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Húsvéti kalács
Braided Easter milk loaf
Húsvéti kalács: Hungarian braided Easter milk loaf
HungarianIn Hungary the Easter table on Sunday morning centres on smoked ham, hard-boiled eggs, fresh horseradish and húsvéti kalács, a soft, braided milk bread enriched with butter and egg yolks. It is lightly sweet, so it suits the salty ham perfectly, and the leftovers make excellent French toast on Easter Monday. Many families braid it with three or four strands and bake it into a ring. Chef's tip: braid loosely and tuck the ends under, because a tight braid splits along the sides as it rises in the oven.
- Total time
- 75 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 12
Ingredients
- 1 cup milklukewarm
- 1 ⅛ lb strong white flour
- 2 ⅛ oz caster sugar
- 1 ½ tsp salt
- 2 ½ oz buttersoft
- ½ lemonzest only
- 1 eggbeaten with 1 tbsp milk
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Method
0/6 doneStep 1: Mix 1 ⅛ lb strong white flour, ¼ oz fast-action dried yeast, 2 ⅛ oz caster sugar, 1 ½ tsp salt and ½ lemon. Add 1 cup milk and 3 egg yolks and knead for 8 minutes, then knead in 2 ½ oz butter for 5 minutes more until the dough is smooth and elastic.
13 minStep 2: Cover and leave in a warm place for 1 hour, until doubled.
Step 3: Divide into 3 equal pieces and roll each into a rope 40 cm long. Braid loosely from the middle out to each end and tuck the ends under. Set on a lined tray.
10 minStep 4: Cover and leave for 45 minutes, until puffy and a gentle press springs back slowly.
Step 5: Brush with 1 egg. Bake at 350°F (325°F fan) for 30–35 minutes, until deep golden and the base sounds hollow. A common mistake is under-proving, which makes the braid tear open.
33 minStep 6: Cool on a rack under a tea towel to keep the crust soft.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 260 kcal
- Protein
- 7 g
- Carbs
- 40 g
- Fat
- 8 g
- Fibre
- 1 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does húsvéti kalács take?
- About 75 minutes in total: 40 minutes to prepare and 35 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 12 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- What can I use instead of milk?
- Oat, soy or almond milk, same amount (use unsweetened for savoury dishes).
- What can I use instead of fast-action dried yeast?
- Fresh yeast, three times the weight.
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Perfect for:Easter