Gesztenyés csiga

Ingredients

• 1 lbflourfor the yeast dough, a little extra for rolling out
• 1 ozfresh yeastdissolved in lukewarm milk
• 1¼ cupsmilkabout 240 ml lukewarm for the dough, the rest to loosen the filling and for brushing
• 2½ ozsugarfor the dough, a spoonful of it for the filling
• 1 pinchsaltfor the dough
• 2eggone in the dough, one beaten for brushing
• 2⅛ ozbuttersoftened, for the dough
• 10½ ozchestnut puréesweetened, as the filling; loosened with a little milk until spreadable
• 1 tbsprumor a few drops of rum extract, in the filling
• ¼ ozvanilla sugarin the filling (optional)
• 1 tspcinnamonsprinkled over the filling (optional)
• 3½ ozplain biscuitsfinely ground, to firm up the filling (optional)
• 1 tbsppistachiosfinely chopped, for sprinkling (optional)
• 1¾ ozAlmondsroughly chopped, over the filling (optional)

Method

1. Wake up the yeastDissolve the fresh yeast in about 240 ml of the lukewarm milk with a little of the sugar, then leave it for a few minutes until it turns slightly frothy and you can see the yeast coming to life.
2. Knead the yeast doughMix the flour with the rest of the sugar (keep back a spoonful for the filling) and a pinch of salt, then add one egg, the yeasty milk and the softened butter and knead everything into a smooth, supple dough.
3. Let the dough riseCover the dough and leave it somewhere warm for 1 to 2 hours, until it has roughly doubled in size.
4. Mix the chestnut fillingMeanwhile, beat the chestnut purée with a splash of milk, the reserved spoonful of sugar and the rum (or a few drops of rum extract) until it's easy to spread; if you like, stir in the vanilla sugar and firm the cream up with finely ground plain biscuits.
5. Roll out and spreadRoll the dough out on a floured surface into a large rectangle and spread the chestnut filling over it in a thin, even layer. If you like, scatter some cinnamon and the roughly chopped almonds over the top.
6. Roll up and sliceRoll the dough up tightly from one of the long sides, then cut the roll into slices with a sharp knife.
7. Second rise, heat the ovenSet the swirls on a baking tray lined with baking paper, leaving a little space between them, and let them rise again for 15 to 30 minutes. While they rise, preheat the oven to 355 °F (conventional, top and bottom heat).
8. Glaze and bake until goldenBeat the second egg, with the last splash of milk if you have any left, and brush it over the swirls. Bake for about 25 minutes until golden brown, let them cool a little, then sprinkle with finely chopped pistachios if you fancy.

Tips and variations

In a hurry? Use puff pastry instead of yeast dough and skip the rising altogether. With ready-made yeast dough from the chiller cabinet, you can fill strips, twist them and coil them into spirals. For something more indulgent, spread a layer of cinnamon-sugar butter under the chestnut cream and finish the baked swirls with icing sugar and a cream cheese frosting. Chestnut purée mixed with cooked vanilla or chocolate pudding and desiccated coconut makes a lovely filling too. Binding the filling with ground biscuits helps it hold together – just cut the slices only about 1 cm thick. Chopped candied roasted almonds in the filling and pearl sugar on top give a nice crunch. They're at their best still slightly warm, while the chestnut cream is soft and fragrant.