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Homemade Kurtoskalacs – The Famous Hungarian Chimney Cake on the Grill

Homemade Kürtőskalács – The Famous Hungarian Chimney Cake on the Grill

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Kürtőskalács, also known as Hungarian chimney cake, is one of those treats that is as fun to make as it is to eat. Strips of soft, slightly sweet yeast dough are wrapped around cylindrical molds, coated in sugar, and slowly rotated over hot charcoal until the outside becomes golden, crisp, and beautifully caramelized.
Servings 4 Kürtőskalács
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Rising Time 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour 45 minutes
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Ingredients
  

For the Dough

  • 2 pounds (1kg) all-purpose flour
  • 4 ½ tsp (14g) active dry yeast or (50g) fresh yeast
  • 2/3 cup (135g) sugar
  • 2 cups (500ml) lukewarm milk
  • 4 eggs
  • 1/2 cup (110g) vegetable oil or melted butter
  • 3/4 tsp (4g) salt
  • Lemon zest of a large lemon
  • 2 tsp (10g) vanilla extract

For Topping

  • 3/4 cup - 1 cup (150-200g) granulated sugar
  • cinnamon, ground ground walnuts, pistachios, shredded coconut, dried-freezed raspberries , your choice

Instructions
 

Prepare the dough.

  • Activate the yeast: Combine the yeast with about 1/3 cup of the warm milk and 1 tablespoon of the sugar.
  • Let it sit for 5–10 minutes, until foamy.
    Homemade Kurtoskalacs – The Famous Hungarian Chimney - step3
  • Add the flour, sugar, salt, eggs, vanilla, lemon zest and remaining milk.
  • Knead until a dough starts to form.
    Homemade Kurtoskalacs – The Famous Hungarian Chimney - step5
  • Gradually add the melted butter or oil and continue kneading for about 8–10 minutes, until the dough is smooth, elastic, and slightly soft.
  • Cover the dough.
  • Let it rise in a warm place for about 45 minutes to 1 hour, or until doubled in size.
    Homemade Kurtoskalacs – The Famous Hungarian Chimney - step10
  • Divide the dough into 4 equal pieces. For smaller Kürtőskalács, divide the dough into more pieces.
    Homemade Kurtoskalacs – The Famous Hungarian Chimney - step11
  • On an oiled surface, roll the dough into a rectangle about 1/4 inch (6mm) thick. Cut it into long strips about 1-inch (2-3 cm) wide.

Wrap the molds.

  • Lightly grease the Kürtőskalács molds. I use cylindrical Kürtőskalács molds with a 30 cm (12-inch) cooking surface, measuring approximately 8 cm (3.1 inches) in diameter. Wrap each strip around the mold in a spiral, keeping the strips slightly overlapping.
    Homemade Kurtoskalacs – The Famous Hungarian Chimney - step15
  • Roll the mold gently on the work surface to even out the dough.
    Homemade Kurtoskalacs – The Famous Hungarian Chimney - step17
  • Brush the dough with melted butter or oil, then roll it in sugar. For cinnamon kürtőskalács, mix the sugar with ground cinnamon before coating.
    Homemade Kurtoskalacs – The Famous Hungarian Chimney - step18
  • Place the molds over a hot charcoal grill, making sure there are no open flames. Rotate the molds constantly over the hot coals until the dough is cooked through and the sugar coating is golden and beautifully caramelized.
    Homemade Kurtoskalacs – The Famous Hungarian Chimney - step25
  • Roll the hot Kürtőskalács in ground walnuts or freeze-dried raspberries, then carefully remove it from the mold.
    Homemade Kurtoskalacs – The Famous Hungarian Chimney - step26
  • Let the Kürtőskalács cool for 2–3 minutes, then carefully remove the molds and serve.

Nutrition

Serving: 1chimney cakeCalories: 1382kcalCarbohydrates: 216.34gProtein: 36.09gFat: 39.2gSaturated Fat: 8.357gTrans Fat: 0.147gCholesterol: 322mgSodium: 307mgPotassium: 559mgFiber: 8.1gSugar: 20gVitamin A: 439IUVitamin C: 1.6mgCalcium: 205mgIron: 13.12mg
Calories: 1382kcal
Course: Dessert, Snack
Cuisine: European
Keyword: chimney cake, Homemade Kürtőskalács, Hungarian Chimney Cake, Kürtőskalács, traditional Kürtőskalács