Zagorski Štrukli
Thin rolled dough filled with fresh cottage cheese, baked until golden under a blanket of cream. A Zagreb and Zagorje classic.
- prep
- 45 min
- cook
- 40 min
- total
- 1 h 25 min
- serves
- 6
- level
- medium
Zagorski štrukli is the dish that put the Zagorje region on Croatia's culinary map: dough rolled paper thin, filled with fresh cheese, rolled up and baked under a blanket of sour cream.
You can boil it instead, the older method, but baked with cream poured over is richer, and it is the version most people reach for first.
Part of our 20 best Croatian recipes list.
method
Make the dough: mix the flour, egg, water, oil and salt into a soft, smooth dough. Knead for 8 to 10 minutes until elastic. Cover and rest for 30 minutes.
Mix the cheese filling: combine the fresh cheese, 200g sour cream, 2 eggs and salt until smooth and spreadable.
Roll the dough out very thin on a floured cloth, as thin as possible without tearing, into a large rectangle.
Spread the cheese filling evenly over the dough, leaving a small border.
Roll the dough up like a strudel from one long side, sealing the edge.
Cut the roll into lengths that fit a greased baking dish, and place cut side up.
Pour the remaining 300ml sour cream over the top, and dot with the melted butter.
Bake at 190°C (375°F) for 35 to 40 minutes, until golden on top.
Rest for 10 minutes before serving warm.
chef's tips
- Rolling the dough thin enough to see your hand through it is the real skill here; it should be closer to phyllo than to pasta.
- Zagorski štrukli can be boiled instead of baked, dropped into simmering water and served with just melted butter, but the baked version with cream poured over is richer and the one most people pick first.
- Fresh curd cheese, not cream cheese, is the traditional filling, though cottage cheese blended smooth is a fair substitute outside Croatia.
- This dish has protected traditional status in Croatia, and whole restaurants in the Zagorje region build their reputation on it alone.