Trdelník (Czech)

About This Recipe

Trdelník is one of Central Europe's most beloved street foods — dough spiralled around a wooden rod, grilled until golden and fragrant, then rolled in a cinnamon-walnut sugar mix. Street vendors across Prague fill the air with its caramelised scent. Though its exact origins are disputed between Czech and Slovak traditions, it has become an icon of Czech street food culture.

Ingredients

Serves 6

• 400 gplain flour
• 7 ginstant yeast
• 200 mlwarm milk
• 2 tbspsugar
• 50 gbutter(melted)
• 1egg
• 1 tspvanilla extract
• 100 gsugar(for coating)
• 2 tspground cinnamon
• 50 gwalnuts(finely chopped)

Instructions

1. 1

   Make dough

   Mix flour, yeast, sugar, milk, butter, egg and vanilla into a smooth dough. Knead 8 minutes until elastic. Cover and rise 1 hour.

2. 2

   Prepare coating

   Combine sugar, cinnamon and walnuts on a tray.

3. 3

   Shape

   Roll dough into long ropes, about 2 cm thick. Spiral tightly around greased wooden rods or dowels.

4. 4

   Grill

   Grill over medium heat, rotating constantly, for 12–15 minutes until golden brown all over.

5. 5

   Coat

   While hot, roll trdelník in cinnamon-sugar-walnut mixture until fully coated. Slide off the rod and serve immediately.

Variations

• •

  Fill the hollow centre with ice cream for a modern twist.

• •

  Use hazelnuts instead of walnuts in the coating.

• •

  Vegetarian: swap the protein for roasted king oyster mushrooms, smoked tofu or cooked chickpeas — adjust seasoning slightly upward to compensate.

• •

  Spicier: add a finely chopped fresh chile or a teaspoon of crushed Aleppo/Urfa pepper to the aromatics for warm, layered heat instead of a single sharp hit.

Storage

Best eaten fresh. Leftovers keep in an airtight container for 1 day.

Frequently Asked Questions