Kalács

By Hester

(Hungarian Twisted Bread) with Pancetta, Spring Onion, Sour Cream and Cheese filling.

Ingredients

• Dough:
• 300 g flour
• 200 ml milk at room temperature
• 15 g fresh yeast
• 1 tsp sour cream
• 2 pinch of salt
• 4 tbsp olive oil
• Filling:
• 25 g pancetta, finely diced
• 1-2 green onions (scallions) finely sliced
• 2 heaped tbsp of sour cream
• Grated cheese
• 1 tsp mustard
• Salt, pepper, freshly grated nutmeg
• Garnish and finish:
• 1 egg yolk
• Handful sunflower seeds

Details

Adapted from atdownunder.com

Preparation

Step 1

In a large bowl mix together flour and salt. Crumble the fresh yeast over the flour add the sour cream and pour the room temperature milk. Knead the dough for 5 minutes. Let it rest for 20-25 minutes and add the olive oil and knead again for 5 minutes. Let it rest for half an hour or until it rises. In the meantime, mix together in a bowl the sour cream, pancetta, green onion, cheese, mustard and seasoning. Divide the dough in two equal parts and with a rolling-pin flatten each piece of dough into a disc (25cm diameter). Preheat oven to 200ºC. On a baking tray lined with baking paper, place the first disc and spread the sour cream filling, leaving half centimetre free all around the edge. Place the second disc on the top. Place a glass in the centre and press it lightly. Using the back of a knife, divide the dough in four equal parts. Keep on dividing each quarter into two equal parts and then each part in 3 equal segments. You should have 24 segments. Hold the tip of each piece and twist it three times. Remove the glass in the centre of the dough, wash the top with an egg yolk and toss sunflower seeds in the centre where the glass was standing. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until nicely golden on top. Remove from oven, invert the bread on a large plate and remove baking paper. Let it cool on a wired rack.