Ingredients
Equipment
Method
Strudel Dough
- Add plain flour and salt to a stand mixer with a flat beater.
- Mix the water, egg, oil and lemon juice into a jug.
- On a low speed add enough liquid to form a dough and continue mixing with adding a small addition of the liquid until the dough is silky smooth and stretchy with gluten developed well.
- Knead the dough vigorously for 8 to 10 minutes until it is smooth and elastic.
- Shape it into a ball, brush it lightly with oil, cover it with a warm bowl, and let it rest for 30 minutes.
Cheese Filling
- Separate the eggs.
- Beat together the cream cheese, softened butter, sugar and egg yolks until smooth then fold in the quark.
- Add in the lemon rind and semolina. Fold in the sultanas just at the end.
- Whip the egg whites until just under medium. Fold together with the cheese filling.
- Add the cherry jam and fold through
Stretching the dough
- Lightly dust the bench.Place the rested dough in the center and roll it out slightly with a rolling pin.
- Lay a clean cotton kitchen cloth on your table and dust it lightly with flour.
- Slip the backs of your hands under the dough and gently stretch it outward from the center, moving in a circle.
- Pull the edges thin until it is paper-thin and translucent.
Rolling the strudel
- Brush the stretched dough evenly with melted butter. Sprinkle breadcrumbs over the lower half of the dough (this absorbs extra moisture).
- Spread the cheese filling over the crumb-covered section, leaving a small border at the edges.
- Cut any thick areas at the side of the dough to ensure the dough is as thin as possible
- Use the kitchen cloth to lift and roll the strudel up tightly around the filling
- Tuck the ends underneath to seal the filling inside.
- Transfer the log carefully to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, seam-side down.
- Brush the entire top generously with the remaining melted butter.
- Cut slits in the top of the pastry to allow the steam to out as it is baking
- Prepare two long sheets of foil and double up place on either side of the roll(enure it is just to support the roll form widening during baking not to cover the dough or it wont brown well)
Baking the strudel
- Bake 190°c for 35 until golden brown and flaky.
- Cool slightly, slice, and dust with icing sugar.
Notes
Oil the bowl for the strudel dough
Lightly oil the bowl before resting the dough. The oil prevents the surface from drying out and forming a skin, which can make the dough harder to stretch evenly. Turn the dough once so it is lightly coated, then cover it while it rests. Why the slits are important
Cut a few small slits in the top of the rolled strudel before baking. These openings give steam a controlled way to escape as the filling heats. Without them, trapped steam can build up inside the pastry, which may cause splitting, uneven baking or a softer, wetter pastry. Use foil to help shape the strudel
Once rolled, use lightly folded foil along the sides of the strudel to help support and hold its shape during baking. This is particularly useful with a soft quark filling, which can spread slightly as it heats. The foil acts as a gentle support without tightly enclosing the pastry. Drain the quark properly
Quark must be well drained before making the filling. Excess whey adds too much moisture and can make the filling loose and the pastry soggy. If your quark looks wet, place it in a fine sieve or cheesecloth over a bowl in the refrigerator and allow the excess liquid to drain before use. Add breadcrumbs if the filling is too soft
The quark filling should be soft but still able to hold its shape. If it feels too loose or wet, add a small amount of fine breadcrumbs and mix gently. The breadcrumbs absorb excess moisture and help stabilise the filling without making it heavy. Add only enough to give the mixture body. Do not overfill the strudel
Avoid adding too much filling. Overfilling makes the strudel harder to roll and increases the chance of the pastry splitting or leaking during baking. What is quark?
Quark is a fresh cultured dairy cheese common in Central and Eastern European baking. It has a mild, slightly tangy flavour and a soft, creamy texture somewhere between yoghurt, cottage cheese and very smooth ricotta. Unlike cream cheese, it is generally lower in fat and has a fresher, lighter flavour. Where can I buy quark?
Look for quark in the refrigerated dairy or specialty cheese section of larger supermarkets, European delicatessens, German or Eastern European grocers and specialty food stores. It may also be labelled as fresh quark, European quark or fromage frais depending on the brand. If you cannot find quark
Well-drained ricotta is the easiest substitute. For a smoother filling, press or blend the ricotta briefly after draining. The flavour will be slightly different, but it works well in strudel. European cherry jam
For a more traditional flavour, use a European-style sour cherry jam, such as Morello cherry jam. It has a sharper, less sugary flavour than many standard cherry jams and works beautifully with the creamy quark filling. Look for it in European delicatessens, Eastern European or German grocers, specialty food stores, or the international section of larger supermarkets.
Lightly oil the bowl before resting the dough. The oil prevents the surface from drying out and forming a skin, which can make the dough harder to stretch evenly. Turn the dough once so it is lightly coated, then cover it while it rests. Why the slits are important
Cut a few small slits in the top of the rolled strudel before baking. These openings give steam a controlled way to escape as the filling heats. Without them, trapped steam can build up inside the pastry, which may cause splitting, uneven baking or a softer, wetter pastry. Use foil to help shape the strudel
Once rolled, use lightly folded foil along the sides of the strudel to help support and hold its shape during baking. This is particularly useful with a soft quark filling, which can spread slightly as it heats. The foil acts as a gentle support without tightly enclosing the pastry. Drain the quark properly
Quark must be well drained before making the filling. Excess whey adds too much moisture and can make the filling loose and the pastry soggy. If your quark looks wet, place it in a fine sieve or cheesecloth over a bowl in the refrigerator and allow the excess liquid to drain before use. Add breadcrumbs if the filling is too soft
The quark filling should be soft but still able to hold its shape. If it feels too loose or wet, add a small amount of fine breadcrumbs and mix gently. The breadcrumbs absorb excess moisture and help stabilise the filling without making it heavy. Add only enough to give the mixture body. Do not overfill the strudel
Avoid adding too much filling. Overfilling makes the strudel harder to roll and increases the chance of the pastry splitting or leaking during baking. What is quark?
Quark is a fresh cultured dairy cheese common in Central and Eastern European baking. It has a mild, slightly tangy flavour and a soft, creamy texture somewhere between yoghurt, cottage cheese and very smooth ricotta. Unlike cream cheese, it is generally lower in fat and has a fresher, lighter flavour. Where can I buy quark?
Look for quark in the refrigerated dairy or specialty cheese section of larger supermarkets, European delicatessens, German or Eastern European grocers and specialty food stores. It may also be labelled as fresh quark, European quark or fromage frais depending on the brand. If you cannot find quark
Well-drained ricotta is the easiest substitute. For a smoother filling, press or blend the ricotta briefly after draining. The flavour will be slightly different, but it works well in strudel. European cherry jam
For a more traditional flavour, use a European-style sour cherry jam, such as Morello cherry jam. It has a sharper, less sugary flavour than many standard cherry jams and works beautifully with the creamy quark filling. Look for it in European delicatessens, Eastern European or German grocers, specialty food stores, or the international section of larger supermarkets.