Zagorski Štrukli (Cheese-Filled Pastry Rolls)
Zagorski štrukli Say it: ZAH-gor-skee SHTROOK-lee
At family gatherings and holiday meals in northern Croatia’s Zagorje region and in Zagreb, Zagorski štrukli are a familiar comfort food. The dough is pulled until nearly translucent, wrapped around fresh cow’s-milk cheese, parboiled, and then finished in cream until the tops brown and the sauce bubbles. They work as an appetizer, side, or main course; this recipe yields 6 servings and can be prepared ahead for a gathering.
Zagorski Štrukli (Cheese-Filled Pastry Rolls)
Zagorski štrukli
Pronounced ZAH-gor-skee SHTROOK-lee
- Serves
- 6
- Prep
- 45 min
- Cook
- 40 min
- Total
- 1 hr 25 min
- Level
- Medium
Also nut-free.
Allergens: contains gluten, milk, egg. Check labels on packaged ingredients.
Ingredients
Amounts are scaled. Cooking times and pan sizes stay the same.
Dough
Filling
For cooking and baking
Method
For the dough, stir the flour and salt together in a wide bowl. Form a hollow in the middle, then add the eggs, oil, and half of the water. Work the mixture with your fingers or a wooden spoon, adding the remaining water as needed, until the dough is soft and a little sticky. Knead it on a floured work surface for roughly 10 minutes, until smooth and springy. Shape it into 2 balls, coat each lightly with oil, cover with a cloth, and leave at room temperature for 30 minutes.
While the dough rests, make the filling. put the farmer’s cheese, eggs, and salt in a medium bowl and beat with a fork until evenly blended and creamy. If the cheese is ricotta, let it drain in a fine-mesh sieve for at least 15 minutes before mixing.
To stretch the dough, cover a large table with a clean cotton cloth and dust the cloth heavily with flour. Set one ball in the middle and roll it out with a rolling pin until very thin. Then slide the backs of your hands under the dough and pull gently from the center toward the outside, working around the sheet, until it is almost transparent. Cut away any thick border. Do the same with the second ball.
For the filling and rolling, place half of the cheese mixture in a 3–4 inch (8–10 cm) wide band along the edge of the sheet nearest you, leaving a small margin at both ends. Use the cloth to lift and guide the dough away from you, rolling it into a firm log. Repeat with the other sheet.
Cut each log into lengths of about 3–4 inches (8–10 cm), pressing down with the rim of a thin plate or a sharp knife.
Fill a large pot with water, add 1 tsp salt, and bring to a rolling boil. Lower the štrukli into the pot in batches, waiting for the water to return to a boil. Once they rise, cook for about 3–5 minutes, until the dough is tender. Lift them out with a slotted spoon and let them drain.
Heat the oven to 375°F (190°C). Butter a baking dish that will hold the štrukli in one layer. Put the boiled rolls in the dish, pour the cream over them, and bake for 25–30 minutes, until the cream bubbles and the tops are golden with slightly crisp edges.
Serve them hot, spooning some of the cream sauce over each portion. A spoonful of sour cream can be added at the table if desired.
Regional variant: Boiled Štrukli with Onion and Paprika (kuhani štrukli sa sirom)
For a non-baked route, soften 1 small finely chopped onion in 2 tablespoons of oil. Stir in 1 teaspoon sweet paprika, 4 cups (960 ml) water, 1 teaspoon salt, and, if desired, 1 teaspoon Vegeta; bring to a boil. Add the cut štrukli and simmer for about 10 minutes. Take the pot off the heat and mix in 1 cup (240 ml) sour cream. Serve it as a creamy, soup-like main dish.
Cook's notes
- When farmer’s cheese is hard to find, whole-milk ricotta left to drain overnight works, as does dry curd cottage cheese. Wet cottage cheese is not suitable because it makes the filling runny.
- A well-rested dough and a flour-dusted tablecloth give the thinnest sheets; the cloth supports the dough as it is pulled without rips.
- The rolls can go straight from boiling into the oven, or they can be boiled first and kept in the refrigerator for up to 2 days before baking.
Serve with
Bring them to the table warm, with more sour cream alongside and a crisp green salad. A dry white wine such as Graševina is a common Croatian pairing.
Make ahead and storage
After boiling but before baking, the štrukli keep in the refrigerator for up to 2 days or in the freezer for up to 1 month. If frozen, thaw them first, set them in a buttered dish, cover with cream, and bake as the recipe directs, allowing 10 extra minutes in the oven.
