75 g (⅓ cup caster sugar)
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon

Resting time 2 hours

Instructions

To make the strudel dough, combine the flour, salt, water, egg, vegetable oil and lemon juice in the bowl of electric mixer. Use the dough hook to knead the dough on low speed for 5-8 minutes or until smooth and elastic (the dough will be quite firm) Alternatively knead the dough by hand on a lightly floured surface for 8-10 minutes. Turn onto a lightly floured surface, shape into a ball and cover and cover with a large warm bowl that has been brushed with a little extra oil. Set aside to rest for 2 hours.

Meanwhile, to make the apple filling, peel, quarter and core the apples and then cut into thin slices. Sprinkle with the lemon juice, add the raisins and toss gently to coat. Melt the butter in a large frying pan over medium high heat and cook the breadcrumbs, stirring occasionally, until golden and toasted. Combine the sugar with the cinnamon. Set the apple mixture, toasted breadcrumbs and cinnamon sugar aside separately.

Preheat oven to 190°C (170°C fan-forced). Brush a large oven tray with melted butter to grease.

To roll and shape the dough, cover a workbench with a clean sheet or large cloth (cotton is best and it will need to be at least 1 metre square). Lightly flour the sheet/cloth and then use a lightly floured rolling pin to roll out the dough to as large a rectangle as possible (about 45 cm x 55 cm). Flour your hands and place them under the dough, starting in the centre and working outwards, carefully stretch the dough with both hands (don’t worry about any small holes that form as they won’t matter once the strudel is rolled). Continue to work outwards, gently lifting and flopping it onto the work surface as the dough becomes thinner until it is about 50 cm x 75 cm. It will almost be see through when it reaches the right thickness. Use a sharp knife to trim the thick edge around the dough if necessary and lay the dough with a long end closest to you.

Immediately brush the dough all over with the melted butter, reserving about 1 tablespoon of butter for brushing the finished strudel (it will become brittle quickly if you don’t do this straight away). Sprinkle the dough all over with the cinnamon sugar, leaving a 7 cm border. Then, starting from the end closest to you, sprinkle half the dough with the toasted breadcrumbs leaving the border clear. Then scatter the same area evenly with the apple and raisin mixture. Fold in the longer edges of the dough in towards the filling and then, starting from the longest end closest to you, use the sheet/cloth to help roll the strudel up, making sure the ends are sealed. Place seam side down on the greased tray, shaping it into a crescent if necessary to fit onto the tray. Brush with the reserved melted butter.

Bake in preheated oven for 50-55 minutes or until crisp, golden and a metal skewer inserted is hot when withdrawn and the apples are tender. Serve either warm sprinkled liberally with icing sugar and cut into slices or cool on the tray to room temperature before serving. Serve with custard or cream.

Anneka's mission is to connect home cooks with the magic of baking, and through this, with those they love. Read our interview with her or for hands-on baking classes and baking tips, visit her at BakeClub. Don't miss what's coming out of her oven via Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest.

Photography by Alan Benson. Styling by Sarah O’Brien. Food preparation by Kerrie Ray. Creative concept by Lou Fay.

For more recipes, view our online column, Bakeproof: Austrian baking.

Cook's Notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.