Need help with pastry replication please

[Diane in Bexley]

We were in Budapest in July and had turos taschkas (cheese purses) from the Jeg Buffet every day for breakfast. They are a not-so-sweet cheese filled pasty. I adored them and tried to replicate this at home, the result turned out merely OK. The filling I used was farmer's cheese, some sour cream, sugar, egg yolk, vanilla and cinnamon. The filling I remember was thicker, maybe need to use cream cheese next time. The pastry dough was OK, a yeast based coffee cake-like dough. It is not bad, but does not compare to the dough I remember from Hungary, this was more like layers of danish or croissant type dough, morde crisp and flaky, probably not yeast-based.

Below is a copy of the recipe I used, please help me adjust it so the filling will be thicker and the dough crisper, more danish/croissant like. Thanks!

FOR THE DOUGH:
1 tablespoon yeast
1/3 cup milk, at room temperature
2 large eggs, at room temperature
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
½ cup sour cream
1/3 cup sugar
½ teaspoon salt
3 cups all-purpose flour, sifted

For the filling:
12 ounces farmer’s cheese
1/3 cup sour cream
1/3 cup sugar
2 tablespoons flour
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 large egg yolk
Finely grated zest of 1 lemon

For assembly:
Flour, for dusting
1 large egg mixed with 1 tablespoon water
Confectioners’ sugar, optional.

1. For the dough: In bowl of an electric mixer, combine yeast and milk and allow to sit for a few minutes. Stir in eggs, butter, sour cream, sugar, salt and flour. Mix well until dough turns into a ball. Transfer to a covered container and allow to rest for 30 minutes, then refrigerate overnight.

2. For the filling: In bowl of an electric mixer, combine farmer’s cheese, sour cream, sugar, flour, vanilla, egg yolk and lemon zest. Mix well. Transfer to a covered container and refrigerate until needed, up to 24 hours.

3. For assembly: Preheat oven to 350 degrees, and line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Lightly dust a work surface with flour and roll out dough into a rectangle 1/8 inch thick. Cut into 4-by-4-inch squares. Spoon about 1 tablespoon filling into center of each square. Pick up corners of each square and press points together.

4. Arrange pastries on baking sheets about 1½ inches apart. Brush with egg mixture. Bake until golden, about 20 minutes. Allow to cool and serve as is or sprinkle with confectioners’ sugar.

Yield: About 24 pastries.

[todao]

I have a lot of confidence in Peter Reihhart's work. Here's a croissant formula of his that might work for the cheese purses:

http://bewitchingkitchen.com/tag/pete...

[todao]

I believe what you may have experienced was made with a cream cheese dough that incorporates AP flour with cream cheese, butter and salt. That dough is often used to make "Kiffles". Then again, you may have found a master baker who can make a layered yeasted dough. All said and done, the traditional cheese pocket is made with a yeasted dough

Take a look at this recipe for cheese pockets:

http://momsrecipesandmore.blogspot.co...

[Diane in Bexley]

Thanks T for the link. My pastries look exactly like your photos, but again the texture of the dough is not right, for me. I don't think the dough should have cream cheese, that would make it like rugelach, which it is not. I am now convinced it's more like an adapted croissant dough, flaky and buttery like that.

Anyone have recipes for an easy croissant dough recipe?

[biondanonima]

Good croissant dough is never really easy, by definition. You have to do the laminating for the correct result, which takes time and patience. Could you maybe substitute puff pastry and just work on perfecting the filling? What about phyllo dough?