Húsvéti Kalácskoszorú (Hungarian Easter Wreath)

A recipe for Húsvéti Kalácskoszorú (Hungarian Easter Wreath)! This stunning and fragrant pastry is filled with swirls of sweetened walnuts and baked until golden.

I first came across this Húsvéti Kalácskoszorú (Hungarian Easter Wreath) on MarzipART (check out the site for a wonderful collection of Hungarian Recipes) and it has since become one of my favorite springtime breads.

Kalács is a Hungarian sweet bread popular during the Easter season. There are a few different variations and shapes.

This particular bread, Húsvéti Kalácskoszorú, is formed into a wreath (circle) and cut into slices to show off the swirls of filling. It can also be a braided. Often, the center of the wreath is decorated with dyed Easter eggs.

Forming the Húsvéti Kalácskoszorú

The soft and smooth dough is fairly easy to work with and wonderfully scented with vanilla beans and lemon zest. If you don’t have vanilla beans available, swap for about 1 tablespoon of vanilla sugar or a teaspoon of vanilla bean paste/vanilla extract.

After allowing the dough to rest until doubled, gently roll into a rectangle, about 15 inches by 12 inches (38 centimeters by 30.5 centimeters). Only use as much flour as needed to handle the dough. Too much flour will cause the pastry to lose its soft texture. 

Brush the surface of the rectangle with melted butter. Spread evenly with a generous layer of the walnuts and sugar. Roll up the rectangle long side to long side and pinch together the seam to seal.

Transfer the roll to the prepared baking sheet seam side down. Push together the ends, pinching the dough together to seal and form a circle. Make about 1 inch (2.5 centimeters) thick slices around the circle about 3/4 of the way towards the center.

Take care not to cut all the way through to the interior of the circle. Gently turn each slice on its side in the same direction to show off the walnut swirl.

Cover and allow the Húsvéti Kalácskoszorú to rest for another 20 minutes before brushing with an egg wash and baking until golden. This bread is best the day it is baked, especially warm from the oven.

I used a sweetened walnut filling for the bread, but poppy seed or dried fruit are also popular. To finely chop the walnuts, I pulsed them a few times in a food processor.

If desired, the top can be sprinkled with pearl or brown sugar after brushing with the egg wash. Some also drizzle a lemon-based sweet glaze after baking.

Looking for other Hungarian recipes?

Try my:

• Krumplileves (Hungarian Potato Soup)
• Túrós Pogácsa (Hungarian Quark Pogácsa)
• Rántott Gomba (Hungarian Fried Mushrooms)

This recipe was first posted in April 2015 and updated April 2021.

Húsvéti Kalácskoszorú (Hungarian Easter Wreath) Recipe

Adapted from MarzipArt

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Húsvéti Kalácskoszorú (Hungarian Easter Wreath)

A recipe for Húsvéti Kalácskoszorú (Hungarian Easter Wreath)! This stunning and fragrant pastry is filled with swirls of sweetened walnuts and baked until golden.

Course Bread

Cuisine Hungarian

Keyword bread, Easter, Hungarian, Hungary, pastry, walnut

Prep Time 30 minutes minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes minutes

Resting Time: 1 hour hour 20 minutes minutes

Total Time 2 hours hours 10 minutes minutes

Servings 1 Wreath

Ingredients

Húsvéti Kalácskoszorú:

• 1 tablespoon (10 grams) active dry yeast
• 1 cup (240 milliliters) lukewarm milk 105-115˚F, 40-45˚C
• 4 cups (500 grams) bread flour
• 1/4 cup (50 grams) granulated sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 vanilla bean or 1 tablespoon vanilla sugar
• Zest from 1 lemon
• 1 large egg
• 1/2 cup (113 grams) unsalted butter melted and slightly cooled

Filling:

• 2 tablespoons (30 grams) unsalted butter melted and slightly cooled
• 7 ounces (200 grams) walnuts finely chopped
• 1/4 cup (50 grams) granulated sugar

Topping:

• 1 large egg yolk
• 1 tablespoon (15 milliliters) milk

Instructions

To make the dough:

• In a small bowl, sprinkle the yeast over the 1 cup (240 milliliters) milk and stir to combine. Allow to rest at room temperature until frothy 5-10 minutes.
• In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook or a large bowl. combine the flour, sugar, salt, seeds scraped from the vanilla bean, and lemon zest.
• Mix in the frothy yeast with the milk, egg, and melted butter to bring together the dough.
• On a lightly floured surface, knead the dough until smooth and soft. If too sticky to handle, add a little more flour (just enough to bring together, don't add too much). If too dry and crumbly after kneading, add a splash of milk at a time.
• Transfer the dough to a large oiled bowl and cover. Allow to rest until doubled, 1 to 2 hours.
• Preheat oven to 400˚F (200˚C). Line a baking sheet with parchment or lightly grease.

To make the filling and assemble:

• In a medium bowl, combine the finely chopped walnuts and sugar.
• On a lightly floured surface, roll dough into a rectangle, about 15 inches by 12 inches (38 centimeters by 30.5 centimeters).
• Brush the surface of the rectangle with melted butter. Spread evenly with a generous layer of the walnuts and sugar.
• Roll up the rectangle long side to long side and pinch together the seam to seal. Transfer the roll to the prepared baking sheet seam side down. Push together the ends, pinching the dough together to seal and form a circle.
• Make about 1 inch (2.5 centimeters) thick slices around the circle about 3/4 of the way towards the center. Take care not to cut all the way through to the interior of the circle. Gently turn each slice on its side in the same direction to show off the walnut swirl.
• Cover the pastry with a towel and allow to rest for 20 minutes, until slightly puffed.
• In a small bowl, beat together the egg and 1 tablespoon (15 milliliters) milk until well combined. Brush over entire surface of the bread.
• Bake in preheated oven until golden brown, 20-30 minutes. Allow to cool slightly before transferring off of baking sheet.
• This bread is best the day it is made.