Apple Strudel with Homemade Stretched Pastry
·Making the soft dough
In a bowl, mix plain flour with a pinch of salt. Add lukewarm water, oil, vinegar and cooled melted butter. Work it first with a wooden spoon, then by hand, into a smooth, slightly sticky dough.
Resting is key
Drizzle the ball of dough in the bowl with a little oil so it doesn't dry out. Cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap and pop it in the fridge. For the best results, let it rest there overnight.
While the dough rests: the filling
Let the dough sit at room temperature for about 30 minutes to soften. Meanwhile, coarsely grate the apples and mix them with sugar, cinnamon, raisins, walnuts and lemon juice. Melt the butter and blitz the sponge biscuits into crumbs.
The magic of stretching the dough
Lay a clean tea towel on the table and dust it generously with flour. Roll the dough out a little on it, then carefully stretch it with the backs of your hands from the centre outwards until it's thin and almost see-through.
Filling
Drizzle the stretched dough with melted butter. Sprinkle the sponge crumbs over one third of it, then spread the well-squeezed apples evenly on top. Using the tea towel, fold the edge of the dough over the filling.
Roll up the strudel
Using the tea towel, gradually roll the whole strudel up to the end. Brush the loose edge of the dough with butter so it seals nicely and the strudel doesn't come apart while baking. Fold the edge so the seam ends up on top.
Final touches and moving to the tray
Tear off any excess dough at the ends of the strudel and fold it over towards the seam side. Carefully, again using the tea towel, flip the whole strudel onto a greased baking tray so it sits seam-side down.
Bake until golden
Generously brush the whole surface of the strudel with the remaining melted butter. Put it in an oven preheated to 180°C and bake for about 30 minutes, until beautifully golden and crisp. Dust with sugar once cooled.