Instructions
1. Prepare the dough
- In a small bowl, mix warm milk, 1 tbsp sugar, and yeast. Let it sit for 8–10 minutes until foamy.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine flour, remaining sugar, vanilla sugar, and salt.
- Add the yeast mixture, egg yolks, and melted butter. Knead until smooth (about 8–10 minutes).
- Cover the bowl with a towel and let the dough rise in a warm place for 1 hour or until doubled.
2. Prepare baking forms
Traditionally, kürtőskalács is baked on a wooden spit over charcoal, but you can mimic this at home:
- Use thick rolling pins or make DIY molds by wrapping empty cans or heatproof bottles with aluminum foil.
- Lightly grease the molds.
3. Shape and coat
- Preheat oven to 190 °C / 375 °F.
- Roll out the dough into a rectangle about ½ cm thick. Cut into 2–3 cm wide strips.
- Wrap the strips around the mold, slightly overlapping the edges, pressing them gently together.
- Roll the wrapped dough gently on the work surface to smooth it.
- Brush with melted butter, then roll in sugar (and cinnamon if using).
4. Bake
- Place the molds on a baking sheet so they can roll slightly while baking for even caramelization.
- Bake for 12–15 minutes, rotating halfway, until golden brown and the sugar is caramelized.
5. Finish & serve
- While still warm, brush again with butter and roll in your choice of nuts, coconut, or cocoa.
- Slide the chimney cake off the mold and enjoy warm.
💡 Tip: If you want the authentic street-market flavor, try baking them on a rotisserie attachment in your grill or oven for even caramelization.
If you’d like, I can also share a Hungarian-style yeast dough shortcut version that’s ready in under an hour, so you can have kürtőskalács for dessert without waiting too long. Would you like me to add that?
Leave a Reply