Bavarian "Pulled" Apple Strudel (Gezogene Strudel)

glitter's Note:

This is older than the Saints I think...or at least every Great Grandma I knew made this one with their eyes closed. We just watched in amazement. It looked like parchment paper on the table and they worked wonders with it. It was delectible, flakey every time, and anything that oozed was sweet and crunchy and great to our palate. You can master it, but it is a challenge if you like that sort of thing....I know I do.

• Total Time: 2 hrs 15 mins
• Prep Time: 1 hrs 30 mins
• Cook Time: 45 mins

Ingredients:

Yield: 3 strudels

• 8 cups flour
• 2 eggs
• 2 tablespoons oil
• 2 ½ cups warm water
• 1 pinch salt

Apple Filling

• 8 -10 tart apples , i like granny smith
• sugar and cinnamon , to your taste and
• lightly dot all with melted butter

Directions:

1. Work the flour, eggs, oil, water, and salt into a dough.
2. Divide into three parts.
3. Form a ball of each piece, brush each piece of dough with oil and let it rest for 45 min.
4. Place a old clean tablecloth on the table, roll out a ball a thin as you can.
5. Here comes the tricky part.
6. Make sure you are wearing no rings-- go under the dough like you are making your hands into claws with your fingers pointing down at the table and the soft part of your knuckles is what is going to pull the dough toward you.
7. You will do this all around in a circle until the dough is paper thin and you can see through it.
8. Brush generously with melted butter during this process.
9. Trim off the heavy edges.
10. Sprinkle on the apples, some sugar, cinnamon to taste, nuts if you like and drizzle a little melted butter over all.
11. Now take the tablecloth and fold about 5" over toward the center on each side forming a frame around the dough.
12. From the long side, Lift one side of the tablecloth and roll up completely.
13. Fold it as long as your pan is.
14. Seal edges.
15. Gently put rolled strudel into the pan Bake at 350* for about 45-55 min.
16. Until golden brown.
17. There are other fillings like cheese, cabbage, sweet or sour cherries, raisins/nuts can be added to the apples, even meats have been done with this dough.
18. I prefer the apple and cheese myself.

Reviews

[Dr.JenLeddy]

Doh, if I'd seen this I would not have posted my "Munich Apple Strudel" recipe. They are basically the same, my Munich one is a smaller portion size, 1 instead of 3. As others noted, mine calls for rum soaked raisins and dotting sour a layer of sour cream over the butter and under the fruit/nut filling. I also boil a cup of cream with a cup of milk and add some cinnamon pouring this over the strudel when I put it in the oven to bake, this is absorbed and makes for a heavenly heavy rich strudel. Here is a picture. It gets rave reviews from my Munich born husband and our American friends.

[BrentE]

Try adding about 1/2 tablespoon distilled white vinegar to the dough if it tears too easily while pulling it thin. It seems to make it stretch easier. Also, add about 1/2 inch of heavy cream to the baking pan right before you put it in the oven. Makes it sinfully rich. I like it with yellow raisins and apples for the filling, just like my Bavarian grandmother used to make.