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Wednesday, May 27, 2009

Daring Bakers' Apple Strudel



Felt excited throughout the last 2 weeks … experimenting for Daring Bakers’ May Challenge: Apple Strudel. It was straight forward yet complicated - struggling to roll the dough as wide and thin as possible, making more flaky layers, developing solid filling and finally maintaining the flakiness long after it was baked.

Went through 5 rounds before finally managed to make Strudel with 5-6 layers. Crispy and flaky to the bites, sweet and fragrant to the taste. Wow, I had enough Apple Strudel for my breakfast straight from Monday to Friday throughout the entire 2 weeks. Good to put a break to it and settle for the posting. And again thanks to Courtney of Coco Cooks and Linda of make life sweeter for co-hosting this month’s May challenge, and Audax of Audax Artifex for lots of guidance!



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

APPLE STRUDEL
from “Kaffeehaus – Exquisite Desserts from the Classic Cafés of Vienna, Budapest and Prague” by Rick Rodgers




Preparation time
Total: 2 hours 15 minutes – 3 hours 30 minutes
15-20 min to make dough
30-90 min to let dough rest/to prepare the filling
20-30 min to roll out and stretch dough
10 min to fill and roll dough
30 min to bake
30 min to cool

1. Strudel Dough

Ingredients:
- 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



Method:
- Combine the flour and salt in a stand-mixer fitted with the paddle 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. Change to the dough hook. Put the dough ball back in the mixer. Let the dough knead on medium until you get a soft dough ball with a somewhat rough surface.
- Take the dough out of the mixer and continue kneading 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. Cover the ball tightly with plastic wrap. Allow to stand for 30-90 minutes (longer is better).
- It would be best if you have a work area that you can walk around on all sides like a 36 inch (90 cm) round table or a work surface of 23 x 38 inches (60 x 100 cm). 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.
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.



2. Apple Strudel

Ingredients:
- 2 tablespoons (30 ml) golden rum
- 3 tablespoons (45 ml) raisins
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon (80 g) sugar
- 1/2 cup (1 stick / 115 g) unsalted butter, melted, divided
- 1 1/2 cups (350 ml) fresh bread crumbs
- strudel dough (recipe below)
- 1/2 cup (120 ml, about 60 g) coarsely chopped walnuts
- 2 pounds (900 g) tart cooking apples, peeled, cored and cut into ¼ inch-thick slices (use apples that hold their shape during baking).



Method:
- Mix the rum and raisins in a bowl. Mix the cinnamon and sugar in another bowl.
- 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.
- Put the rack in the upper third of the oven and preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C). Line a large baking sheet with baking paper (parchment paper). Make the strudel dough as described below. Spread about 3 tablespoons 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 3 inches (8 cm) from the short edge of the dough in a 6-inch-(15cm)-wide strip. Mix the apples with the raisins (including the rum), and the cinnamon sugar. Spread the 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 strudel rolls onto itself. Transfer the strudel to the prepared baking sheet by lifting it. Curve it into a horseshoe to fit. Tuck the ends under the strudel. Brush the top with the remaining melted butter.
- Bake the strudel 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.



24 comments:

  1. Oh, so lovely! Your photography makes my heart sing.

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  2. You have done an amazing job. Your strudel looks fantastic and absolutely delicious. Great presentation and photos as well.

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  3. Beautiful beautiflul beautiful work on this challenge and you did 5 attempts to get it right - that is the right spirit - you only get new skills by doing it again and again. Thank you for mentioning me in the posting. I just love how you got so many thin crisp flaky layers on your strudels. Bravo Bravo Bravo on this challenge. Cheers from Audax

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  4. It's great that you continued to make the strudel until it turned out exactly how you wanted. Practice makes perfect! You final strudel looks wonderful - it held it's round shape very well.

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  5. I'm not sure that the comment I left already worked. So to repeat beautiful beautiful beautiful strudels and pictures and I love how you got so many layers that are thin crisp and flaky on your strudel. And trying 5 times to get the recipe perfect is the right spirit you only get new skills by trying again and again. A big thank you for mentioning me on your posting. If the other comment got throught no need to post this one. Bravo bravo bravo a wonderful effort on this challenge.

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  6. Your filling in the strudel looks very yummy! Great job and what a lovely photos :)

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  7. Beautiful!! Great job! I loved this challenge as well.

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  8. Your strudel is beautiful! I'm sure it tastes as good as it looks too :) I would've loved to get so many layers into my strudel - perhaps with more practice I can get there too.

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  9. Kris, your strudels are perfection - so flaky and delicious looking! Kudos on amazing 'strudling'!

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  10. Your strudel looks very pretty.. love your choice of filling :)

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  11. I don't know how your strudel tasted, but going by your pictures, it must have been amazing.

    My first time here, and your photography is very good.

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  12. Your strudel looks PERFECT! :)

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  13. A beautiful strudel - I love the carnation garnish too!

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  14. awesome job! your photos look great!!!

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  15. Great job, I agree, it made a lot of strudel!!

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  16. Gorgeous, just gorgeous! Great job on this month's challenge!

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  17. I am so amazed at your efforts AND your results. Beautiful work, and I am green with envy. I became so frustrated, but ventured on, determined that I wasn't going to be defeated by all things, flour. ;)
    Kudos to you, Kris!

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  18. Thanks to all of your complements, guys! Really really appreciate them. Now I know joining Daring Bakers is the greatest decision I have ever made for my blog.

    Will put more efforts in the upcoming challenge! :-)

    Regards
    Kris

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  19. Yes, Margie..... there is no such thing as defeat, but more like the opportunity for more practice. Do more and see...

    Regards
    Kris

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  20. Audax, can't thank you enough... no matter how many times I have said it. So thanks!!

    Regards
    Kris

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  21. Oh, so many flaky layers! Great job.

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  22. Awesome job! You really can see all those layers. Yum!

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  23. Beautiful strudel!! Your photos are absolutely stunning as well =D.

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