Daring Bakers: Strudel

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.

I like to work myself up about things. I get really excited, counting down the days until a trip, the start of a new job, the arrival of a friend. And somehow, the things I look forward to are never as exciting as the things that just happen, the things that enter into my life without a plan, without announcing themselves. I like to have a plan, but the best things aren’t planned.

This Daring Bakers challenge was on my list of cooking tasks to accomplish for nearly a month before I rolled out the dough and did it. I planned for two: a pear, caramelized onion and blue cheese strudel and a pear and raspberry strudel for dessert.

The rolling of the dough went off without a hitch; the filling was easy. I baked them with no problem: no burning, no falling apart. Everything went according to plan.

And it just wasn’t that great.

Don’t get me wrong: it was fine. But at the same time, I would have much rather had the ingredients by themselves with maybe a loaf of good French bread for dinner as opposed to stuffed in a strudel dough. I don’t think I’ve ever had apple strudel… if I have, it wasn’t memorable. I’m sure this recipe is great for people who love strudel, but it just wasn’t for me.

The past few months have been made up of waiting, of writing, of thinking. No real plans: a first for me, a first in a long time. But now, out of nowhere, plans are falling at my feet, and I’m scrambling to pick them all up: a month in the Congo, a month back in Paziols, a month in New York. After that, who knows? I have more plans in the back of my head, but for now, I’ll content myself with these three.

I’m trying not to plan too much, trying not to have expectations. I have a handful of blog posts waiting to be posted, just in case, but they may all get scrapped in favor of bigger and better things I find on my adventures over the next few months, in the Congo, where I’ll be living in a hotel and have no idea if my meals will be vegetables out of a can or room service or typical African cuisine. I’ve just found out that I’ll be completely in charge of the Paziols menu this year, and I hope that after full days, I’ll have enough time to tell you all about it.

For now, I’m just taking advantage of my last few days in Paris, a few more bites of cheese, one last bottle of Bordeaux, before we say goodbye for a few months–maybe longer. I hope you all stay along for the ride.

Apple Strudel
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

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

This is the original recipe for the original apple filling. You can also just make the dough portion and add whatever filling you like.

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)

1. Mix the rum and raisins in a bowl. Mix the cinnamon and sugar in another bowl.

2. 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.

3. 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.

4. 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.

5. 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.

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

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

1. 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.

2. 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).

3. 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.

4. 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.