vegetarianActivate the yeast
Whisk the Whole Milk (lukewarm), Granulated Sugar, and Instant Dry Yeast together in a large bowl until the sugar starts dissolving, then let the mixture sit for 10 minutes until the surface looks foamy. If the milk feels hot instead of just warm, let it cool down a little first so you do not weaken the yeast.
Make the dough
Add the All-purpose Flour, Egg Yolks, Unsalted Butter (softened), Vanilla Extract, Lemon Zest (finely grated; optional but traditional), and Fine Salt to the yeast mixture. Stir until a shaggy dough forms, then turn it out onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 8–10 minutes until it feels smooth, elastic, and only a little tacky. If it sticks hard to your hands, dust on a small amount of flour at a time rather than adding too much at once.
Let it rise
Shape the dough into a ball, put it back in the bowl, cover it with a clean towel, and let it rise for 60 minutes or until it has doubled and feels puffy to the touch.
Preheat the oven
While the dough rises, preheat the oven to 190° C and line a baking sheet with parchment so the molds have a place to rest after baking.
Mix the coating
If your Walnuts (finely ground) are not already very fine, crush or chop them as finely as you can. Mix them in a shallow bowl with the remaining Granulated Sugar and Ground Cinnamon until the coating looks evenly speckled.
Shape the dough
Punch down the risen dough and divide it into 6 equal pieces. Keep the pieces you are not working with covered, then roll each piece on a lightly floured surface into a long rope and wind it around trdelník molds or heatproof cylinders in a spiral, leaving a little space between the coils. Melt the remaining Unsalted Butter if needed, brush it over the dough, and press the outside into the cinnamon-walnut sugar so it is coated all over.
Bake the trdelník
Set the molds on the lined baking sheet and bake for 10 minutes. Turn each one carefully, then bake for 8–12 minutes more, until the pastry is deep golden and the sugar coating is caramelized and crisp. Watch the color closely near the end, because the sugar can go from perfectly toasted to burnt very quickly.
Finish and serve
Let the trdelník cool for 3 minutes just enough to handle, then brush them with any remaining melted butter and roll them in the reserved cinnamon-walnut sugar. Slide them off the molds and serve warm while the outside is still crisp.
