Easter Sweet Bread
(Húsvéti Kalács)
Equipment
- 1 Sheet pan
- 1 Large mixing bowl
- 1 Mixer Kitchen Aid or any hand mixer will do
Ingredients
- 500 g all-purpose flour sifted
- 50 g butter
- 100 g powdered sugar
- 1 tsp dry yeast
- 250 ml milk
- 3 egg yolks
- Pinch of salt
- 1 whole egg for brushing
Instructions
- Sift the flour into a mixing bowl and make a well in the center.
- Add the powdered sugar and crumble in the yeast.
- Pour the lukewarm milk over it.
- Add the egg yolks and the previously melted (and slightly cooled) butter.
- Begin kneading and add the salt while working the dough.
- Cover the dough and let it rise for at least 20 minutes. It can be just 20, but I personally prefer to give it more time to develop better texture.
- Once risen, divide the dough into 6 equal parts.
- Roll each portion into ropes and braid them in sets of three. With this method, you’ll get two loaves. If you want to make a six-strand braided loaf, you can—but this recipe will yield only one larger kalács in that case.
- Place the loaves on a baking tray lined with parchment paper and brush with the beaten egg.
- Let them rise again for at least 40 minutes.
- Optional: For a sweeter, brioche-like finish, brush again with egg and sprinkle with powdered sugar before baking.
- I often skip this step because we prefer to enjoy the kalács as a bread rather than a dessert.
- Bake at 200°C (392°F) for about 15–20 minutes.
- 15 minutes is usually enough, so be sure to check with a toothpick to avoid overbaking.
Notes
You can knead this by hand—my mom and grandmother always did—but I like to use my Kitchen Aid mixer, because it makes preparing the dough much easier and more convenient.
Okay, maybe I’m a bit OCD, but I weigh the whole dough and divide it precisely by weight. Some people eyeball it, but I like to be exact—it just works better for me.