Czech Trdelnik Recipe

In the Czech Republic, trdelnik is incredibly popular, especially among foreign tourists who buy this sweet dessert from stallholders in the center of Prague. And today, I have a recipe for you to bake trdelník at home from scratch.

Course Sweet Pastry

Cuisine Czech

Keyword Sweet Yeast Dough

Prep Time 20

Cook Time 20

Leavening time 45

Total Time 1 25

Servings trdelniks

Calories 1092kcal

Author Petra Kupská

Ingredients

2 and ¼ cups all-purpose flour (290 g)
⅔ cup milk (160 ml) lukewarm
2 Tablespoons lard or unsalted butter (30 g)
2 Tablespoons unsalted butter (30 g)
1 Tablespoon granulated sugar
1 and ½ teaspoon active dry yeast
3 egg yolks
pinch of salt

For coating:

6 Tablespoons granulated sugar
½ teaspoon cinnamon ground
1 Tablespoon butter melted

Instructions

Before you start baking: prepare the mold for the trdelnik - either from Tescoma or wrap the cans in foil and brush them with butter a bit.
Heat the milk until lukewarm. Pour in the dry yeast and a little sugar, stir. Leave in a warm place for 10 minutes to activate.
Put the flour in a large bowl. Add the rest of the sugar, a pinch of salt, the egg yolks. Allow the butter and lard to melt (in a pot on the stove or in the microwave) and add to the bowl. Finally, pour in the risen yeast mixture.
Work the ingredients into a smooth dough. I work with my hands; I don't use a food processor. I add flour a little at a time as needed if the dough sticks too much.
Once the dough is smooth and elastic, allow it to rise in a warm place for 45 minutes.
Divide the risen dough into pieces and roll out strands about ½-inch (1-1.5 cm) thick. Roll them on the sticks (e.g., a tin can wrapped in foil), tucking the ends under the strand to fix them. If you connect more strands in one trdelník, press them well against the end of the last strand.
Slightly roll and flatten the form with wound strands. The dough will stick to the form and each other and will hold better when baking.
Place in a preheated oven at 360 °F (180 °C) for 20 minutes.
Meanwhile, put the sugar and a little cinnamon in a baking dish, stir. Carefully remove the baked trdelnik and brush it with melted butter. Coat all sides in sugar, pressing well.

Notes

Makes 2 big trdelniks, it is enough for 4 people.
SERVING: Trdelnik tastes best while still warm. Unwrap the strands gently and enjoy this old-country Czech delicacy!
Add a tablespoon of rum to the butter when brushing the baked pastry for a better aroma.
Mix the coarsely chopped walnuts into the coating mixture. Trdelnik will be crispier.
In Prague, you can have your trdelnik filled with chocolate spread or ice cream on request. We tried it once, and frankly, I don't recommend this combination because the chocolate and ice cream melts quickly on the hot pastry, and you won't have time to enjoy it. Of course, the final decision is yours!

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