SC - Apple Strudel recipe - very long

[TANTRALYA at aol.com]

Ok, I received more than a few requests, so I will post it to the whole list. 

First a few warnings:

1) if you have never worked with delicate doughs, please read and reread the
directions before starting.  The first time I did this recipe, I was happy I
read it to death.
2) get a clean, old, pure cotton sheet (or new muslin freshly washed without
fabric softener)
3) this recipe will work in good conditions - in order to do it in temps above
75 degrees and above 40% humidity, you need to fuddle it a bit.  The first
time it is best to do it in perfect conditions. (I keep my house at 55 degrees
during the winter, and I will not make the strudel if the temp is above 60
degrees).
4) The work surface should be about 4 1/2 feet by 5 or 6 feet.  Trust me, it
is necessary.

That having been said:

filling:
3 quarts apples, peeled and chunked
1 cup seedless raisins (optional)
1/2 cup currants (not optional if you want the true taste of my granmums
strudel)
1/4 LB almonds, blanched and chopped
1 1/2 cup sugar
3 T cinnamon
1/4 tsp fresh ground clove
1/2 tsp fresh ground nutmeg
1 tsp powdered ginger
1/2 LB butter
3 cups water

Put apples, water, and sugar in lg pot. Cook over a slow flame til the apples
begin to cook down a bit.  Add spices.  Cook about a half hour more.  The
filling will start to resemble very chunky apple sauce. I start with the
apples about an inch cubed.  Add butter and currants (and raisins if you are
using them).  When the currants plump, it is ready to have the almonds and
butter added and be poured on the dough.

dough:  
1/2 tsp salt
3 C flour
2 eggs, slightly beaten
2/3 C warm water
3 - 4 LB butter

Mix the first three ingredients.  Make a well.  Add water to well, and QUICKLY
mix dough with a knife.  Then knead dough on lightly floured board (you may
need to flour the board a few times).  Make sure you stretch the dough up and
down to make it nicely elastic, until it cleans the board. Put dough on a
floured butcher block, and cover with a clean cotton cloth.  Cover the cloth
with a warm bowl (should be near the lit stove) and let it sit about half an
hour - if it is not warm enuf, you will need to let it sit for a bit longer.
Start the over preheating to 400 degrees

Make sure that there are no breezes, and no drafts in the room.  (Also, make
sure you will have no animals or small children anywhere near you for about
half an hour. This is the critical stage and I found my kitty wanted lots of
attention just when I was elbow deep in a delicate dough!)

The filling should be about 20 minutes from being done before you start this
part.  put the clean cloth over the table, and flour it well.  Flour the
dough, roll it into a long rectangle, covering the tablecloth completely.
Butter the dough completely.  Fold the dough in thirds up the table (the 6
foot long length) You should have a nice packet of dough 2 ft long by 4ish ft
wide. Turn the dough so it is 4ft long down the 6ft side of the table.  Reroll
the dough to the full length of the table cloth.  Repeat the buttering and
folding and turning three times more.  The last time you roll out the dough,
butter the whole length EXCEPT the first foot of it.  

By this time the filling should be perfectly done.  Pour the filling on the
second foot of the dough.  The unbuttered portion will be folded over this
after you put pats of butter all over the filling,  (I warned you that this
used lots of butter!)  Now, fold the unbuttered portion of dough over the
filling.  Pick up the cloth at that end of the dough and lift it carefully up
high.  If you do it properly, the dough will roll itself up into a nice
strudel.  As I posted before, I take the rack out of the oven (before I
preheat it) and lay my four perfectly flat cookie sheets overlapped on the
shelf.  I leave about an inch of room all the way around.

Then I pinch the edges of the strudel together, carefully lay it on the cookie
sheets in a nice horseshoe.  Brush the top with melted butter (about 1/2 cup
does nicely) and make a few tiny slits in the top.  Bake it at 400 for about
half an hour, then lower it to 350 for the next half hour.  If it is not
browned and crisp, leave it in a bit longer.  You need to brush the top with
butter about every 10 minutes.

Let cool for a half hour or more before serving.  It cooks very hot, and I
have burnt my mouth on it once or twice (yes, I couldn't wait to have a bite
*blush*)

Good luck and enjoy!

Diana
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