Apple Strudel ('Apfelstrudel')

Prepare the strudel dough:

In a mixing bowl, combine all the ingredients for the dough. For such a small amount of dough, it's best to knead it by hand. Knead the dough for 10-15 minutes. You need to develop a strong gluten network so that the dough won't tear when you pull it out. Generously oil the surface of your kneaded dough and cover with plastic wrap. Let it rest for at least 30 minutes at room temperature.

Prepare the filling:

Heat the butter over medium heat in a small nonstick pan. Add the bread crumbs and toast them in the hot butter until lightly golden, about 3-4 minutes.

In a mixing bowl, combine the bread crumbs, apples, raisins, sugar, lemon juice, and cinnamon. Season the filling with a touch of salt and adjust to your desired sweetness and acidity level by adding extra lemon juice or sugar.

Assemble your strudel:

Preheat your oven to 320°F (160 °C) on the convection setting.

You will need a large work surface covered with kitchen towels to stretch out the dough. Lightly flour the kitchen towels, then take your dough and roll it out with a rolling pin as thin as possible. Pick up the dough with your knuckles and rotate it around in a circular motion as if stretching out pizza dough. The dough needs to be stretched out as thin as paper. It needs to be transparent. You should be able to read a newspaper through it. Stop stretching out your dough just before it is about to break. Place it back on your kitchen towels and stretch the sides with your hands to shape it into a rectangle. Brush generously with melted butter.

Spread out the filling on top of your dough in one even layer. Roll the dough into one large roll as if making cinnamon rolls. You do that by lifting the dough from the back with your kitchen towel. Lightly wet the edge pieces of the dough with water to seal your strudel. Carefully pick it up with your hands and transfer the strudel to a parchment-lined baking sheet. Generously brush the strudel again with melted butter before baking.

Bake your strudel:

Bake your strudel in the middle rack of your pre-heated oven for about 45 minutes, or until the crust is lightly golden and crisp. It will take a long time for the crust to develop because at first, the moisture from the filling will steam the crust before it can crisp-up.

Take your baked strudel out of the oven and brush it with melted butter. Generously sprinkle the strudel with powdered sugar while still hot. Let it rest for at least 20 minutes before slicing. The crust will lose some of its crispiness while the strudel rests. If that's an issue for you, then you can place the individual pieces back in the oven for 5 minutes to crisp them back up before serving. Apple strudel can be eaten warm or cold. Serve it plain or with vanilla sauce and cream on the side.