Trdelník
Sweet chimney cake — spiral-rolled dough grilled until crispy, coated in cinnamon sugar and walnuts.
Comfort Food
Family Friendly
Ingredients
- 350g all-purpose flour
- 7g instant yeast
- 60g sugar
- 150ml warm milk
- 1 egg yolk
- 50g butter, melted
- Pinch of salt
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- For coating:
- 80g sugar
- 2 tsp cinnamon
- 60g walnuts, finely chopped
- 30g butter, melted (for brushing)
Instructions
- 1 Mix flour, yeast, 60g sugar, and salt in a bowl. Add warm milk, egg yolk, melted butter, and vanilla. Knead for 8 minutes until smooth elastic dough.
- 2 Cover and let rise for 1 hour until doubled.
- 3 Preheat oven to 190°C (375°F). Wrap aluminum foil around a rolling pin or cone-shaped mold. Grease with butter.
- 4 Divide dough into 4-6 pieces. Roll each piece into a long rope, about 50cm.
- 5 Spiral the dough rope around the mold, overlapping slightly. Press gently so it sticks.
- 6 Place on a baking sheet. Bake for 15-18 minutes, rotating halfway, until golden brown.
- 7 Mix sugar, cinnamon, and chopped walnuts in a shallow dish.
- 8 Remove trdelník from oven. Brush immediately with melted butter. Roll in the cinnamon-sugar-walnut mixture.
- 9 Carefully slide off the mold. Serve warm.
About This Recipe
Trdelník is the sweet pastry you see on every corner in Prague's old town. Strips of dough are wrapped around a cylindrical mold, grilled over coals (or baked in an oven at home), then rolled in a cinnamon-sugar-walnut mixture while still hot.
The result is a hollow tube of crispy, caramelized dough — crunchy on the outside, soft and warm inside. While debated as truly Czech or imported from Slovakia/Hungary, it has become Prague's most iconic street food. This oven version works perfectly at home.