Discover the sweet delight of homemade Hungarian Kürtőskalács

The holiday season is still far away, so I often reminisce about my trip to Hungary and my culinary discoveries. I've already written about goulash soup and langos. Now it's time for something sweet: kürtőskalács. It's pretty easy to make at home!

Kürtőskalács is one of the most famous Hungarian desserts. It's associated with street food because it genuinely tastes best from street stalls. They're easy to find because the smell of this baked treat spreads quickly and is very enticing.

It starts with the smell but is a pastry that's hard to resist. It has a characteristic cylindrical shape. It was once baked over a fire, similar to a spit cake. It's made from thinly rolled yeast dough. It's usually served with toppings. The traditional one is sugar, but the choice is much broader. You can choose cinnamon, cocoa, nut, or coconut toppings at street stalls. I suggest preparing it with brown sugar and cinnamon.

When you see kürtőskalács at street stalls, it seems impossible to make them at home. However, there's no big problem with that. You can bake them in the oven, and the whole process is made easier with unique forms for kürtőskalács that can also be bought online. The second thing is a good recipe. And I'm happy to share one.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• ⅓ cup milk (approximately 80 mL)
• 1 egg
• 1.5 teaspoons fresh yeast (about 4 g)
• 4 tablespoons sugar (about 50 g)
• 3.5 tablespoons butter (about 50 g)
• A pinch of salt
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• Oil for greasing the dough
• Favourite toppings for coating (e.g., brown sugar and cinnamon, 1 tablespoon melted butter)
• Kürtőskalács forms

Instructions:

1. Start by preparing the yeast mixture. Add a teaspoon of flour and sugar to lukewarm milk, add crumbled yeast, and mix. Set it aside for 15 minutes in a warm place to let the yeast activate.
2. Add flour, sugar, egg, a pinch of salt, vanilla extract, and finally, melted butter to a bowl and combine these ingredients with the yeast mixture. Knead the dough thoroughly. Then, transfer it to an oiled bowl and set it aside for 30 minutes to rise.
3. Afterward, transfer it to a board and lightly knead again. Divide it into smaller portions. Form long, thin strips from the dough to roll it out. Wrap it around the kürtőskalács forms. The dough should stick tightly to them.
4. Brush the prepared kürtőskalács with melted butter. Mix brown sugar and cinnamon and coat the forms with this topping. Place the forms vertically on a baking sheet.
5. Place them in an oven preheated to 190°C (375°F). Bake for about 15-20 minutes; kürtőskalács should be golden. They taste best when warm.