Cottage cheese strudel

After learning to make štruklji from Blaž’s grandma, she offered to teach and make together Cottage cheese strudel. It is similar to štruklji, but a richer and flavorful filling. And it is baked. Like all strudel, the basic part is making the pulled dough. After the previous session with štruklji, I was a bit more experienced with pulled dough. However, after spreading the filling and rolling the strudel, it was a very delicate thing to handle. Baked crisp brown and dusted with sugar, it was waiting on the counter for us to finish the lunch. Though lunch had also something my favorite, I could barely wait for it to finish. The strudel had a tempting smell. It was delicious. And delicious. I could not believe it would be so good. I could hardly stop myself from eating. And I guess I ate most of it. I can say, it is surely one of my best Slovene dish.

You can print the recipe for your kitchen here: PRINTABLE RECIPE

INGREDIENTS:

(Makes around 12 pieces)

Dough:

250g flour (for yeast/pulled dough)
1sp salt
3tbsp oil
160ml water
Oil for smearing

Filling:
1/2kg cottage cheese
300ml sour cream
100g sugar
50g vanila sugar
100g raisins
Lemon rind
3 egg yolks
3 egg whites

Vanila sugar powder for dusting

METHOD:

1. Mix the ingredients of dough to make a soft dough. Smear it with oil. Let it wait for 30-40mins.
2. Cover a table with cloth and dust with flour. Roll the dough into a big circle, and then smear it with oil.
3. Slowly and gently start pulling the dough from center to outside. Pull it uniformly until it is around 140×80cm big and paper thin.
4. Let it wait and in the meantime prepare the filling.
5. Mix cottage cheese till it is smoot. Add the cream and mix well.
6. Separately beat the egg white until stiff. Add 1/2 of the sugar and fold gently.
7. In another bowl, beat the egg yolk and 1/2 of the sugar till almost stiff.
8. Add the egg yolk in the cottage cheese and mix well.
9. Add the egg white and fold in gently.
10. Add the washed raisins and lemon rind, and fold in gently.
11. Spread the mixture evenly over the whole pulled dough sheet.
12. Fold 3 sides and roll it into a log lengthwise (from the folded to the open side).
13. Smear it with oil and carefully put it on a baking tray.
14. Bake in a preheated oven at 200°C for 45 mins. (When half done, the temperature can be lowered to 180°C).
15. Dust it generously with vanila sugar and serve warm.

NOTE:
Use a cloth for pulling the dough into a sheet. Later while rolling, gently hold up one side of the cloth and let it roll on its own.
The rolled strudel is very delicate and soft and needs careful handling.

Štruklji (Struklji)

Štruklji, the simple dumplings are one of the traditional Slovene foods I really enjoy. It is a very basic and traditional Slovene preparation. I have had it with only cottage cheese filling at Blaž’s grandma. And be it cooked with crunchy breadcrumbs on top or baked, I love it both. She cooks it mostly on Fridays for lunch, and often times I am happy to join in for it. I sort of knew the basic recipe and method to make it. But still I wished to learn it from her first hand. Somehow, I believe these are those old recipes need to be preserved so that later I do not have to look in the internet to know how to cook it. Grandmas’ recipes are something that should be learnt, and should not be allowed to get lost. So one Saturday morning I was finally with her trying to make štruklji from scratch. Making the pulled dough needs practice and technique and I was amazed to realize how she does it often alone. It was fun making it with her, and later eating it. I definitely need more practice, but now at least I can say that I know and understand the techniques, and have her recipe..

You can print the recipe for your kitchen here: PRINTABLE RECIPE

INGREDIENTS:

(Makes around 10 pieces of either of the types)

Dough:
250g flour (for yeast/pulled dough)
1sp salt
3tbsp oil
Oil for smearing

For cooked štruklji: 1egg + 100 ml warm water
For baked štruklji: 150 ml warm water

Filling:
250g cottage cheese
1/2cup sour cream
1/2 egg

Topping for cooked štruklji: 1/2cup breadcrumbs (or as desired) fried in 2tbsp oil

MEHOD:

1. Mix all the ingredients and make a soft dough. Cover it with oil and wait for 30 mins.
2. Cover a table with cloth and dust with flour. Roll the dough into a big circle, and then smear it with oil.
3. Slowly and gently start pulling the dough from center to outside. Pull it uniformly until it is around 140×80cm big and paper thin.

For cooked štruklji:

4. Mix the ingredients of the filling to get a smooth consistency.
5. Spread it uniformly over half of the pulled dough sheet.
6. Fold 3 sides and roll it into a log lengthwise (starting from folded side to open side).
7. Cut with a wooden knife into 10 pieces around 14cm each.
8. In a pot heat salt water.
9. When the water starts boiling, gently put in the štruklji pieces and cook for around 20 mins.
10. Gently take each piece out using a straiing ladle and put on serving dish.
11. Generously spread freshly fried breadcrumbs on top and serve hot.

For baked štruklji:

4. Let the pulled dough wait a bit allowing it to dry and in the meantime prepare the filling.
5. Mix the ingredients of the filling to get a smooth consistency.
6. Sprinkle a bit of sugar on the pulled dough sheet and then cover half of it uniformly with the filling.
7. Fold 3 sides and roll it into a log lengthwise (starting from folded side to open side).
8. Cut into 10 pieces (around 14cm each) with a wooden knife.
9. Bake in a preheated oven at 180°C for 45 mins.
10.Serve warm or cold.

NOTE:
Measurements are for any one type of štruklji
Use a cloth for pulling the dough into a sheet. Later while rolling, gently hold up one side of the cloth and let it roll on its own.
To cut the log into pieces, press with hand first and then cut with knife.