Kürtőskalács
Hungarian chimney cake — spiral-wound dough baked until caramelized, coated in cinnamon sugar.
Comfort Food
Family Friendly
Ingredients
- 350g all-purpose flour
- 7g instant yeast
- 50g sugar
- 150ml warm milk
- 1 egg
- 50g butter, melted
- Pinch of salt
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- For coating:
- 100g sugar
- 2 tsp cinnamon
- 50g walnuts, finely crushed (optional)
- 30g butter, melted (for brushing)
Instructions
- 1 Mix flour, yeast, 50g sugar, and salt. Add warm milk, egg, melted butter, and vanilla. Knead 8 minutes until smooth elastic dough.
- 2 Cover and let rise 1 hour until doubled.
- 3 Preheat oven to 200°C (390°F). Wrap aluminum foil tightly around a wooden rolling pin or metal cone.
- 4 Divide dough into 4-5 pieces. Roll each into a long rope, about 60cm.
- 5 Brush the foil mold with melted butter. Wind the dough rope around it in a spiral, overlapping edges slightly. Press gently to seal.
- 6 Brush outside with melted butter. Roll in cinnamon sugar mixture, pressing gently.
- 7 Place on a baking sheet. Bake 18-20 minutes, rotating halfway, until deep golden and caramelized.
- 8 Remove from oven. Let cool 2 minutes, then carefully twist and slide off the mold.
- 9 Eat warm — tear off spirals with your hands.
About This Recipe
Kürtőskalács is Hungary's most famous street pastry, originating from Transylvania. Strips of sweet yeast dough are wound around a wooden cylinder, rolled in sugar, and baked over coals (or in a hot oven) until the sugar caramelizes into a crispy, golden shell.
The result is a hollow tube of bread — crunchy and caramelized on the outside, soft and pillowy inside. Traditionally coated in cinnamon sugar, crushed walnuts, or coconut. Pull it apart in spirals and eat it warm. This oven version works perfectly at home.