Apple Strudel (Apfelstrudel)

The dramatic hand-stretched strudel Lucas pulled paper-thin on television, filled with spiced apples, raisins, and buttered crumbs.

Ingredients

• 2 cups bread flour
• 1 large egg
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1/2 cup warm water

Pinch of salt

• 3/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
• 1 cup fine fresh breadcrumbs
• 2 1/2 pounds tart apples, peeled and thinly sliced
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 2/3 cup raisins
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts
• Confectioners’ sugar, for dusting

Directions

1. Mix the flour, egg, oil, salt, and warm water into a soft dough; knead 10 minutes until very smooth and elastic, then rest covered for at least 30 minutes.
2. Toss the apples with the sugar, cinnamon, raisins, and walnuts.
3. Saute the breadcrumbs in 1/4 cup of the melted butter until golden.
4. Spread a clean cloth on a table and dust with flour; roll the dough out, then gently stretch it with the backs of your hands until it is paper-thin and covers the table.
5. Trim thick edges, brush the sheet with melted butter, and scatter the buttered crumbs over two-thirds of it.
6. Spread the apple filling over the crumbs, then use the cloth to roll the strudel up tightly from the filled end.
7. Transfer to a buttered baking sheet, curving to fit, brush with more melted butter, and bake at 375°F for 40 minutes until deep golden.
8. Cool slightly, dust heavily with confectioners’ sugar, and slice on the diagonal.

Notes

Our own version of the table-stretched strudel Dione Lucas famously demonstrated, said to be thin enough to read newsprint through.