Apple Strudelwith hand-stretched dough
Apple strudel with thin hand-stretched dough, fruit filling, and buttery breadcrumbs: learn how to roll and bake without losing the layers.
The Viennese strudel relies on an elastic dough that is stretched until almost transparent. Toasted breadcrumbs absorb some of the apple juices and help preserve the layers. In this version without raisins, the filling consists of fruit, butter, and a small amount of cinnamon; a cloth helps to roll it without pressing.
Ingredients
Dough
Filling
Filling and finishing
Filling
Preparation
Knead the dough
Mix 160 g flour, salt, 90 ml warm water, 15 ml oil, and 5 ml wine vinegar. Knead for 10 minutes until smooth and elastic. Grease with the remaining 5 ml oil, cover, and let rest for 60 minutes.
15 minutesPrepare the filling
Brown the breadcrumbs in 30 g butter, stirring, then cool. Mix the apples with sugar, and cinnamon only near assembly; drain accumulated liquid.
15 minutesStretch without tearing
Preheat the oven to 190 °C. Sprinkle a large clean cloth with reserved flour. Roll out the dough with a rolling pin, then gently stretch with the backs of your hands until forming a rectangle about 60 by 80 cm, almost transparent. Remove only thick edges.
20 minutesDistribute and roll
Melt the remaining 50 g butter and use half to brush the dough. Spread breadcrumbs and apples over the first third, leaving 5 cm free at the edges. Fold the sides and lift the cloth to roll loosely. Transfer to a lined baking tray, seam side down, and brush with the remaining butter.
15 minutesBake and cut
Bake for 40 to 45 minutes until the dough is golden and dry and the apples are soft. Rest for 15 minutes before cutting with a serrated knife.
45 minutes
Substitutions
Firm apples of other varieties work well. Ready-made puff pastry produces a different texture and eliminates the hand-stretching dough technique in this recipe.
Storage
After it cools down from the initial heat, store covered in the refrigerator; reheat in the oven to regain some crispness.
Approximate shelf life: Up to 3 days refrigerated at 4 °C or below.
Nutrition values are estimates and may vary by brand, substitution and actual yield.
