What is Kalacs?
Kalacs is a traditional Hungarian bread, added as part of the World on a Plate bread guide with baking times, ingredients and a clear step-by-step method.
braided Hungarian sweet bread
Serve with dishes from the Hungarian cuisine page, alongside soups, stews, dips, breakfast plates or sharing boards depending on the bread style.
Bread profile
Country of origin
Kalacs belongs with Hungarian. This bread belongs to Hungarian food culture and helps readers understand how everyday baking connects to regional meals, family tables and local ingredients.
Open the Hungarian cuisine page to see recipes, food history and menu ideas.
Serve with dishes from the Hungarian cuisine page, alongside soups, stews, dips, breakfast plates or sharing boards depending on the bread style.
How to bake Kalacs
Ingredients
strong white flour
caster sugar
instant yeast
fine salt
milk
lukewarm
egg
beaten
butter
softened
Step-by-step method
Mix the dough
Combine the dry ingredients for Kalacs, add the liquid gradually and mix until a rough dough forms.
Knead or fold
Knead for 8 to 10 minutes, or use stretch-and-folds for wetter doughs, until the dough becomes smoother and elastic.
First prove
Cover and leave until doubled or clearly airy. For deeper flavour, prove more slowly in a cool place.
Shape
Turn out gently, shape into the traditional form and place on a lined tray or in a prepared tin.
Final prove and prepare oven
Rest until puffy. Preheat the oven fully and add steam for crusty loaves if useful.
Bake
Bake until deeply coloured and cooked through. A finished loaf should sound hollow underneath or reach about 94C inside.
Cool
Cool on a wire rack before slicing so the crumb sets properly.
