Czech Trdelník Recipe

In the Czech Republic, Trdelník is incredibly popular, especially among foreign tourists who buy this sweet dessert from stallholders in the center of Prague. 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 Trdelníky

Calories 1101kcal

Author Petra Kupská

Ingredients

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

For coating:

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

Cups - Metric

Instructions

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.
Pour in milk active 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 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.
Work the ingredients into a smooth dough. You can use a kitchen mixer with a dough hook attachment or knead the dough by hand. Add flour gradually as needed if the dough is too sticky.
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. 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.
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.
Place in a preheated oven at 370 °F for 20 minutes.
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.

Notes

The basic recipe makes 2 big Trdelniks, it is enough for 4 people.
SERVING: Trdelník 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. Trdelník will be crispier.
In Prague, you can have your Trdelník filled with nutella 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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