I once found myself with cottage cheese and didn't know what to do with it. I ended up making these fluffy croissants filled with cheese because they are great for breakfast or as a snack. What I appreciate about them is that they remain soft even after two days, they don't dry out or harden quickly.
Quick Info
Total time: about 2.5 hours (including rising and baking)
Preparation time: 40-50 minutes
Rising time: 1 hour
Baking time: 20-25 minutes per batch
Servings: 28 croissants
Difficulty: medium
Recipe type: sweet doughs, filled croissants, suitable for breakfast or snacks
Ingredients
For the dough:
650 g all-purpose flour
250 ml milk
4 tablespoons yogurt
2 eggs
60 g butter
80 g sugar
25 g fresh yeast
zest of one lemon
a pinch of salt
For the filling:
600 g cottage cheese
3 eggs (plus one separately for brushing the croissants)
1/2 cup sugar (about 100-120 g, to taste)
1 tablespoon semolina
zest of one orange
2 tablespoons candied orange peel
2 teaspoons rum essence
Preparation method
1. First, warm the milk until it is lukewarm, not hot.
2. Dissolve the yeast with a tablespoon of sugar, 2-3 tablespoons of the warm milk, and a tablespoon of flour. Mix well and let it sit in a warm place for 10 minutes to activate.
3. Meanwhile, melt the butter and let it cool.
4. Place the flour in a large bowl. Add the yeast mixture, eggs, yogurt, sugar, and a pinch of salt. Mix everything by hand.
5. Start pouring in the remaining milk, a little at a time. Knead until you have a homogeneous, slightly sticky dough. In my case, about 220 ml of the 250 ml of milk was needed.
6. Incorporate the melted butter and lemon zest. Continue kneading for a few minutes.
7. Cover the bowl with a towel and let the dough rise for an hour in a draft-free place.
8. For the filling, mix the cottage cheese in a bowl with the three eggs, sugar, semolina, and rum essence. Add the orange zest and the candied peel, mixing everything well.
9. Once the dough has risen, turn it out onto a lightly floured surface. Divide it into four equal pieces.
10. Roll each piece of dough into a thin round sheet. Cut each circle into four, then each quarter into 2-3 triangles, depending on how large you want the croissants. I cut both 2 and 3 triangles per quarter, depending on size.
11. Place a teaspoon of filling on the wide end of each triangle. Roll tightly towards the tip, so the filling doesn't spill out.
12. Line a baking tray with parchment paper greased with a little margarine or butter.
13. Arrange the croissants on the tray, leaving space between them. Beat the remaining egg and brush it over the top.
14. Bake in a preheated oven at medium temperature until they are nicely browned. In my case, it took 20-25 minutes for each batch.
15. After baking, remove the croissants and let them cool slightly. Then place them in a larger container and cover them with a towel – this keeps them soft for longer.
Why I make this recipe often
Not only do you get many croissants from a single batch, but I love that they stay soft even after a few days. The filling is quite adaptable, it doesn't spill during baking, and it doesn't become dry.
Tips and variations
Tips
If the cottage cheese is too wet, drain it well before using.
The dough should be slightly sticky but not soft. Adjust the milk based on the flour used.
If you don't have rum essence, vanilla works too, but the taste will be different.
Substitutions
You can use margarine instead of butter, but the final texture will be slightly different.
Sweet cottage cheese can be replaced with ricotta, but it will turn out finer.
Candied orange peel can be omitted if you don't have it; it affects the texture more than the taste.
Variations
If you don’t want to use the cheese filling, you can put jam or thick fruit preserves instead.
For a sugar-free version, you can reduce the amount to taste or use a sweetener.
Serving ideas
They can be served for breakfast, alongside a glass of milk or coffee.
Warmed slightly the next day, they are just as good.
You can dust them with sugar after they have cooled if you want an extra touch of sweetness.
Frequently asked questions
1. Can I use dry yeast instead of fresh yeast?
Yes, you can. For 25 g of fresh yeast, you need about 7 g of dry yeast.
2. What can I substitute for yogurt?
You can use low-fat sour cream or kefir, but yogurt gives a fluffier texture.
3. Can I freeze the baked croissants?
Yes, you can freeze them after they have completely cooled. When you want to serve them, you can heat them directly in the oven.
4. What do I do if the dough is too soft?
Add a tablespoon of flour at a time, but don’t overdo it – it should remain slightly sticky.
5. What if the cheese is too salty?
Drain the cheese well and taste it before adding the sugar; you can adjust the sugar based on how salty the cheese is.
Nutritional values
Estimate for one croissant: about 130-150 kcal. For 28 pieces, dough + filling, each will have around 18 g of carbohydrates, 4 g of protein, and 4-5 g of fat. These are estimates and vary depending on the type of cheese and how large you make the croissants.
Storage and reheating
The croissants store well for 2-3 days in a bowl covered with a towel or plastic wrap at room temperature. If you want to reheat them, 2-3 minutes in the oven or a few seconds in the microwave are sufficient. If you freeze them, let them thaw at room temperature and then heat them gently. After four days, they no longer have good texture, so I recommend consuming them while they are still fresh.
