Hungarian Plum Braided Pastry – Szilvás Kígyórétes

A beautiful Hungarian braided pastry filled with fresh plums, cinnamon and lemon, baked until golden and finished with powdered sugar.

Hungarian Szilvás Kígyórétes filled with juicy fresh plums, cinnamon and lemon.

There are some recipes that are almost as much fun to make as they are to eat, and Szilvás Kígyórétes is definitely one of them.

Despite the word rétes in its Hungarian name, this isn’t the paper-thin Hungarian strudel you may be familiar with. Instead, it’s a soft, rich homemade dough wrapped around a juicy fresh-plum filling and braided into a long, beautiful pastry — hence the name kígyórétes, or “snake strudel.”

I made mine after coming home with beautiful fresh plums, and honestly, this is exactly the kind of recipe plum season was made for. The filling is simple: fresh plums, cinnamon, sugar, lemon zest, breadcrumbs and crushed biscuits. As the pastry bakes, the plums soften and release their juices while the crumbs absorb some of that wonderful flavour.

The result is a golden braided pastry with a soft, fruity centre and just enough cinnamon to make the entire kitchen smell incredible.

And yes — a generous dusting of powdered sugar at the end is absolutely necessary. 🇭🇺💜

Why You'll Love This Recipe

This pastry looks impressive, but the braiding is much easier than it appears. The dough is soft and easy to handle, and you don't need any special equipment or advanced pastry skills.

It's also a wonderful way to use fresh late-summer plums. Unlike a jam-filled pastry, you still get beautiful pieces of fruit inside every slice.

And perhaps my favourite part: the recipe makes two large braided pastries, which sounds like a lot until everyone starts cutting “just one more little piece.” 😃

Freshly baked Szilvás Kígyórétes finished with a light dusting of powdered sugar.

Ingredients

For the dough – makes 2 large pastries

• 500 g (4 cups) all-purpose flour

• Pinch of salt

• 200 g (7 oz) soft butter

• 1 large egg

• 1 egg yolk

• 20 g fresh yeast

  
  

  or approximately 7 g active dry yeast

• 2 tbsp granulated sugar, divided

• 200 ml (¾ cup + 1 tbsp) lukewarm milk

For the plum filling

• Approximately 1 kg (2.2 lb) fresh plums

• 2 tbsp breadcrumbs

• 3 tbsp finely crushed plain biscuits or cookies

• 150 g (¾ cup) granulated sugar, or to taste depending on your plums

• 1 level tsp ground cinnamon

• Finely grated zest of ½ lemon

For finishing

• 1 small egg yolk

• A few drops of water

• Powdered sugar, for serving

How to Make Szilvás Kígyórétes

1. Prepare the plums

Wash the plums, remove the pits and cut the fruit into wedges. Toss them with the sugar and place them in a colander or sieve to drain while you prepare the dough.

This little step is important. Fresh plums can release a surprising amount of liquid, and draining them helps prevent the bottom of the pastry from becoming soggy.

2. Activate the yeast

Stir the yeast and 1 tablespoon of the sugar into the lukewarm milk. Leave it for about 5–10 minutes, until the mixture becomes foamy.

3. Make the dough

Combine the flour with a pinch of salt and the remaining tablespoon of sugar.

Work the soft butter into the flour, then add the whole egg, egg yolk and activated yeast mixture.

Knead until you have a smooth, soft dough. It should be easy to handle and roll without being sticky.

4. Finish the filling

Once the plums have drained, combine them with the breadcrumbs, crushed biscuits, cinnamon and grated lemon zest.

If the mixture still seems particularly wet, sprinkle a little extra crushed biscuit or breadcrumbs over the dough before adding the filling.

5. Shape the pastry

Divide the dough into 2 equal portions.

Roll the first piece on a lightly floured surface into a rectangle approximately 4–5 mm thick.

Imagine the rectangle divided lengthwise into three sections. Leave the centre intact for the filling and cut the two outer sections into strips approximately 1.5–2 cm (½–¾ inch) wide.

Spoon half of the plum filling evenly down the centre.

Fold the strips over the filling one at a time, alternating from left to right, to create the braided appearance.

Carefully transfer the finished pastry to a parchment-lined baking sheet.

Repeat with the remaining dough and filling.

Alternate the strips of dough over the fresh plum filling to create the signature braided shape.

6. Rest and brush

Allow the shaped pastries to rest on the baking sheet for approximately 10–15 minutes.

Mix the egg yolk with a few drops of water and gently brush it over the dough.

7. Bake

Bake in a preheated 170°C / 340°F convection oven for approximately 20–25 minutes, or until beautifully golden brown.

If using a conventional oven, I would use approximately 180°C / 350°F and begin checking around 20 minutes.

Your oven may vary, so let the colour of the pastry be your guide.

Bake the braided plum pastries until the dough is beautifully puffed and golden brown.

8. Cool and serve

Allow the kígyórétes to cool slightly before slicing. The filling will be quite soft while it's hot and will set more as it cools.

Dust generously with powdered sugar and cut into thick slices.

It is wonderful slightly warm, but it's equally delicious completely cooled with a cup of coffee. ☕💜

A Few Tips for the Best Plum Kígyórétes

Drain your plums well. This is probably the most important step when using very ripe, juicy fruit.

Adjust the sugar. Taste your plums first. Sweet, ripe plums may need considerably less sugar than tart ones.

Don't worry about a perfect braid. Once the pastry expands and turns golden in the oven, those overlapping strips look beautiful even when they're not identical.

Let it cool before getting your perfect slice. I know this is difficult. 😂 But the plum filling will hold together much better.

The alternating strips bake into a beautiful golden braid with little glimpses of plum filling underneath.

Is Kígyórétes Actually Rétes?

Well... that's where the Hungarian logic comes in. 😂

Despite its name, kígyórétes isn't made with traditional rétes dough. There's no stretching an impossibly thin sheet of dough across the kitchen table here.

It's really closer to a beautiful Hungarian braided fruit pastry.

But kígyórétes is what we call it, and I'm certainly not arguing with generations of Hungarian bakers. 🇭🇺😂

Can I Use Other Fruit?

Absolutely. Once you know how to make the dough and braid it, the filling can change with the seasons.

Sour cherries would be fantastic, as would apples, apricots or a combination of fruit and ground walnuts.

But during plum season, I wouldn't change a thing. The combination of fresh plums, cinnamon and lemon is just too good.

Every slice is packed with soft, juicy fresh plums and warm cinnamon.

From My Hungarian Kitchen ❤️

This is exactly the kind of Hungarian baking I love sharing: simple ingredients transformed into something that looks special enough to put in the middle of the table.

The outside is golden and lightly crisp, the dough stays tender underneath, and when you cut into it, you find those juicy cinnamon-scented pieces of fresh plum hiding inside.

And if you're Hungarian and you're currently preparing to explain to me why this is definitely not rétes...

I know. 😂

The name says rétes. I'm just following orders. 🇭🇺

Jó étvágyat! 💜