Quark Pastry: Reduced Baking Powder for Flakiness

Quark pastry achieves its distinctive flaky tender texture through a precise 1:1:1 ratio of butter, strong flour, and quark—a fresh Scandinavian dairy product between yogurt and cream cheese. The key technique is reducing baking powder to just half a teaspoon rather than the typical one to one-and-a-half teaspoons. As Brendan explained, more baking powder causes the pastry to lose its flakiness, creating a cakier, less delicate texture. The quark acts as a binding agent while providing subtle tanginess that complements rich fillings like salmon. Keep all ingredients cold and work quickly to maintain the butter pieces that create flaky layers.