Hungarian Túrós Rétes (Sweet Cheese Strudel)

About This Recipe

Rétes is Hungary's version of strudel, made from a dough stretched by hand until it's nearly transparent, a technique passed down through generations and considered a genuine test of skill in traditional Hungarian baking. The túrós (sweet cheese) version fills that paper-thin dough with a mixture of túró, Hungary's farmer's cheese, sweetened and bound with egg and a touch of vanilla, then rolled up and baked until the exterior turns deeply golden and shatteringly flaky against the creamy filling inside. The technique of stretching the dough — working it thinner and thinner over a floured cloth until you can supposedly read a newspaper through it — is what separates real rétes from a shortcut version made with store-bought phyllo, though phyllo remains a widely accepted modern substitute for home bakers who don't have the time or patience for traditional stretching. Túró itself has a drier, slightly grainier texture than ricotta or cream cheese, giving the filling a distinct character that's hard to replicate exactly with substitutes. A fixture of Hungarian coffee-house culture and home baking alike, túrós rétes is traditionally served slightly warm with a dusting of powdered sugar, best enjoyed the same day it's baked while the pastry is at its flakiest.

Ingredients

Serves 8

• 8 sheetsphyllo dough(or homemade stretched strudel dough)
• 0.5 cupbutter(melted)
• 500 gfarmer's cheese(túró, or well-drained ricotta)
• 3eggs(separated)
• 0.5 cupsugar
• 0.25 cupsour cream
• 1 tspvanilla extract
• 2 tbspraisins
• 0.5 cupbreadcrumbs
• 0.5 cuppowdered sugar(for dusting)

Instructions

1. 1

   Make the filling

   Mix farmer's cheese with egg yolks, sugar, sour cream and vanilla until smooth. Fold in raisins.

2. 2

   Whip the egg whites

   Beat egg whites to soft peaks and gently fold them into the cheese mixture for a lighter filling.

3. 3

   Layer the phyllo

   Lay one phyllo sheet down, brush with melted butter, scatter a thin layer of breadcrumbs, and repeat, stacking about 4 sheets total per roll.

4. 4

   Fill and roll

   Spread half the cheese filling in a line along one edge of the stacked phyllo. Roll up tightly, tucking in the sides as you go.

   Breadcrumbs between the layers help absorb excess moisture from the filling, keeping the pastry from turning soggy.

5. 5

   Bake

   Place the roll seam-side down on a lined tray, brush the top with more butter, and bake at 190°C (375°F) for 30-35 minutes until deep golden.

6. 6

   Cool and serve

   Cool slightly, dust generously with powdered sugar, and slice to serve warm.

Variations

• •

  Add lemon zest to the cheese filling for a brighter, more traditional flavor.

• •

  Make a savory version by omitting sugar and vanilla and adding dill and black pepper instead.

• •

  Use homemade stretched strudel dough instead of phyllo for the most authentic texture, if you have the time and patience.

Storage

Best eaten the day it's baked, while the pastry is at its flakiest. Refrigerate leftovers up to 2 days and reheat briefly in the oven to re-crisp before serving.

Frequently Asked Questions