Strudel Dough
Submitted by williard
Homemade strudel dough from scratch with just five basic ingredients. Kneaded until elastic, rested, then hand-stretched tissue-paper thin the traditional way.
YIELD
6 servingsPREP
25 minCOOK
0 minREADY
1 hrsMaking strudel dough from scratch is one of those old-world kitchen skills that feels like magic when you pull it off. Five simple ingredients, a good kneading, and patient hand-stretching transform a lump of dough into a sheet so thin you can read a newspaper through it.
The secret is in the beating. The more you knead and toss this dough, the more gluten develops, and the more it will stretch without tearing. A full hour of resting after kneading lets those gluten strands relax so they cooperate when it’s time to pull.
Once stretched, fill it with whatever your heart desires: apple and cinnamon, sweet cheese, cherry, or even a savory filling. Roll it up using the tablecloth underneath and slide it into a greased pan.
Pro Tips
- Use lukewarm water, not hot or cold. Warm water helps the gluten develop faster and makes the dough more pliable.
- Don’t skip the resting time. An hour minimum. Rushed dough will tear when you try to stretch it.
- Stretch with the backs of your hands, not your fingers. Fingertips poke holes; the flat backs of your hands spread the tension evenly.
- Work quickly once the dough is stretched. It dries out fast, and dry dough cracks instead of rolling.
Ingredients
Directions
Mix flour, butter, egg and salt.
Add lukewarm water and mix.
Place on a board and knead for 10 minutes or more; or you may toss and beat dough on the board for about 15 minutes.
The more you beat the dough the better the dough will be to work with.
Place in a greased bowl.
Cover and let rest for at least one hour.
How to stretch Strudel Dough: Spread table with a cloth large enough to hang over the sides.
Sprinkle lightly with flour and place dough in the center.
With a floured rolling pin, roll out the dough to make an 18 inch circle.
Slide hand gently below circle of dough and let the dough rest on the back of your hands with your palms down.
Now pull the center of the dough gently toward you.
Stretch and pull the dough as you walk slowly around the table.
Dough should be thin as tissue paper.
Then tear or cut off the thick outer edges, leaving about two inches of dough hanging over the sides of the table.
Now proceed to spread on the desired filling immediately.
Roll up gently by lifting the cloth and place your strudel in a well greased baking pan to bake.
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