BASIC STRUDEL DOUGH:

1 3/4 c. twice-sifted flour
1/4 tsp. salt
1 egg
1 tsp. melted butter, slightly cooled
1/3 c. lukewarm water

Sift flour and salt into large mixing bowl. Into middle drop egg, butter and gradually water. With your hands knead dough firmly against sides of bowl, working all ingredients together as you knead, for about 20 minutes or until dough is elastic and begins to blister.

Dough should be soft but rather dry. If it is too dry, knead in a little more water. When dough seems to be soft enough, silky and elastic, throw the whole lump enthusiastically against a floured board or table cloth a few times (this helps the blistering and thus the ultimate stretchability of the dough). As you throw, for 5-10 minutes, you can work some of the excess flour from the board into the dough, to get a smooth ball that no longer sticks to your hands.

Set ball of dough on floured board, cover with a bowl that is at room temperature, and let the dough rest about 1/2 hour. Spread a tablecloth (preferably one printed with colored design) over a table at least 3 feet square; dust the cloth generously with flour. Roll out the dough, as thin as possible, on the floured cloth. Brush dough with about 1 tablespoon of melted butter. Now comes the fun part! Drape the dough over your slightly floured fists, and sort of toss and bounce it gently in all directions until it stretches and begins to hang down over your forearms. Set the dough gently down on the floured cloth again, and with slightly floured fingertips, pull the dough out gently in all directions until it is transparently thin. (The dough must be so thin that you can see perfectly the printed design of the tablecloth beneath it.)

While you are pulling out the dough this way, it is a temptation to lean one hand on the center of the dough to give yourself a firm anchorage. But resist, or the dough will stick to your hand and will leave a tragic hole in the middle of your lovely strudel. Instead of leaning, just keep walking around the table so that you can get at the dough from all sides to do your pulling out evenly.

If, despite all your care, your pulling out does produce a hole or two, patch with a thin piece from the edges of the dough. When it is all nicely pulled out, trim away the thick edges. Fill the strudel and bake as the associated strudel recipe directs.

APPLE STRUDEL:

Basic Strudel Dough
1 c. fine dry bread crumbs
3/4 c. melted butter
3 c. green apples, peeled, cored & sliced 1/4" thick (about 3 c.)
1/2 c. sugar
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 c. raisins
1/2 c. sliced blanched almonds
Powdered sugar

When dough is pulled out as thin as you can get it, and the thick edges trimmed away, stand at the front of the table and sprinkle the 2/3 of the dough nearest you with bread crumb slightly sauteed in 1/2 cup of the butter (leave the farthest third of the dough empty). Spread apples over the bread crumbs. Sprinkle apples with sugar and cinnamon, dot with raisins and almonds. Brush unfiled third of the dough with about 1 tablespoon of melted butter.

To roll up the strudel: Lift up the edge of the table cloth nearest you; gently pull it toward you, then up, then push it away from you so that it nudges the strudel to start rolling itself up. When the strudel is rolled into a log, pinch together the dough at the left and right-hand open ends of the log, and fold dough in so that the ends are tightly sealed. Carefully slide a greased baking sheet under the strudel.

On the baking sheet, curve the strudel slightly into a sort of horseshoe shape. Brush the top with 2 tablespoons of melted butter. Bake in preheated moderately hot oven (425 degrees) about 45 minutes or until golden brown. Midway during the baking, brush the strudel again with about 1 tablespoon melted butter. Serve strudel warm or cold, dusted with powdered sugar. To reheat leftover strudel (to restore crispness and fragrance), set in moderately hot oven (425 degrees) for about 10 minutes.