Kalacs (Hungarian Cinnamon Swirl Bread)

My husband’s aunt passed along this super-easy recipe for this Hungarian sweet bread, and I made a couple of revisions to my family’s taste. Cinnamon, poppy seed, or walnuts are a traditional filling. Her recipe is for cinnamon, but one of my favorite ways is to break from tradition and use a cocoa/sugar/butter/vanilla mixture. It’s delicious, especially when the leftovers are toasted and buttered!

Original recipe makes 2 loaves

Ingredients

4 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup white sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 (.25 ounce) envelope active dry yeast
1 egg
1/4 cup melted butter
1 1/4 cups warm milk (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
melted butter for brushing
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/3 cup brown sugar

PREP

25 mins
COOK

30 mins
READY IN

3 hrs 10 mins

Directions

Place flour, white sugar, salt, and yeast into the bowl of a stand mixer. In a bowl, whisk together egg, melted butter, warm milk, and vanilla extract; pour into the flour mixture. Using dough hook attachment, mix on low until the flour is moistened and a dough forms, then increase speed to medium, and continue kneading until smooth and elastic, 4 to 5 minutes.
Place dough into a greased bowl, cover, and allow to rise in a warm place until doubled in bulk, about 1 1/2 hours.
Punch down dough, turn out onto a floured work surface, and divide into 2 equal pieces. Roll each piece into a 1/3 inch thick rectangle. Brush each square with melted butter. Mix together cinnamon and brown sugar in a small bowl, then sprinkle evenly over the two rectangles.
Roll each firmly into a log, pinch the ends closed, and tuck them underneath. Place each into a greased, glass loaf pan. Cover, and allow to rise in a warm place until doubled in bulk, about 45 minutes.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
Brush the tops of the loaves with melted butter, then bake in preheated oven until loaves are golden brown, and sound hollow when tapped, about 30 minutes.