Here’s a classic Hungarian treat—Chimney Cake (Kürtőskalács). These are sweet, hollow, cylindrical pastries, crispy on the outside and soft inside, traditionally baked over an open fire.
Chimney Cake (Kürtőskalács)
Ingredients (Makes 6–8 cakes)
For the dough:
500 g (4 cups) all-purpose flour
250 ml (1 cup) warm milk
50 g (1/4 cup) sugar
1 packet (7 g) dry yeast
2 large eggs
50 g (1/4 cup) unsalted butter, melted
Pinch of salt
For coating:
50 g (1/4 cup) unsalted butter, melted
100 g (1/2 cup) granulated sugar
Optional: cinnamon, cocoa powder, crushed nuts, or shredded coconut
Instructions
Prepare the dough:
In a small bowl, dissolve yeast in warm milk with 1 tsp sugar. Let it sit 5–10 minutes until frothy.
In a large bowl, combine flour, remaining sugar, and salt.
Add yeast mixture, eggs, and melted butter.
Knead for 8–10 minutes until smooth and elastic.
Cover and let rise in a warm place for 1 hour, until doubled in size.
Shape the cakes:
Preheat oven to 180°C (350°F) or prepare a grill if doing traditional open-fire baking.
Roll dough into a long rope, about 1.5–2 cm thick.
Wrap the rope spirally around a wooden or metal cylinder (or a prepared cone-shaped mold).
Add the coating:
Brush the dough with melted butter.
Roll or sprinkle generously with sugar (and optional toppings like cinnamon or nuts).
Bake:
Place the cylinders on a baking tray or rotisserie.
Bake 15–20 minutes, turning occasionally, until golden brown and caramelized.
Serve:
Carefully remove from cylinders.
Let cool slightly; serve warm. The inside will be soft and fluffy, while the outside is sweet and caramelized.
Tips:
Traditionally, Kürtőskalács is baked on open charcoal, which gives it a smoky flavor. Oven-baking works well too.
You can fill the hollow center with chocolate, whipped cream, or ice cream for a fun variation.
The sugar coating caramelizes nicely during baking, giving that signature crunchy crust.
If you want, I can make a step-by-step illustrated version for social media, showing exactly how to wrap and bake Kürtőskalács so it looks irresistible—these usually go viral!
