Paper-thin stretched strudel dough wrapped around a sweet farmer's cheese filling — Hungary's beloved túrós rétes, a fixture of coffee-house culture.
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.
Serves 8
Mix farmer's cheese with egg yolks, sugar, sour cream and vanilla until smooth. Fold in raisins.
Beat egg whites to soft peaks and gently fold them into the cheese mixture for a lighter filling.
Lay one phyllo sheet down, brush with melted butter, scatter a thin layer of breadcrumbs, and repeat, stacking about 4 sheets total per 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.
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.
Cool slightly, dust generously with powdered sugar, and slice to serve warm.
Work with phyllo dough quickly and keep unused sheets covered with a damp towel — it dries out and cracks within minutes of exposure to air.
The breadcrumb layer isn't decorative — it genuinely absorbs excess moisture from the cheese filling and keeps the pastry crisp.
Fold the whipped egg whites in gently rather than stirring vigorously, to keep the filling light rather than dense.
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.
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.
Rétes has roots in Ottoman-influenced pastry traditions that spread across the Habsburg Empire, with Hungary developing its own distinct strudel culture featuring both sweet and savory fillings. The technique of hand-stretching dough until paper-thin became a celebrated skill in Hungarian and broader Central European baking, historically passed down through families and professional bakers alike, though phyllo dough has become a widely accepted modern shortcut.
Yes, phyllo dough is a common and widely accepted substitute for home bakers, since traditional hand-stretching takes considerable skill and practice to achieve the same paper-thin, tear-free result.
Túró is a Hungarian farmer's cheese with a drier, slightly grainier texture than ricotta — well-drained ricotta or dry curd cottage cheese are the closest widely available substitutes, though the texture will be somewhat different from the real thing.
The breadcrumbs absorb excess moisture released from the cheese filling as it bakes, which helps keep the delicate phyllo pastry crisp rather than turning soggy from the inside out.
Per serving (110g / 3.9 oz) · 8 servings total
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