Prepare the filling

• Pour 1 cup of very hot water over the raisins. Set aside for 30 minutes to plump. Drains the raisins, discarding the water.
• Preheat the oven to 375 °F. Line a half sheet baking pan with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
• Peel and core 1 ½ lbs apples. Quarter and slice the apples to ¼" thick. In a large bowl, combine the apples with 4 oz granulated sugar, ¼ teaspoon table salt, 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice, 1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest and the plumped raisins. Toss to combine.
• Unroll the Phyllo sheets and cover them with a damp paper towel so they don't dry out. Lay a clean kitchen towel that is larger than the baking sheet on your work surface. Lay a sheet of Phyllo on the towel with the long side facing you.
• Lightly brush the dough with melted butter then sprinkle a teaspoon of granulated sugar over the butter. Top with another layer of phyllo. Brush that layer of dough with butter and sprinkle with a teaspoon of sugar.
• Continue adding layers of dough with butter and sugar until all the sheets are used.
• Sprinkle 1 ½ oz dry bread crumbs in a 4” wide strip across the bottom third of the pastry. Leave a 2” border on either end. Pour the apple filling over the bread crumbs in an even layer.
• Starting from the side closest to you, use the kitchen towel to fold the dough over the apples. Fold in the two ends then continue rolling the strudel like a burrito. Use the opposite side of the towel to flip the strudel so the seam side is up.
• Use the towel to lift the strudel then flip the strudel off the towel onto the baking sheet, seam side down. Use your hands to tuck in the ends and straighten out the strudel. Brush the top of the strudel with more melted butter. At this point the assembled strudel can be refrigerated overnight or frozen for up to a month.
• Bake until the strudel is deeply golden brown and the apples in the middle are tender, approximately 40 minutes. Poke a toothpick in the middle to see if the apples are tender. If you put the strudel in cold from the refrigerator you may need to add 5-10 minutes to the baking time.
• Cool on the baking pan for at least 30 minutes then transfer the strudel to a cutting board. Use a serrated knife with a sawing motion and, working on a slight angle, slice off the ragged the ends of the strudel. These can be discarded or eaten. Slice 10 equal portions. Sprinkle generously with confectioner’s sugar and transfer to a serving tray.