Štrukli — Croatian Curd Cheese Rolls Baked in Cream

Combine 300 g wheat flour type 550, 3 g salt, one egg, the warm water and 10 ml oil in a bowl. Knead by hand for 8–10 minutes until the dough is soft, smooth and elastic, with no dry lumps; it may stick slightly to your hands at first. Divide into two balls, coat both with the remaining 10 ml oil and leave covered at room temperature for 30 minutes so they stretch more easily.

While the dough rests, mash the curd cheese thoroughly with a fork, breaking up larger lumps. Mix in the second egg, the sour cream and the remaining 4 g salt. The filling should be thick and easy to spread, without a separate pool of whey.

Preheat a conventional oven (no fan) to 200°C. Divide the 20 g flour reserved for dusting between the two sheets; use the first portion to lightly dust a large, smooth cotton cloth spread on the table. Roll the first dough ball into a small rectangle, then slide your hands underneath and gently stretch it with the backs of your fingers from the center toward the edges to about 60 × 40 cm, with the long side facing you. The cloth's pattern should show through the thin dough; stretch the thicker edges too, without trimming them off, and close small tears by overlapping their edges.

Melt the 20 g butter reserved for the sheets over low heat; brush half of it over the first sheet in a thin layer. Spread half the filling in a strip about 15 cm wide along the nearer 60 cm side, leaving narrow bare margins along both short sides. Lift the nearer edge of the cloth and use it to roll the dough into a log, starting at the filled side, without squeezing the filling. Gently tuck the ends underneath so the filling does not leak out.

Use the rim of a small, smooth plate to divide the log into six pieces about 10 cm long. Press and rock the rim through the dough so each cut also compresses and seals the edges; do not cut the log with a knife. Stretch the second ball in the same way on the remaining dusting flour, brush with the remaining melted butter, add the rest of the filling, roll and divide. You will have about 12 pieces, without trimming off edges or throwing away dough.

Use the remaining 10 g butter to grease the bottom and sides of a baking dish about 35 × 25 cm and at least 5 cm deep. Arrange the pieces in two rows of six, with their length running along the shorter side of the dish; they can sit close together, but not on top of one another. Pour all the liquid cream over the pieces, spreading it into the gaps as well.

Place the dish on the middle rack of the preheated oven and bake for 35–45 minutes. The tops should have golden-brown patches, the cream should bubble around the edges, and the rolls should be hot in the center, with a soft, set filling and baked dough without wet, raw thick spots at the seams. If the centers need longer, bake for another 5–10 minutes; if the tops brown too quickly, cover the dish loosely with aluminum foil.

Remove the dish from the oven and leave it for about 10 minutes to let the filling and sauce settle slightly. Serve two pieces per main-course portion, spooning over the cream sauce from the bottom of the dish as well. The štrukli should still be warm, with a soft curd cheese center and a lightly browned surface.