Variations on the traditional Hungarian braided scone

The braided scone is something that simply cannot miss from the Hungarian table during an Easter feast. The slightly sweet ‘cake’ is usually eaten with the hard-boiled and painted eggs, the ham and horseradish, but it can be prepared in numerous other ways so that it can become a filling breakfast or a delicious and simple dessert in itself. We have collected some of the best and special braided scone recipes for you to try (not just at Easter, but at any other point of the year).

Traditional braided scone

Ingredients

• 2 decagrams of fresh yeast
• 4 decilitres of fat milk
• 4 decagrams of powdered sugar
• 25 decagrams of fine flour
• a pinch of salt
• 1 yolk
• 1 whole egg
• 3 decagrams of melted butter
• 1 decagrams of Bourbon vanilla sugar

Preparation

Add the powdered sugar along with the yeast to the milk and let it raise. Mix the flour, the salt, the egg yolk, the melted butter, the vanilla sugar and the raised yeast together and knead the dough. Spread oil in a bowl and let the dough leaven in it for 30 minutes.

Split the dough into 3-4 equal parts (depending on whether you would like smaller or bigger scones). Split each part into two and then spin and braid them.

Spread a half a beaten egg over the scones and leaven them at room temperature for yet another 30 minutes. Spread the other half of the egg on the dough once it is leavened.

Bake the scone in a pre-heated oven under 175 degrees Celsius for approx. 30 minutes, until it puts on a golden colour.

Braided scone with cottage cheese, ham and ramsons

Ingredients:

for the dough:

• 45 decagrams of flour
• 2 decagrams of fresh yeast
• 2 decilitres of lukewarm milk
• 1 bigger egg
• 1 tablespoon of olive oil
• 1 teaspoon of salt
• 1 teaspoon of sugar

for the cottage cheese filling:

• 25 decagrams of curd cheese
• 1 tablespoon of sour cream
• 1 coffee spoon of ground pepper
• salt to taste

for the ransoms filling:

• 8-10 ramsons
• 1 tablespoon of sour cream
• salt to taste

for the ham filling:

• 15 decagrams of ham
• ½ tablespoon of sour cream

Preparation

Take half of the lukewarm water and add the sugar and yeast to it, then leave it to raise. Pour the remainder of the milk into a mixing bowl, then add the oil along with the egg to it, then mix it. Next, add the raised yeast to the previous mixture. Mix the flour with the salt, then after sieving it, add this to the mixture too, and knead the dough in a few minutes.

Put the kneaded dough into a leavening bowl and let it rest and leaven for one and a half hour. Then, spread some flour on a flat surface where you will knead the dough. Split the dough into three equal parts and form small balls out of them.

After softening the cheese with a fork, add the sour cream, the ground pepper and the salt to it. Mix it thoroughly. Cut the ramsons into tiny bits and add them to the sour cream with a pinch of salt, then mix it well. The ham should be cut into small bits too.

Roll out the dough balls one by one so that their dimensions will be approx. 35×30 centimetres and spread the fillings evenly unto them one after the other. Each ball should have a separate filling. Then fold the two sides of the dough a bit and roll it in a bejgli-like fashion (you can find the instructions here).

Lay the rolls next to each other and start braiding them. After you are done braiding, place them on a pan with baking parchment.

Cover the braid and let it leaven for 25 minutes at room temperature. After leavening spread a whole beaten egg on the dough and place it in the preheated oven. It should be baked for 45-50 minutes on a higher-than-average temperature until it becomes red.

Scone flower with poppy seeds

Ingredients

for the dough:

• 3 decilitres of milk
• 60 decagrams of flour
• 5 decagrams of yeast
• 3 tablespoons of sugar
• 2 tablespoons of oil
• 1 teaspoon of salt
• 10 decagrams of melted butter

for the filling:

• 20 decagrams of ground poppy seed
• 20 decagrams of powdered sugar
• 1 package of vanilla sugar
• some slightly sour jam
• 1 grated lemon peel

Preparation

Mix the lukewarm water with a pinch of sugar and the yeast, then let it raise. Then, mix it with the flour, eggs, rest of the sugar, oil, salt and knead it well. Leave it until it becomes twice in size.

Spread flour on a board and roll the dough out into a rectangle shape. Spread butter on it and a thin layer of jam. Mix the poppy seed with the powdered sugar and vanilla sugar, and sprinkle this on the rolled-out dough.

Roll the dough up like you would roll up a bejgli, place it unto a baking parchment in a pan, then shape it into a wreath.

Cut slightly into it at 3 centimetres distances and then turn the slices out. Spread some yolk on top of it.

Bake it in a pre-heated oven under 180 degrees Celsius in 20 minutes.

photos: mindmegette.hu

Source: mindmegette.hu