Croatian Cheese Strudel Recipes

CROATIAN CHEESE STRUKLI

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Brush the bottom and sides of a 9 X 13 inch baking dish with 1 tablespoon melted butter.
• Pour flour, 1 teaspoon salt, 1 egg, 1 1/2 tablespoon melted butter, and 2/3 cup water in a stand mixer bowl. Attach the bread hook and mix on low for 5 minutes, until the ingredients come together into a smooth tacky ball. Let the mixer run another 2-3 minute to knead the dough. If it seems too dry (not sticky) add 1-2 additional tablespoons of water. Brush the remaining butter around the dough ball and on the sides of the bowl. Then cover with plastic and let the dough rest for at least 15 minutes.
• Meanwhile, in a separate bowl mix the cottage cheese, sour cream, 1 1/2 cups shredded white cheddar, 4 eggs, thyme, garlic powder, nutmeg, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon ground pepper together.
• Divide the dough into 4 equal pieces. Lay one piece at a time on a clean work surface. Roll and stretch the dough into a 9 X 13 inch rectangle. (No need to flour the surface.) The dough should be thin enough to see light through it. Spread one-quarter of the cheese mixture over the dough. Then starting on a short end, gently fold the dough over 1 1/2 - 2 inches at a time, until it's rolled into a loose log. Carefully lift the log by the ends and lay it in the prepared baking dish.
• Repeat with the remaining dough and cheese mixture. Once four logs are arranged in the baking dish, gently cut each log into 4 equal pieces. Pour half-and-half over the top and sprinkle on the remaining shredded cheddar.
• Bake for 45-50 minutes, until the tops are puffy and golden, even in the center of the pan. Cut and serve!

ZAGORSKI ŠTRUKLI RECIPE (ZAGORJE CHEESE STRUKLI)

Steps:

• Make the dough: mix together the flour and salt and then pour in warm water, vinegar, and oil. Knead the dough with hands until it's smooth-it should be smooth and elastic, not too soft and sticky. Brush the dough with oil and cover and place in a warm spot for 30 minutes
• Prepare the filling: Mix together the fresh cottage cheese, sour cream, salt, and pepper
• Take a clean tablecloth and dust with some flour. Roll out the dough with a rolling pin until thin and then begin stretching it with your palms and tip of your fingers. Stretch it from the middle until you make it very thin, almost that you can see through it. Cut out thick edges
• Sprinkle the dough with melted butter. Put the filling over the one side of the dough. Roll it, using the tablecloth
• Using your hands, separate the dough into equal parts and cut them with a plate. Cutting with a plate is a great way to firmly seal the edges and ensure the filling doesn't pour out
• Cook the strukli in heated and salted water for around 2-3 minutes until they float to the top. (Just like gnocchi)
• You can serve the strukli when cooked in the salted water - though there are also a few other ways of serving them. One way is to bake the strukli covered with sour cream for 15 minutes on 200C, alternately heat a little butter in a pan with some breadcrumbs and add the strukli to the pan for a minute just enough time to coat them with buttery crumbs

TRADITIONAL CROATIAN BAKED STRUKLI

Steps:

• Make the dough: this is the traditional way, but you can make it with your stand mixer too: Sift flour combined with salt onto clean working surface and make indentation in the middle. Put one egg into that indentation, add oil and combine all ingredients using fork. Mix some lukewarm water with vinegar and gradually add to the dough, until it all comes together. Knead the dough with hands until it's smooth-it should be smooth and elastic, not too soft and sticky. Divide dough into three equal parts, brush each with oil and cover with warm pot. Leave for 30 minutes.
• While the dough rests, prepare the filling: Mix softened butter with fresh cottage cheese, add eggs, sour cream, salt and pepper.
• Take a clean tablecloth and dust with some flour. Put 1 part of the dough onto it, roll out with rolling pin until thin and then begin stretching it with your palms. Be gentle and patient, stretch it from the middle. Don't stress out if it breaks. The dough should be thin, but for strukli you don't need to make it too thin (like when making strudel). Cut out thick edges. It's good to leave the dough for 15 minutes to dry slightly, but you can skip this step if you're in a hurry. Then sprinkle it with some melted butter. Brush the filling over the dough-brush only half of the dough. Roll it, using tablecloth-take a look at the video in the link above for this. Using your hands, separate the dough into equal parts and cut them with a plate. We do this instead of using knife in order to firmly seal the edges and ensure the filling doesn't pour out of strukli.
• Take a baking pan, brush it with some butter and assemble strukli in it.
• Preheat oven to 200 C.
• Make the topping: combine sour cream with some salt and pour it over strukli. Place a couple of cubes of butter on top and finish with some grated cheese. Bake for about 40 minutes, until nicely golden. Let cool slightly and serve warm.