Place the previously sifted flour, a pinch of salt, oil and lukewarm water in a deep bowl. Stir all the ingredients with a wooden spoon to connect well. Add some water if needed. Knead the dough with your hand, then transfer it to a lightly floured surface and knead it some more. Form the dough into a ball, and then “throw” it on the surface about 30 to 50 times. This results in better gluten development.
Once the dough is soft and supple, form it again into a ball and place it on a plate, coat it with oil and wrap it well with cling film. Leave to rest for about 30 minutes.
Stretch the dough on a clean tablecloth with your fingers and palm and gently oil the edges. The dough must not be dry because it can crack. You can also use a roller pin, but it is recommended to stretch it with your hands.
For the filling, cut the apricots into slices and put them in the pan with some butter. Add as much sugar as you like and vanilla (paste/pod/extract). Grate the lemon zest and put some fresh thyme. Sauté for a few minutes to let the flavours infuse and add the ground almonds to absorb all the juices. Spread this mixture over the stretched dough and roll it into a strudel. Bake at 180 degrees for 20-30 min. The secret of a good strudel is that the sheets are finely oiled when you stretch them, that you put the filling up to 3/4 of the sheet and that you brush the strudel well with butter in the oven for the last 5 minutes and let it turn golden brown.