Czech Trdelník

In the Czech Republic, trdelník is a favourite treat, especially among visitors who flock to the street vendors in central Prague to enjoy this warm, sweet pastry. Here’s a homemade version you can bake in your own kitchen.

Czech Trdelník

• Prep Time 20 minutes

• Cook Time 20 minutes

• Rising time 45 minutes

• Total Time 1 hour 25 minutes

For coating • Instructions

• 2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour

• ⅔ cup lukewarm milk

• 2 Tablespoons lard (or unsalted butter)

• 2 Tablespoons unsalted butter

• 1 Tablespoon granulated sugar

• 1 ½ teaspoon active dry yeast

• 3 egg yolks

• ¼ teaspoon salt

• 6 Tablespoons granulated sugar

• ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

• 1 Tablespoon unsalted butter melted

1. Before you start baking: Prepare the mold for the Trdelník—either use one from Tescoma or wrap cans in foil and brush them lightly with butter.

2. Pour in milk active dry yeast and a little sugar, stir. Leave in a warm place for 10 minutes to activate.

3. Put the flour in a large bowl. Add the remaining sugar, a pinch of salt, and the egg yolks. Melt the butter and lard(either on the stove or in the microwave) and add them to the bowl. Finally, pour in the activated yeast mixture.

4. Work the ingredients into a smooth dough. You can use a kitchen mixer with a dough hook attachment orknead the dough by hand. Add flour gradually as needed if the dough is too sticky.

5. Once the dough is smooth and elastic, allow it to rise in a warm place for 45 minutes.

6. Divide the risen dough into pieces and roll out strands about ½ inch (1-1.5 cm) thick. Wrap these strands around the Trdelník molds, tucking the ends under the strand to secure them. If you need to connect more strands to make one Trdelník, press the new strand firmly against the end of the last one to ensure they stick together.

7. Gently roll and flatten the mold with the wrapped strands. This will help the dough stick to the form and to each other, ensuring it holds better during baking.

8. Place in a preheated oven at 370 °F for 20 minutes.

9. Meanwhile, mix the sugar and a little cinnamon in a baking dish. Once the Trdelník is baked, carefully remove it from the mold and brush it with melted butter. Then, roll Trdelník from all sides in the cinnamon sugar mixture.