Polish Sweet Cheese Strudel With Walnuts and Raisins - Strucla z Serem

Strucla serowa, or Sweet Cheese Strudel, is Polish cake crafted from yeast-raised dough, generously filled with a mixture of cheese (typically Farmer's Cheese, known as Twaróg), and then baked until golden. Since I can't find the specified type of cheese, I substitute it with Cream Cheese, commonly used in American-style Cheesecakes. To enhance its texture, I incorporated raisins and walnuts into the filling. 

While Strucla serowa is a popular choice, the most common type of strudel in Poland remains Makowiec, the Polish Poppy Seed Roll. 

I baked mine in a mold, but it's optional. You can bake it without any mold, resulting in a roll cake appearance.

It's a delightful pastry that pairs wonderfully with a cup of tea or coffee, making it a favorite for breakfast, dessert, or any time of day. As it's made of yeast dough, so it's best enjoyed fresh, but you can also store it in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

Ingredients:

For the dough:

- 180g all-purpose flour

- 5g instant yeast

- 60ml warm milk

- 1 egg

- 50g sugar

- 35ml oil

For the cream cheese filling:

- 200g cream cheese

- 1 egg

- 20g sugar

For additional filling:

- 30g raisins

- 30g walnuts

Optional toppings:

- Icing

Instructions:

1. In a mixing bowl, combine the flour and instant yeast.

2. Add the warm milk, egg, sugar, and oil to the bowl with the flour mixture. 

3. Mix until a soft elastic dough forms, preferably kneading for about 10 minutes. 

4. Cover the dough with a cloth and leave it to rise in a warm place for 40-60 minutes.

5. Meanwhile, prepare the cream cheese filling by thoroughly mixing the cream cheese, egg, and sugar until smooth.

6. After the dough has risen, punch it down with your hand to degas it.

7. Roll out the dough into a rectangle with one side at least 12 cm (the size of your baking tin). 

8. Spread the cream cheese filling evenly over the surface of the dough, leaving the edges free.

9. Add raisins and walnuts (you can ommit if you want to).

10. Roll the dough into a tight roll and then cut it lengthwise with a sharp knife, dividing it into two parts but leaving one edge glued together.

11. Twist the two strips together and place them in a greased and lined cake tin (12×7 cm) or on a baking sheet (it willl be flatter if you don't use baking tin. 

12. Leave for at least 1 hour to rise.

13. Preheat the oven to 180°C.

14. Brush the cake with milk or egg wash before placing in the oven.

15. Bake for about 45-50 minutes, or until golden brown and cooked through. Leave to cool it down.

16. After baking, drizzle with icing. 

You can also sprinkle with almond flakes, candied orange peel, and/or dried cranberries or raisins up to your taste.