Quick Info
Total time: about 2.5 hours (including rising and baking)
Preparation time: 40-50 minutes
Rising time: 1 hour
Baking time: 20-25 minutes per batch
Servings: 28 croissants
Difficulty: medium
Recipe type: sweet doughs, filled croissants, suitable for breakfast or snacks
Ingredients
For the dough:
650 g all-purpose flour
250 ml milk
4 tablespoons yogurt
2 eggs
60 g butter
80 g sugar
25 g fresh yeast
zest of one lemon
a pinch of salt
For the filling:
600 g cottage cheese
3 eggs (plus one separately for brushing the croissants)
1/2 cup sugar (about 100-120 g, to taste)
1 tablespoon semolina
zest of one orange
2 tablespoons candied orange peel
2 teaspoons rum essence
Preparation method
1. First, warm the milk until it is lukewarm, not hot.
2. Dissolve the yeast with a tablespoon of sugar, 2-3 tablespoons of the warm milk, and a tablespoon of flour. Mix well and let it sit in a warm place for 10 minutes to activate.
3. Meanwhile, melt the butter and let it cool.
4. Place the flour in a large bowl. Add the yeast mixture, eggs, yogurt, sugar, and a pinch of salt. Mix everything by hand.
5. Start pouring in the remaining milk, a little at a time. Knead until you have a homogeneous, slightly sticky dough. In my case, about 220 ml of the 250 ml of milk was needed.
6. Incorporate the melted butter and lemon zest. Continue kneading for a few minutes.
7. Cover the bowl with a towel and let the dough rise for an hour in a draft-free place.
8. For the filling, mix the cottage cheese in a bowl with the three eggs, sugar, semolina, and rum essence. Add the orange zest and the candied peel, mixing everything well.
9. Once the dough has risen, turn it out onto a lightly floured surface. Divide it into four equal pieces.
10. Roll each piece of dough into a thin round sheet. Cut each circle into four, then each quarter into 2-3 triangles, depending on how large you want the croissants. I cut both 2 and 3 triangles per quarter, depending on size.
11. Place a teaspoon of filling on the wide end of each triangle. Roll tightly towards the tip, so the filling doesn't spill out.
12. Line a baking tray with parchment paper greased with a little margarine or butter.
13. Arrange the croissants on the tray, leaving space between them. Beat the remaining egg and brush it over the top.
14. Bake in a preheated oven at medium temperature until they are nicely browned. In my case, it took 20-25 minutes for each batch.
15. After baking, remove the croissants and let them cool slightly. Then place them in a larger container and cover them with a towel – this keeps them soft for longer.
Why I make this recipe often
Not only do you get many croissants from a single batch, but I love that they stay soft even after a few days. The filling is quite adaptable, it doesn't spill during baking, and it doesn't become dry.
Tips and variations
Tips
If the cottage cheese is too wet, drain it well before using.
The dough should be slightly sticky but not soft. Adjust the milk based on the flour used.
If you don't have rum essence, vanilla works too, but the taste will be different.
Substitutions
You can use margarine instead of butter, but the final texture will be slightly different.
Sweet cottage cheese can be replaced with ricotta, but it will turn out finer.
Candied orange peel can be omitted if you don't have it; it affects the texture more than the taste.
Variations
If you don’t want to use the cheese filling, you can put jam or thick fruit preserves instead.
For a sugar-free version, you can reduce the amount to taste or use a sweetener.
Serving ideas
They can be served for breakfast, alongside a glass of milk or coffee.
Warmed slightly the next day, they are just as good.
You can dust them with sugar after they have cooled if you want an extra touch of sweetness.
Frequently asked questions
1. Can I use dry yeast instead of fresh yeast?
Yes, you can. For 25 g of fresh yeast, you need about 7 g of dry yeast.
2. What can I substitute for yogurt?
You can use low-fat sour cream or kefir, but yogurt gives a fluffier texture.
3. Can I freeze the baked croissants?
Yes, you can freeze them after they have completely cooled. When you want to serve them, you can heat them directly in the oven.
4. What do I do if the dough is too soft?
Add a tablespoon of flour at a time, but don’t overdo it – it should remain slightly sticky.
5. What if the cheese is too salty?
Drain the cheese well and taste it before adding the sugar; you can adjust the sugar based on how salty the cheese is.
Nutritional values
Estimate for one croissant: about 130-150 kcal. For 28 pieces, dough + filling, each will have around 18 g of carbohydrates, 4 g of protein, and 4-5 g of fat. These are estimates and vary depending on the type of cheese and how large you make the croissants.
Storage and reheating
The croissants store well for 2-3 days in a bowl covered with a towel or plastic wrap at room temperature. If you want to reheat them, 2-3 minutes in the oven or a few seconds in the microwave are sufficient. If you freeze them, let them thaw at room temperature and then heat them gently. After four days, they no longer have good texture, so I recommend consuming them while they are still fresh.