Old Vienna Apple Strudel Food

OLD VIENNA APPLE STRUDEL

Steps:

• Combine apples, sugar, cinnamon, and raisins in a medium saucepan. Add 1/4 cup water and bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Cover and let cook for about 5 minutes. Uncover, increase heat to high, and cook until thickened, about 2 minutes. Pour filling into a baking dish and stir in the walnuts; let cool to room temperature.
• In a small saute pan, melt 5 tablespoons butter and add breadcrumbs. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring often, until toasted and golden brown, about 5 minutes. Set aside to cool. Wipe pan clean and melt remaining 3 tablespoons butter; set aside to cool.
• Preheat oven to 400 degrees with rack positioned in the middle of the oven. Line a large rimmed baking sheet with a double thickness of parchment paper.
• Lay a large, clean cloth or sheet (at least 3 feet long and wide) on a work surface, and sprinkle well with flour. Remove strudel dough from bowl without folding it over on itself and set it in the center of your work surface. Use the palms of your hands to flatten the dough. Dust dough lightly with flour and roll it in all directions, as well as rolling over the edges, making it as thin as possible. Lightly brush entire surface with oil.
• Slide both hands, with slightly curved palms facing down, under dough toward the center. Holding this position, lift the dough off the cloth with your knuckles, and begin stretching from the center out to the edges until it is too large to stretch easily with your hands. Carefully set dough back on cloth, spreading it to smooth out any wrinkles or folds. Starting in the center again, continue to stretch out the dough in all directions, maintaining a rectangular shape, until the dough is almost translucent everywhere except the edges, which should be thicker. If the dough tears while stretching; you will be able to patch any holes with some of the excess stretched dough.
• Once dough is stretched, let dry for 10 minutes.
• Using a pizza wheel or kitchen scissors, trim all the thick edges until the dough is approximately 24-by-30-inches. With the 24-inch edge facing you, scatter the breadcrumbs on a 12-by-4-inch rectangle of dough centered about 3 inches in from the 24 inch side so the 16 inch side of filling is parallel to the 24 inch side of dough. Scatter the cooled filling on the same space.
• Use a brush to drizzle the remaining 3 tablespoons of cooled butter all over the unfilled portions of the dough, reserving a little to brush the strudel with once it has been rolled.
• Roll strudel by folding 3 inches of dough from the 24-inch side of dough over the filling, then fold the unfilled dough in from each side. Lift the cloth and roll the strudel, stopping to fold the edges inward as you roll. Transfer to prepared pan, seam side down, positioning diagonally if necessary.
• Brush the top of the strudel with remaining butter, and snip vent holes in with sharp scissors.
• Place strudel in oven. Bake, rotating pan halfway though, until deep golden brown and crisp, about 30 minutes. Transfer to wire rack to cool for at least 30 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature, cut on the diagonal into slices. Dust lightly with confectioners' sugar and serve with lightly sweetened whipped cream.

EASY TRADITIONAL VIENNESE APPLE STRUDEL

Steps:

