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1
Combine the flour, warm water, oil, and vinegar in a bowl and work together until a rough dough forms, then turn onto a work surface and knead vigorously for 8–10 minutes. The vinegar is there to relax the dough so it will eventually stretch paper-thin without fighting you. The dough is ready when it is smooth, supple, and springs back slowly when pressed with a finger.
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2
Shape the dough into a ball, brush lightly with oil, wrap, and rest at room temperature for at least 30 minutes, because the oil coating keeps the surface from drying and cracking as it rests. An under-rested dough will resist every attempt to stretch it and tear at the first thin point.
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3
Melt 50 g butter in a wide pan over medium heat, add the breadcrumbs, and toast, stirring constantly, until they are deep golden and smell nutty. This step matters because golden, butter-soaked breadcrumbs laid beneath the filling will drink up the apple juices during baking, so the pastry beneath stays crisp rather than sodden. The colour is the cue: pale breadcrumbs will not protect the pastry.
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4
Combine the sliced apples, drained raisins, pine nuts, sugar, and cinnamon in a bowl, then fold through the toasted breadcrumbs. Set aside.
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5
Lay a large clean cloth on the work surface and flour it lightly, then place the rested dough at the centre. This is where the dish lives or dies: using the backs of your hands and fists held beneath the dough rather than your fingertips, stretch the dough gently outward from the centre, working all around, so the pressure is broad and even and the dough thins without puncturing. Continue until you have a large, even sheet translucent enough to read a newspaper through, then trim any thick border edges with scissors — a sheet that tears in more than one place or remains opaque has not been stretched sufficiently.
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6
Brush the stretched dough evenly with approximately half the melted 60 g butter, which helps the layers separate and colour distinctly as they bake. Mound the apple filling in a log along one of the shorter edges, leaving a 4 cm border at the sides, then use the cloth as an aid to lift the edge nearest the filling and roll the strudel away from you into a compact cylinder, tucking the side borders in as you go. The roll should feel firm and even when you press it gently along its length.
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7
Transfer the strudel seam-side down onto a buttered or lined baking sheet, placing it seam-side down so the weight of the roll seals the join and the cylinder holds its shape through the oven. Brush the outside generously with the remaining melted butter and bake at 180 °C until the pastry is deeply and evenly golden across the entire surface and the layers are shatteringly crisp when tapped lightly with a fingernail.
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8
Remove from the oven, dust immediately and generously with icing sugar, then slice and serve warm. The filling should be soft, fragrant, and barely holding together.