Austrian Topfenstrudel

Step 1

Set the oven to 375°F and wait until the indicator light tells you it has finished heating, about 10 minutes.

Step 2

Pour the quark into a medium bowl, then add 0.25 cup of sugar and the egg, stirring with a fork until the filling is smooth and uniform with no lumps.

Step 3

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and place it on a flat, clean surface close to your work area.

Step 4

Unstack the phyllo sheets and lay one flat on the parchment paper, then brush its entire surface with melted butter using a pastry brush, covering from one corner to the opposite corner.

Step 5

Repeat step 4 four more times, stacking brushed sheets directly on top of each other until you have five buttered layers.

Step 6

Spread the quark filling evenly across the surface of the phyllo stack, leaving a 1-inch border uncovered around all four edges, like a rectangle of filling with a thin frame.

Step 7

Starting at a long edge closest to you, roll the phyllo and filling away from you into a tight log, tucking in the sides as you roll so nothing falls out, like rolling a burrito.

Step 8

Brush the entire outside of the rolled strudel with the remaining melted butter, coating every visible surface.

Step 9

Lay the sixth phyllo sheet on a clean surface, brush it with butter, then carefully wrap it around the strudel log, sealing the seams by pressing gently with your fingers.

Step 10

Transfer the strudel to the preheated oven and bake until the exterior turns the color of honey with slightly darker edges, about 25 minutes.

Step 11

Remove the strudel from the oven using oven mitts and let it cool for 5 minutes on the baking sheet so it firms up enough to slice cleanly.

Step 12

Sift the powdered sugar evenly over the warm strudel using a fine-mesh sieve held 6 inches above, creating a thin white coating across the entire surface.

Step 13

Slice the strudel crosswise into 6 equal pieces using a serrated bread knife and a gentle sawing motion, wiping the blade clean between cuts.