• Place the flour in a bowl with the salt and add the water, then 2 tablespoons oil. Stir with a spoon until it comes together and you can work it with your hands.
• Knead the dough until it is smooth and tacky, but not sticky, about 5 minutes. If you need to add more flour, add only 1 teaspoon at a time.
• Form the dough into a smooth ball, brush it with 1 teaspoon oil and place it back in the bowl for 1 hour at room temperature. Covering the dough with plastic wrap is fine, too.
• Heat 7 tablespoons butter in a pan until foaming and add the breadcrumbs.
• Toast them, stirring constantly, until they are medium brown. Let cool.
• Soak the raisins in the optional rum (or orange juice). You can heat them for 30 seconds in the microwave and then soak them until you are ready for them.
• Peel, core and chop the apples into small pieces. Add the sugar, lemon juice, lemon zest, raisins, and cinnamon and mix well.
• Roll out the dough on a lightly floured board to about 13 x 9 inches. Lightly flour a clean towel with no nap, place it over the dough, grab both (towel and dough) and flip over. Straighten both, as necessary.
• Using your hands, gently stretch the dough thinner on all sides, working your way around the sheet of dough. Stretch it until it starts to look translucent in spots. Let it rest a minute and again stretch the areas you think are too thick. Thick edges can't be avoided and will be cut off. Brush dough with melted butter.
• Spread the breadcrumbs over 2/3 of the dough and pat down evenly. Drain the apples and spread them over the other 1/3 of the dough. Cut off any thick edges of dough with kitchen shears. Using the towel, fold one side of the dough over the filling. Brush exposed dough with melted butter.
• Fold in ends of dough like an envelope (or burrito). Fold the other side of dough up and over filling to form a roll. Brush with butter. Use the towel to maneuver strudel to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Roll strudel onto parchment paper so that the seam-side is down. Brush with melted butter.
• Heat oven to 400 F. Bake for 20 minutes and then reduce heat to 350 F and bake for an additional 40 to 60 minutes. Remove from oven, brush the top with melted butter and sprinkle with confectioners' sugar while still warm.
• Transfer to a serving platter with a large spatula (or two). Cut into 1 1/2-inch-wide slices with a bread knife or serrated knife and serve with your choice of whipped cream , vanilla sauce, or vanilla ice cream.

ALTWIENER APFELSTRUDEL (TRADITIONAL VIENNESE APPLE STRUDEL)

Steps:

• To make the dough: Place the flour in a bowl with the salt and add the water, then the oil. Stir with a spoon until it comes together and you can work it with your hands. Knead the dough until it is smooth and tacky, but not sticky, about 5 minutes. If you need to add more flour, only add it 1 teaspoon at a time, and rework the dough after each flour addition (before adding more). Form the dough into a smooth ball, brush it with a little oil and place it back in the bowl for about 1 hour at room temperature. Covering the dough with plastic wrap is fine, too.
• To Make the First Filling: Heat the butter in a pan until foaming and add the breadcrumbs. Toast them, stirring constantly, until they are medium brown. Let cool.
• To Make the Second Filling: Heat the raisins for 30 seconds in microwave oven. Then soak raisins in rum (or orange juice); set aside until ready to use.
• Peel, core and chop the apples into small pieces. Add the sugar, lemon juice, lemon zest, cinnamon and nutmeg. Place raisins in colander to allow excess liquid to drain. Add to apple mixture, and mix well.
• Roll out the dough on a lightly floured board to about 9 inches by 13 inches. Lightly flour a clean towel with no nap, place it over the dough, grab both (towel and dough) and flip over so towel is on bottom and dough is on top. Straighten both, as necessary. Using your hands, gently stretch the dough thinner on all sides, working your way around the sheet of dough. Stretch it until it starts to look translucent in spots. Let it rest a minute and stretch the areas you think are too thick, again. Brush dough with melted butter.
• Spread the first filling (toasted breadcrumbs) over 2/3 of the dough and pat down evenly. Spread second filling (apple/raisin mixture) over the other 1/3 of the dough. With kitchen shears, snip off any thick edges of dough, so dough is more uniform. Using the towel, fold one side of the dough over the filling. Brush exposed dough with melted butter. Fold in ends of dough like a burrito. Fold other side of dough up and over filling to form a loaf. Brush with butter.
• Use the towel to lift the strudel to a parchment-lined baking sheet. Gently roll strudel onto parchment paper so that the seam-side is down.
• Brush melted butter over the dough. Bake at 400° for 20 minutes. Reduce heat to 350° and bake for 40-60 minutes longer.
• Remove strudel from oven, brush with melted butter again, then sprinkle with powdered sugar while still warm. Transfer to a serving platter with a large spatula (or two). Cut into 1 1/2 inch wide slices with a bread knife or serrated knife. Serve with your choice of whipped cream, vanilla sauce, or vanilla ice cream.