Easter without kalács (this is the Hungarian name of sweet bread) is like Christmas without Christmas tree. Hungarian kalács is similar to the Jewish challah eaten on Sabbath and holidays; it’s traditionally baked for Easter. It’s made with egg, milk and butter to create a brioche-like texture and is braided with three, four or six strands.

Many are afraid to set about making kalács because they find it too complicated. Although it seems more than it really is. It’s really true that there are some factors, which affect the final outcome. The dough of kalács is softer than bread dough, but not sticky by any means. If it’s too soft, the bread spreads out. Don’t add too much yeast, otherwise the dough can overrise easily, the braid loses its shape during baking and its taste will be yeasty. Adding butter is an important step, you should pour in gradually when the dough starts to form a ball, and butter must be completely incorporated.

You don’t have to insist on the six-strand braid – it almost got me, I had to watch the video a few times in order to learn it properly. It completely depends on you which braid to choose. I recommend trying to make kalács, as it doesn’t require pre-training and special kitchen tools, you only need to have patience and pay attention to the instructions, and success is guaranteed.