Kürtőskalács
Ingredients
- 500 g flour
- 7 g yeast
- 250 ml warm milk
- 50 g sugar
- 1 egg
- 60 g butter, melted
- pinch of salt
- 200 g sugar, for rolling
- ground walnuts, cinnamon sugar, or cocoa, for coating
Attributed to the Székely people of Transylvania, with a written recipe dating back to a 1784 cookbook, kürtőskalács is made by wrapping a strip of sweet yeast dough around a cylindrical spit, rolling it in sugar, and roasting it — traditionally over open coals, turning constantly — until the sugar caramelizes into a shiny, crackling shell around a soft, hollow interior. It's often finished with a coating of walnuts, cinnamon sugar, or cocoa.
Method
Warm the milk and stir in the sugar and yeast; let it foam for 8-12 minutes.
Combine the flour, egg, melted butter, salt and yeast mixture into a smooth, elastic dough; let it rise until doubled.
Divide the dough and roll each piece into a long, thin strip.
Wrap each strip in a spiral around a greased cylindrical spit (a foil-wrapped rolling pin or can works at home).
Roll the wrapped dough in sugar to coat evenly.
Bake or roast, rotating constantly, at around 200°C (400°F) — or over open coals — until golden and caramelized on all sides, 15-20 minutes.
While still warm, roll in ground walnuts, cinnamon sugar, or cocoa, then slide off the spit to serve.
