Apple Strudel

Introduction & method

This delicious dessert is a miracle of engineering - a ton of apple filling held together by the thinnes of pastries. I would say that making this is not for the faint-hearted, but it's well worth a go.

Prep

There's a couple of things you can do ahead of time. Firstly soak your raisins in just enough rum or fruit juice to cover them. Leave them to soak for at least 2 hours if you can. Secondly, prepare the buttery breadcrumbs - melt the butter and dissolve the sugar into it. Add the vanilla, then stir in the breadcrumbs and get them all coated. Set aside until needed.

Make the Pastry

Look, it's not the easiest thing in the world to make and I won't blame you if you use shop-bought filo pastry. Puff pastry really isn't right. In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the flour and salt, then mix in the egg, oil and water. Use the dough hook to knead it for 5 minutes. Put some flour on your worktop and tip out the dough. Knead it for 10-15 minutes. You want to really develop the gluten and make a smooth, elastic dough. Wrap in plastic film and place in the fridge to rest for at least 30 minutes.

Make the Filling

Wash, peel and core the apples, quarter them and thinly slice the flesh. Sprinkle with lemon juice to stop the apple from going brown. Mix in the sugar, vanilla and cinnamon. Separate the raisins from the liquid and stir those in.

Assemble the Strudels

This recipe is enough to make 2 strudel rolls, about 30cm (12 inches) long. Lay a clean tea towel flat on your worktop and sprinkle it with flour. Unwrap half of the dough, place it in the centre of the cloth and roll it out from the centre into a big, thin rectangle. You'll reach a point where the rolling pin can't make the dough thinner so you need to carefully lift it away from the cloth and get the backs of your hands under it. If you use your fingers the chances are high that you'll break the pastry. Gently work your way under the pastry - its own weight will pull it down, stretching it out. Lay it back down on the cloth and pull the edges straight. Your dough should be thin enough that you can read any writing on your cloth. Melt some butter and splash it over the pastry with a brush. Spread half of the buttered crumbs in an even layer but leave a 2cm (about an inch) margin all round. Place half of the apple filling either in a layer all over, or a long pile close to one edge. Sprinkle half of the raisins over the apples.
Now fold the long edges in over the filling (just the strip that was left clear as a margin), then pick up the short edge and start rolling the whole thing like a swiss roll - the cloth can help support the roll while you're doing this. Brush the closing edge with melted butter. Line a baking sheet with greaseproof paper, sprinkle it with flour and carefully slide the strudel onto it. Arrange it so the seam is on the bottom. Crease the paper on either side of the strudel so that it forms ridges that will support it and stop it from spreading out flat. Generously paint with melted butter

Bake the Strudels

Heat your oven to 180°C (356°F) for a fan/convection oven, 200°C (392°F) conventional, gas 5. Put the strudels in and bake for 30-40 minutes. Baste the strudels with melted butter every 10 minutes or so. Allow to cool somewhat before serving.