Strudel di Mele Altoatesino

Ingredients

• 250 g plain flour
• 1 egg
• 60 ml warm water
• 40 ml sunflower oil
• pinch of fine salt
• 1 kg firm apples, such as Golden Delicious
• 80 g caster sugar
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 60 g raisins
• 2 tbsp rum
• 40 g pine nuts
• 80 g dry breadcrumbs
• 70 g unsalted butter, plus extra for brushing
• grated zest of 1 lemon
• icing sugar, to finish

Before you cook

• Soak the raisins in the rum in a small bowl.
• Knead the flour, egg, warm water, oil and salt into a smooth dough and work it for 10 minutes, until very elastic.
• Brush the dough with a little oil, cover it and rest it somewhere warm for 40 minutes.
• Peel and core the apples and slice them 3 mm thick.
• Toss the apple slices with the sugar, cinnamon and lemon zest.

Steps

1. Melt 50 g of the butter in a frying pan over medium heat.
2. Add the breadcrumbs and toast them for 5 minutes, stirring, until golden and sandy.
3. Tip the crumbs onto a plate to cool.
4. Drain the raisins and stir them into the apples along with the pine nuts.
5. Heat the oven to 180°C and line a baking tray with baking paper.
6. Spread a clean tea towel on the table and dust it with flour.
7. Roll the rested dough out on the cloth, then stretch it over the backs of your hands until it is thin enough to read print through, about 40 by 50 cm.
8. Melt the remaining butter and brush it over the whole sheet of dough.
9. Scatter the toasted crumbs over the dough, leaving a clear 4 cm border all round.
10. Pile the apple mixture along one long edge, on top of the crumbs.
11. Fold the two short sides in over the filling.
12. Lift the near edge of the cloth and use it to roll the strudel into a firm log.
13. Roll the strudel onto the lined tray with the seam underneath and curve it slightly.
14. Brush the top all over with melted butter.
15. Bake for 40 minutes, until deep gold and firm.
16. Brush the strudel with butter once more as it comes out of the oven.
17. Cool it for 20 minutes, dust heavily with icing sugar and cut into thick slices.