Thinking about laminated pastries

[Mike Nolan]

Based on a recommendation in the BBGA forum, I've been reading Jimmy Griffin's book "The Art of Lamination" lately.

This is not a big book, under 200 pages, but it covers its subject well, and there are several dozen types of pastries covered.

He also has a Youtube channelJimmy Griffin Youtube If I have any complaint about both the book and the Youtube channel, it is that both could use more start-to-finish examples. It took me several readings to figure out how he does his signature multicolored laminated doughs. The info is there, but you have to read it carefully, he tends to be pretty terse in his explanations.

I've got a new workarea downstairs for prepping things like laminated doughs, a free-standing stainless steel work table. I'm hoping to test it out in the next few weeks, possibly some chocolatines. At 24 x 48, I'm not sure if it is quite big enough to attempt strudel dough, though.

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[BakerAunt]

I'm looking forward to the reports and pictures.

[Mike Nolan]

The had some new crop Jonagolds at the store today, they're supposed to be a good cooking apple if they're fresh (they get mushy when stored), so I may be trying something, possibly strudel dough, tomorrow.

I found a strudel recipe that looks like it will fit on my new work table.

[BakerAunt]

Every year, my high school German club held an Apfelstrudel Social fundraiser. Frau Hodjera, who was from Germany, had us peeling and slicing apples. When the time came to make the dough, we had a sheet on a large table, and people would be distributed around the table to pull the dough out as thin as possible before the apples, sugar, and cinnamon(?) were put in and the the dough shaped as a horse shoe. We also made homemade vanilla ice cream to go with it. We sold it by the slice--with one to be auctioned off. Frau Hodjera ALWAYS bid the highest and took it home with her.

[Mike Nolan]

My wife helped her mother make apple strudel dough during the preparation of the Nebraska Centennial Cookbook, which her mother edited, testing nearly every recipe. She said they used the largest table in the house and the dough nearly reached the floor anyway.

The recipe I'm planning to use (from Lil Vienna) uses just 1 cup of flour, vs the 2 1/2 cups in the recipes in Centennial Cookbook, and based on the pictures it looks like it should fit on my work table.

[chocomouse]

BE sure to take pictures, Mike. I'd love to see this!

[Mike Nolan]

I've got several pictures, not sure how good the lighting is on them, my work table is in the basement and there are no overhead lights in that section.

The strudel is in the oven, I'll wait until it is out to post pictures.

First reaction is that the amount of dough and filling weren't in balance, maybe I didn't stretch it far enough but it was definitely thin enough to read through, and it wasn't stretching much further without tearing. It seemed like there was too much filling for the amount of dough, next time I'll be tempted to increase the amount of dough and decrease the amount of filling. (I used 2 pounds of apples before peeling and coring.)

It was quite a bit of work, but many things are a lot harder until you master the techniques. It may be a while before I try it again, it kind of depends on how we like this one and when I can get more of the right kind of apples.

I did not use the bedsheet/tablecloth method, next time I think I will, that might make rolling it up a bit easier. (Having less filling would likely help, too.)

[Mike Nolan]

Well, it won't win any awards for best looking strudel, but boy it really smelled great while baking and the taste is excellent, too.

I'd make this again, possibly decreasing the amount of filling or increasing the amount of dough.

We got 11-12 slices, my wife's carb estimator puts it at about 20 grams of carbs per slice, which isn't bad as desserts go. (But then we had two pieces, one with ice cream.)

Strudel is often topped with powdered sugar, but I did a simple syrup glaze on it right after it came out of the oven.

The next post will have some work-in-process photos.

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[Mike Nolan]

I started by rolling the dough out with a rolling pin as far as it would go:

Then I stretched it as much as I could. I think if I had used the tablecloth/bedsheet method I could probably have stretched it a little further, and it would almost certainly have made rolling it up a little easier.

Half of it gets coated with melted butter, the other half gets the toasted bread crumbs, sugar and cinnamon mix on the bottom and the apples and raisins on top of that. The sides are tucked in a little to help keep the filling from falling out.

The hardest part was rolling it up, a number of apple slices fell off the table in the process, but I did eventually get it rolled up and transferred to the baking sheet.

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[RiversideLen]

I can almost smell it, Mike, it looks fine to me!

[Mike Nolan]

At times I really wish there was a way to capture the aroma, this one smelled SO good, better than an apple pie does!

My wife's home office is off the master bedroom, when she came out during baking she said the smell was so good she wasn't sure she'd be able to stand to go back to her office. (We keep the door to the bedroom hall closed because our cat is no longer allowed down there.)

A lot of apple strudel recipes include nuts and we even had a discussion yesterday about what kind of nuts to use, leaning towards almonds, but this recipe doesn't call for nuts, and I didn't even notice that until after we'd already eaten two slices each.

[Joan Simpson]

The strudel looks nice to me,I know it was good.

[BakerAunt]

I'll have a slice with my morning coffee, please.

[Mike Nolan]

I had a slice with my mid-morning tea, it was just fine.

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