Description
Sourdough Chimney Cakes known as Hungarian Kürtőskalács are hollow funnel cakes made from a slightly sweet enriched elastic yeasted dough, rolled into long ropes, and wrapped tightly around a mold.
Ingredients
Units
Scale
- 120 grams (1 cup) sourdough starter, 100% hydration (discarded or recently fed)
- 350 grams (slightly less than 3 cups) all-purpose flour
- 90 grams (3/4 cup) white whole wheat flour
- 1/2 tsp instant yeast (omit if using fresh starter)
- 30 grams (1/8 cup) sugar
- 5 grams (1 tsp) salt
- 1 large egg, well beaten
- 70 grams (1/3 cup / 5 1/3 Tbsp.) melted butter
- 160 – 220 ml lukewarm milk (I used kefir milk)
- Melted butter for brushing, and more sugar for sprinkling
- Powdered cinnamon or anything else you would like to flavor your Chimney Cakes with.
- Molds to shape the chimney cakes
Instructions
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flours, sugar, yeast (if using), and salt. In a separate container, combine the starter, lukewarm milk, beaten egg, and melted butter. Put the milk mixture over the flour mixture and mix thoroughly to combine. Knead it for a few minutes in the bowl.
- Cover and let the dough rest for 20 to 30 minutes. Stretch and fold the dough. It should begin to feel soft, smooth and elastic. Shape into a ball and place it back in the bowl. Cover loosely and let it rise for about 2 hours until it is double in size. Perform another stretch and fold after 30 minutes. Then leave it to rest the final 1 ½ hours.
- Lightly knead the dough and divide into 8 equal pieces. Roll each piece into a ball. The total weight of my dough was 918 grams so the divided pieces weighed about 115 grams each. Work with one piece at a time. Cover the rest of the balls so they don’t dry out while you’re rolling out the ropes.
- Lightly dust your working surface with flour. Take one dough ball and roll it out into a long rope about 25 – 30 inches or longer, if desired. Beginning at the tip of the mold, tightly wrap the dough rope around the mold without gaps, slightly stretching the dough to keep it thin. Lightly roll the wrapped mold on the counter to press the dough on the mold.
- Brush the shaped mold lightly with melted butter. Dredge with sugar or cinnamon sugar to coat completely. Place funnels on a baking tray (or two) or rest them on the short edges of loaf tins.
- Bake the funnels at 190C (375F) for about 20 to 25 minutes till done, golden brown and sugar has caramelized. Turn the molds every 5 minutes or so for even baking. Take out of the oven and let it sit for 5 minutes. If your pastries don’t come off easily, you may use the blunt edge of a knife to slide the pastry off the mould. Let them cool.
- The pastry should be crunchy on the caramelized sugar outside and soft on the inside. Serve warm with coffee, tea or hot chocolate.
- Category: Sourdough Chimney Cakes
- Cuisine: Hungarian Pastry