Strudel Dough

I have been getting request for the recipe for the Hand Stretched Strudel Dough, well here it is. This week I will be making a delicious prune plum strudel and hope to publish the pictures.

STRUDEL DOUGH
(Yield 1 Strudel, Serves 15)

Ingredients

12-ounce flour-bread, high protein, King Arthur (Total flour 2 ¾ cups scoop and sweep method)
1 egg-large
2 oz butter, unsalted, soft
1 teaspoon salt
¾ cup water, warm, (more water, if needed)
1-tablespoon distilled white vinegar
1 tablespoon vegetable oil


Tools

1. Table 3 feet x 3 feet: or card table.
2. Clean tablecloth to cover table. (The cloth helps in the stretching and rolling the strudel once it is filled.)
3. Kitchen aid mixer, rolling pin, parchment paper, sheet tray and pastry brush.


Procedure for dough

1. Place flour, butter and salt in mixer bowl.
2. Mix with paddle on low speed until incorporated. Add egg and mix; add warm water and vinegar to make soft dough. Might need to add more water one tablespoon at the time if it is too dry. Side of the bowl should glisten with a little moisture.
3. Change to dough hook and knead the dough at medium speed, until it becomes smooth and elastic, about 5 minutes.
4. Lightly flour counter top. Place dough on table and form dough into a log and with a gentle force hit against the table; fold the stretched dough under itself and repeatedly “Hit” dough against the table about a 100 times. This teaches the dough to stretch.
5. Form dough into ball and coat with vegetable oil. Cover with plastic wrap; let rest for 1 hour at room temperature.

Make fillings during the hour wait for the dough to rest.



STRUDEL DOUGH PROCEDURE

To Make Strudel:

Ingredients

1 hand made strudel dough
1/2cup melted butter
½ cup breadcrumbs (homemade or fine, plain)
½ cup vanilla wafers, sugar cookies or “Cookie Dust” for sweet Strudel

Procedure

1. Spread a smooth linen cloth over table. Sprinkle evenly with flour.
2. Place relaxed dough into center and with rolling pin roll into a small square.
Brush with melted butter.
3. Using both hands insert hands under dough, palm down and gently pull with the back of your hand constantly moving around the table until it is paper-thin. Trim overhanging dough.
4. Brush with melted butter. Sprinkle 1/2 cup of crushed sugar cookies, Cookie Dust or 1/2 cup breadcrumbs. (Breadcrumbs for savory strudel) Recipes to follow.
5. Spoon a row of filling leaving an edge on top and sides. Using the tablecloth roll the dough over like a jellyroll, finish with seam side up. Carefully roll on parchment lined sheet tray. Brush top with melted butter, cut slits at an angle with sharp knife 2 inches apart and bake in preheated oven until golden about 35-40 minutes, rotating for even baking and brushing with melted butter while baking.
6. Cool strudel and cut into 2-inch portions with sharp knife.
7. Dust with confectioner sugar and serve. If savory strudel use appropriate sauce.
Fresh Bread crumbs
6 slices white bread
¼ cup melted unsalted butter
1. To make the coarse breadcrumbs, 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 breadcrumbs.
2. In a sauté pan, over medium heat, sauté the breadcrumbs in 1/4 cup of the melted butter until they are golden brown.
Cookie Dust
2 cups blanched almonds
1cup flour
1cup sugar
1/2cup Amaretti cookies (Italian Specialty)
Process in food processor until fine “Dust”. Store in Refrigerator.

Strudel Party Recipe: HARVEST APPLE AND SOUR CHERRY STRUDEL

We had a fun afternoon stretching "kweching", laughing at my farmhouse while we made, Strudel of course.


HARVEST APPLE AND SOUR CHERRY
STRUDEL
(Yield: 15 Servings)

This is a springtime strudel made with the last of the fall’s apples, that you can still find at the farmers market. Fresh sour cherries are best but you can substitute good quality jarred sour cherries in light syrup. Added bonus, simmer the drained sour cherry juice until reduced to quarter cup and drizzle over the vanilla ice cream.

Ingredients for the Filling

2 ½ pounds peeled, cored and thinly sliced Granny Smith, Pippin or other cooking apples
1/3 cup granulated sugar, plus 1 tablespoon
16 ounce fresh sour cherry, pitted or two 12 ounce jarred sour cherry, drained
1 cup orange juice
2 cups “Cookie Dust”
½ cup unsalted butter, melted
1 hand-pulled strudel dough
Confectioner sugar
Optional, vanilla ice cream or soft whipped cream


Procedure

1. Preheat oven 400 degrees.
2. Core and slice apples and place in large bowl with orange juice. Drain, pitted sour cherries, reserving juice. Place cherry juice in small saucepan and simmer until reduced to quarter cup.
3. Combine the sliced apples, granulated sugar, one cup “Cookie Dust”
4. Prepare, stretch strudel dough according to direction.
5. Spoon apple mixture in a long even shape down topside of dough leaving 3 inches on top and on either side of the table. Top with drained sour cherries. Using the tablecloth roll the dough over like a jellyroll, finish with seam side up. Carefully roll onto parchment lined sheet tray with seam side down. Brush top with melted butter; cut slits at an angle with sharp knife 2 inches apart and sprinkle lightly with 1-tablespoon sugar.
6. Lower oven to 375 degrees. Bake strudel in middle of oven until golden brown and crisp, 35 to 40 minutes. Rotating strudel for even baking. Transfer to a rack and cool 30 minutes before serving. Dust with confectioner sugar. Serve as is or with soft whipped cream or with vanilla ice cream. Drizzle with sour cherry syrup.

Cookie Dust

2 cups blanched almonds
1 cup sugar
1 cup flour
1/2 cup amaretto cookies or biscotti

Place all ingredients in food processor and grind to fine powder. Makes 2 cups, keep unused portion refrigirated.