Breakfast Strudel

I saw this bacon, egg and cheese breakfast strudel on Barbara's blog for her Daring Bakers entry. Her fruit version didn't quite work out to plan and determined, she awoke the next morning to give this version a go - an attitude I fully understand. The strudel itself is delicious, like a Quiche Lorraine. I knew that I'd love this and with the long weekend coming up I wanted to make this for a brunch. I'm not crazy enough to suggest you get up at 7am to make this.

I remember the first time I heard of muffins for breakfast. I wasn't fooled, I knew it was a way for people to acceptably eat cake for breakfast and it's a notion that I still eschew to this day. I can eat pancakes or other sweet things but I draw the line at eating cakes aka muffins for breakfast. Morning tea and afternoon tea is fine but I feel that it's too much for breakfast. To me, it's a little like buying a Snuggie. That signals the beginning of the end, giving up if you will. Apologies to all Snuggie owners, but you need to know that it looks like a cult outfit ;)

Serving this around 11am seems like a more normal time. And no Snuggies involved I promise ;)

Tell me Dear Reader, what's your favourite Long Weekend brunch meal? Pancakes? Scrambled eggs? Eggs Benedict? Or something more exciting altogether?

Breakfast Strudel

• 1 lot of strudel dough (see below)

For filling

• 3 boiled eggs

• 1 cup grated cheese plus 1/2 cup to sprinkle on top

• 4 rashers of middle bacon

• 6 eggs

Plus

• 1/2 cup (1 stick / 115 g) unsalted butter, melted, divided into two

• 1 1/2 cups (350 ml) fresh bread crumbs

Step 1 - Heat 3 tablespoons of the butter in a large skillet over medium-high. Add the breadcrumbs and cook whilst stirring until golden and toasted. This will take about 3 minutes. Let it cool completely.

Step 2 - Mix filling ingredients (eggs, boiled eggs, cheese and bacon) together (except for the 1/2 cup of cheese to sprinkle).

Step 3 - Put the rack in the upper third of the oven and preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C). Line a large baking sheet with baking paper (parchment paper). Make the strudel dough as described below. Spread about 3 tablespoons of the remaining melted butter over the dough using your hands (a bristle brush could tear the dough, you could use a special feather pastry brush instead of your hands but I used a silicon one and there were no problems with tearing). Sprinkle the buttered dough with the bread crumbs. Spread the cheese mixture about 3 inches (8 cm) from the short edge of the dough in a 6-inch-(15cm)-wide strip (as my filling wasn't very solid it spread).

Step 4 - Fold the short end of the dough onto the filling. Lift the tablecloth at the short end of the dough so that the strudel rolls onto itself. Transfer the strudel to the prepared baking sheet by lifting it. Curve it into a horseshoe to fit. Tuck the ends under the strudel. Brush the top with the remaining melted butter.

Step 5 - Bake the strudel for about 20 minutes or until it is light golden brown.  Sprinkle with cheese and bake for another 5-8 minutes. Use a serrated knife and serve either warm or at room temperature. It is best on the day it is baked.

Strudel Dough:

from “Kaffeehaus – Exquisite Desserts from the Classic Cafés of Vienna, Budapest and Prague” by Rick Rodgers

• 1 1/3 cups (200 g) unbleached flour

• 1/8 teaspoon salt

• 7 tablespoons (105 ml) water, plus more if needed

• 2 tablespoons (30 ml) vegetable oil, plus additional for coating the dough

• 1/2 teaspoon cider vinegar

Step 1 - Combine the flour and salt in a stand-mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix the water, oil and vinegar in a measuring cup. Add the water/oil mixture to the flour with the mixer on low speed. You will get a soft dough. Make sure it is not too dry, add a little more water if necessary. Take the dough out of the mixer. Change to the dough hook. Put the dough ball back in the mixer. Let the dough knead on medium until you get a soft dough ball with a somewhat rough surface.

Step 2 - Take the dough out of the mixer and continue kneading by hand on an unfloured work surface. Knead for about 2 minutes. Pick up the dough and throw it down hard onto your working surface occasionally.

Shape the dough into a ball and transfer it to a plate. Oil the top of the dough ball lightly. Cover the ball tightly with plastic wrap. Allow to stand for 30-90 minutes (longer is better). I let it rest overnight.

Step 3 - It would be best if you have a work area that you can walk around on all sides like a 36 inch (90 cm) round table or a work surface of 23 x 38 inches (60 x 100 cm). Cover your working area with table cloth - I didn’t have a tablecloth or a plastic sheet so I used a large butcher’s apron anchored down with what I could find (a ceramic canister and a bottle of drink) and I tucked the ends into the drawer. Dust it with flour and rub it into the fabric. Put your dough ball in the middle and roll it out as much as you can.

Pick the dough up by holding it by an edge. This way the weight of the dough and gravity can help stretching it as it hangs. Using the back of your hands to gently stretch and pull the dough. You can use your forearms to support it.

Step 4 - The dough will become too large to hold. Put it on your work surface. Leave the thicker edge of the dough to hang over the edge of the table. Place your hands underneath the dough and stretch and pull the dough thinner using the backs of your hands. Stretch and pull the dough until it’s about 2 feet (60 cm) wide and 3 feet (90 cm) long, it will be tissue-thin by this time. Cut away the thick dough around the edges with scissors. The dough is now ready to be filled.

There are more tips on the dough on my original Daring Bakers Strudel story here.