note- problems with uploading photos while traveling. I'll add them tomorrow.
update- photos are up, weeks behind. Sorry! There was more travelling and family emergencies!
DARING BAKERS - MAY CHALLENGE
The May Daring Baker's Challenge challenge was hosted by Linda of make life sweeter! and Courtney of Coco Cooks. They chose Apple Strudel from the recipe book Kaffeehaus: Exquisite Desserts from the Classic Cafés of Vienna, Budapest and Prague by Rick Rodgers.
This is my first month participating in the Daring Bakers, and it was a fun challenge. I've never made strudel before, but have played with some other pastries and thought this would be a good one to add to the repertoire. It was also a great challenge because we were encouraged to play with fillings, etc, which allowed me to use ingredients I had on hand. I ended up making a double batch of the dough in case there was a steep learning curve, which allowed me to make a variety of flavours. Also, I was trying to make some with no sugar for the diabetics in my life, and in the end the almost-sugarless pastry with just some fruits was a pretty great dessert for the sugar conscious folks.
I'll copy the recipe below, but first I'll outline some of the changes I made.
- Instead of one big strudel per recipe, I did two small strudels. I found it easier to work with the dough this way since I had limited space, and I also really wanted to try more than one flavour but didn't have time to do multiple batches over more days.
- I couldn't find bread crumbs and was on far too tight a time line to make any or run to the store. The concept behind the bread crumbs is that when they're in between the layers of pastry, the pastry bakes up in flaky layers instead of one giant layer. So I substituted a mixture of flour and brown sugar, hoping the flour would keep the layers separate. It did an ok job, but I'd like to try again with the bread crumbs.
- I had no apples in the house (slightly shocking, I know) but had various frozen fruits and so made two strawberry/peach strudels, one mixed berry strudel, and one chocolate/caramel/pecan strudel.
I positively loved the chocolate/caramel/pecan strudel- more so when it was still warm from the oven than the next day, as it lost much of the gooeyness overnight. (It's the first picture in this post). The strawberry/peach was great, though it somehow was completely eaten before I could get a camera turned on. The mixed berry was good, but not my personal favourite. It was really the flavour that I made for Mom, and she quite loved it.
- You know that old adage, 'practice makes perfect'? Well, the opposite seems to apply to me. My first strudel was the best, and they got messier and leaked more as I went on.
Anyways, all in all it was a fun challenge, and I was surprised to learn how easy it could actually be to make strudel. I now have grand plans for all kinds of other strudels and though my first was better than my last, I think that the more experience I get working with the dough, the better the end result will be. Thanks to Linda and Courtney for hosting the challenge. I can't wait for next month!
The recipe that was provided is as follows:
Apple Strudel
Preparation time
Total: 2 hours 15 minutes – 3 hours 30 minutes
15-20 min to make dough
30-90 min to let dough rest/to prepare the filling
20-30 min to roll out and stretch dough
10 min to fill and roll dough
30 min to bake
30 min to cool
Apple strudel
from “Kaffeehaus – Exquisite Desserts from the Classic Cafés of Vienna, Budapest and Prague” by Rick Rodgers
2 tablespoons (30 ml) golden rum
3 tablespoons (45 ml) raisins
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon (80 g) sugar
1/2 cup (1 stick / 115 g) unsalted butter, melted, divided
1 1/2 cups (350 ml) fresh bread crumbs
strudel dough (recipe below)
1/2 cup (120 ml, about 60 g) coarsely chopped walnuts
2 pounds (900 g) tart cooking apples, peeled, cored and cut into ¼ inch-thick slices (use apples that hold their shape during baking)
1. Mix the rum and raisins in a bowl. Mix the cinnamon and sugar in another bowl.
2. Heat 3 tablespoons of the butter in a large skillet over medium-high. Add the breadcrumbs and cook whilst stirring until golden and toasted. This will take about 3 minutes. Let it cool completely.
3. Put the rack in the upper third of the oven and preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C). Line a large baking sheet with baking paper (parchment paper). Make the strudel dough as described below. Spread about 3 tablespoons of the remaining melted butter over the dough using your hands (a bristle brush could tear the dough, you could use a special feather pastry brush instead of your hands). Sprinkle the buttered dough with the bread crumbs. Spread the walnuts about 3 inches (8 cm) from the short edge of the dough in a 6-inch-(15cm)-wide strip. Mix the apples with the raisins (including the rum), and the cinnamon sugar. Spread the mixture over the walnuts.
4. Fold the short end of the dough onto the filling. Lift the tablecloth at the short end of the dough so that the strudel rolls onto itself. Transfer the strudel to the prepared baking sheet by lifting it. Curve it into a horseshoe to fit. Tuck the ends under the strudel. Brush the top with the remaining melted butter.
5. Bake the strudel for about 30 minutes or until it is deep golden brown. Cool for at least 30 minutes before slicing. Use a serrated knife and serve either warm or at room temperature. It is best on the day it is baked.
Strudel dough
from “Kaffeehaus – Exquisite Desserts from the Classic Cafés of Vienna, Budapest and Prague” by Rick Rodgers
1 1/3 cups (200 g) unbleached flour
1/8 teaspoon salt
7 tablespoons (105 ml) water, plus more if needed
2 tablespoons (30 ml) vegetable oil, plus additional for coating the dough
1/2 teaspoon cider vinegar
1. Combine the flour and salt in a stand-mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix the water, oil and vinegar in a measuring cup. Add the water/oil mixture to the flour with the mixer on low speed. You will get a soft dough. Make sure it is not too dry, add a little more water if necessary.
Take the dough out of the mixer. Change to the dough hook. Put the dough ball back in the mixer. Let the dough knead on medium until you get a soft dough ball with a somewhat rough surface.
2. Take the dough out of the mixer and continue kneading by hand on an unfloured work surface. Knead for about 2 minutes. Pick up the dough and throw it down hard onto your working surface occasionally.
Shape the dough into a ball and transfer it to a plate. Oil the top of the dough ball lightly. Cover the ball tightly with plastic wrap. Allow to stand for 30-90 minutes (longer is better).
3. It would be best if you have a work area that you can walk around on all sides like a 36 inch (90 cm) round table or a work surface of 23 x 38 inches (60 x 100 cm). Cover your working area with table cloth, dust it with flour and rub it into the fabric. Put your dough ball in the middle and roll it out as much as you can.
Pick the dough up by holding it by an edge. This way the weight of the dough and gravity can help stretching it as it hangs. Using the back of your hands to gently stretch and pull the dough. You can use your forearms to support it.
4. The dough will become too large to hold. Put it on your work surface. Leave the thicker edge of the dough to hang over the edge of the table. Place your hands underneath the dough and stretch and pull the dough thinner using the backs of your hands. Stretch and pull the dough until it's about 2 feet (60 cm) wide and 3 feet (90 cm) long, it will be tissue-thin by this time. Cut away the thick dough around the edges with scissors. The dough is now ready to be filled.
Tips
- Ingredients are cheap so we would recommend making a double batch of the dough, that way you can practice the pulling and stretching of the dough with the first batch and if it doesn't come out like it should you can use the second batch to give it another try;
- The tablecloth can be cotton or polyester;
- Before pulling and stretching the dough, remove your jewellery from hands and wrists, and wear short-sleeves;
- To make it easier to pull the dough, you can use your hip to secure the dough against the edge of the table;
- Few small holes in the dough is not a problem as the dough will be rolled, making (most of) the holes invisible.
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