November 17, 2020–with thanks to Terry Kelzer

Strudel Dough:

In a food processor, process the below three ingredients for 10 seconds:

  • 2 ¾ cups bread flour
  • 4 tablespoons (½ stick) butter
  • ½ teaspoon salt

In a two-cup measure put:

  • 1 large egg beaten
  • Add enough water to make 1 cup
  • 1 tablespoon vinegar

Stir together beaten egg and water and vinegar; add through feed tube. Process 3 times at 10 second intervals. It should come together and pull away from sides of processor. If not, you may add a tablespoon or so more of flour. Remove dough and work gluten on a sturdy surface by throwing it 100 times. Very good for working out any personal anxieties. When nice and stretchy, place in a lightly oiled bowl and rest two hours.

Next place dough on a heavily floured cloth. Roll with a rolling pin as thin as you can and then begin your stretching process by carefully pulling and tugging from the center and working toward the outside edges. Stretch it as big as you can and so thin that you could read a newspaper through it. Trim thicker edges all around.

Brush with melted butter and sprinkle with walnuts; add 2 cups of apple filling along one end. Roll it up using your cloth. Move onto baking sheet and bake for 30 to 40 minutes until golden brown. While still warm, sprinkle icing over strudel, along with more walnuts if so desired.

Filling (prepare and set aside the apple filling):

Place 6 tart apples, peeled and sliced, in a large skillet; sauté lightly in ¼ cup butter. Add:

  • ¼ cup brown sugar
  • 1 to 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
  • 2 tablespoons flour
  • 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

Also have ready:

  • ½ cup raisins (soaked in water or in rum)
  • ½ cup roughly chopped walnuts

Sauté apples just 5 minutes to blend ingredients and start to soften and cook off some of the moisture in the apples. 

Icing to finish:

1 cup confectioners’ sugar mixed with ¼ cup milk and a dash of vanilla. Make a thin icing sauce and sprinkle over warm strudel. May add more chopped walnuts for decoration.