Michaels Austrian Apfelstrudel Recipes

APFELSTRUDEL (CLASSIC APPLE STRUDEL)

Steps:

• To make the dough: Place the flour, egg, soft butter and salt in the bowl of an electric mixer. Mixing with the dough hook on low speed, add enough of the cold water to make a soft dough. Knead the dough in the electric mixer at medium speed until it is smooth and elastic, about 5 minutes. Form the dough into a ball and coat it with oil. Cover and let rest at room temperature for about 1 hour.
• For the filling: To make the coarse bread crumbs, toast slices of white bread in the oven until crisp, about 10 minutes. Break into pieces and place in a food processor. Pulse the processor until the bread resembles large bread crumbs. In a saute pan, over medium heat, saute the bread crumbs in 1/4 cup of the melted butter until they are golden brown. Reserve the sauteed bread crumbs and the remaining melted butter separately. Combine the sliced apples, granulated sugar, raisins, nuts, ground cinnamon and about half of the bread crumbs. Cut the firm butter into chunks and gently toss together with the apple mixture.
• To Assemble: Cover a work surface approximately 4 feet by 4 feet with a clean piece of cloth. The cloth is used to facilitate stretching and rolling the dough. Make sure that the cloth is securely fastened to the table. Dust the cloth lightly with the flour. Place the rested dough in the center of the cloth. Using a rolling pin, roll the dough into a large, thin rectangle. When the dough is as thin as it will go with the rolling pin, it is time to begin stretching and pulling the dough. To stretch and pull the dough, place your hands under the dough, and, using your thumbs and the back of your hand, gently begin pulling and stretching the dough. Pull and stretch the dough until it is a rectangle approximately 3 1/2 feet by 2 1/2 feet. Be very careful when you are pulling and stretching not to tear the dough. After it is pulled to the proper size, let the dough relax on the table for a few minutes. There will be a thick edge around the edges, trim this away. You also want to trim off any parts of the dough that hang over the edges of the table. Place the apple filling next to the long edge of the dough closest to you. Form the filling into a thick log. Brush some of the reserved melted butter generously over the remainder of the dough. Sprinkle the remaining bread crumbs over the dough. Using the cloth to help lift the dough, roll the strudel as you would a jelly roll, starting from the filling side. Place the strudel, seam side down, in a horseshoe shape on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper. Brush the strudel with the last of the melted butter. Bake in a preheated 375 degree F oven for about 35 minutes, Remove the pan from the oven and cool. Slice the the strudel into individual servings and serve either warm or at room temperature.

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.

MICHAEL'S AUSTRIAN APFELSTRUDEL

Steps:

• Combine the ingredients for the pastry quickly with your fingers working from the outside of the well. Knead on a board until the dough is pliable and silky and no longer sticks to the board. Brush the surface of the ball with oil. Cover the dough with a bowl and let it rest for 30 minutes. Spread a large cloth (ca.60cm x 60cm) out on the pastry board and sprinkle with flour. Roll out as thin as possible. Begin to stretch the dough gently from the center, trying not to tear it. Sprinkle the apple mixture over this and roll up. Slide the strudel onto a greased baking sheet. Brush the surface of the roll with melted butter and bake at 200˚C for about 30 minutes.