Kürtőskalács (Chimney Cake)
Also called chimney cake, kurtos kalacs, kürtős kalács, kürtöskalács
Sweet yeast dough wound in a spiral around a cylinder, coated in sugar and baked until the crust caramelizes.
- Makes
- 4 to 6 chimney cakes
Ingredients
Pan sizes, times and temperatures in the method are not scaled.
Dough
Cinnamon sugar coating
Method
Dough. Mix the bread flour (500 g4¼ cups), yeast (7 g2¼ tsp), granulated sugar (80 g6 tbsp) and salt. Add the whole milk (200 ml¾ cup + 1 tbsp), eggs (2), butter (80 g⅓ cup), vanilla (1 tsp) and zest and knead 10 minutes, until smooth and elastic. Cover and let rise 1 hour.
Shape. Heat the oven to 400°F (200°C). Divide the dough into 4 to 6 pieces and roll each into a rope about 24 inches (60 cm) long and ½ inch (1.5 cm) thick. Wind each in a spiral around a greased wooden dowel or rolling pin 2 to 2½ inches (5 to 6 cm) across, overlapping the edges slightly.
Coat. Mix the granulated sugar (100 g½ cup) and cinnamon (2 tsp). Brush the spirals with melted butter and roll them in the cinnamon sugar.
Bake on a baking sheet, resting on the dowels, 15 to 20 minutes, turning every 5 minutes, until the sugar caramelizes and the dough is golden.
Cool 2 minutes, slide off the forms and eat warm, tearing off the spiral.
Notes
- No dowels? Wrap greased foil around a tube or the outside of greased metal cones.
- On a spit. Over coals or on a rotisserie, turn for 15 to 20 minutes, brushing with butter and adding sugar as it caramelizes. This gives the most even crunch.
- Other coatings. 100 g sugar with 100 g finely chopped walnuts, or with 80 g desiccated coconut, or plain sugar.
- Eat them fresh. They don't keep.