Czech Jidáše with Honey Glaze

Instructions

1. 1

   Prepare the dough

   Melt the butter and let it cool. Warm the milk to approximately 35 °C. Combine the flour, active dry yeast, sugar, and salt. Add 180 ml of the milk, the egg yolk, butter, and lemon zest.

   
2. 2

   Knead and let rise

   Knead the dough for 8 minutes, until smooth and elastic; it should remain soft but pull away from the sides of the bowl. Cover and let rise in a warm place for 55–60 minutes, until it has roughly doubled in size.

   
3. 3

   Shape the knots

   Preheat the oven to 180 °C. Divide the dough into 8 equal pieces. Roll each piece into a strip about 25 cm long and shape it into a loose knot. Place the knots on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and leave them to rise for 10 minutes.

   
4. 4

   Brush and bake

   Whisk the remaining 15 ml of milk with a teaspoon of the measured egg yolk left over? No; the egg yolk is already in the dough, so brush the Jidáše with milk alone. Bake for 12–14 minutes at 180 °C, until evenly golden.

   
5. 5

   Finish with honey

   Warm the honey briefly so it spreads easily. Brush a thin layer over the Jidáše while they are still warm, then let them cool for at least 5 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature.