Poppyseed roll, known as “Makowiec” in Poland, is a traditional holiday dessert. It’s one of the most popular yeast cakes in Poland.
Benefits of poppy seeds
I typically bake this delicious recipe during the fall and winter months. Many Polish people believe that the more poppy seeds you eat, the wealthier and luckier you become. Others also appreciate its health benefits. Indeed, poppy seeds, or rather the minerals contained in the oil derived from poppy seeds, are very beneficial for skin, nails, and can even help with digestion.
Allow some time to make your poppyseed filling
Baking poppyseed roll from scratch takes time, unless you purchase a pre-made poppyseed filling. Outside of Poland it can be difficult to find the pre-made poppyseed filling, so you might need to make it from scratch. Making it at home requires time because you will need to boil the poppyseeds, grind them if you prefer a smoother texture, and then cook them with fruits and nuts. I don’t grind my poppyseeds, but traditionally many bakers do.
During the winter months, when evenings are longer and we tend to spend more time at home, dedicating some time to prepare the poppyseed filling might be less inconvenient. Perhaps this is also why it’s a popular dessert around the holidays.
In a hurry? Purchase the pre-made poppyseed filling.
If you prefer to skip the hassle of making your own poppyseed filling, you can purchase the poppyseed roll kit here. The kit contains a can of pre-made poppyseed filling and a bag of flour ideal for baking yeast cakes.
Any well made poppy seed roll requires a well made yeast dough.
Another great feature of poppyseed roll is the yeast cake. It complements the taste and texture of poppyseeds in perfect harmony. The nutty-like flavor of poppyseeds combined with vanilla and the subtle wheat taste of the yeast cake is divine.
The key to a good yeast dough is elasticity, this is why it’s important that the dough is well kneaded, not too moist nor too dry, and has the right amount of warmth to double in size. Whenever I bake yeast cakes, my favorite flour to use is flour from Poland type 550 “Luksusowa”. For more information on how to make the best yeast cake, follow my instructions here.
Poppyseed Roll
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4
cups
flour
(I used "Luksusowa" type 550)
-
1
cup
whole milk
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6
tbsp
cane sugar
-
1
whole
egg
-
2
egg
yolks
-
5
tbsp
unsalted butter
-
2
tsp
dry active yeast
-
1
tsp
vanilla extract
-
⅓
tsp
orange zest
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⅓
tsp
salt
Poppy Seed Filling
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500
grams (1.1 lb)
poppy seeds
-
½
cup
brown sugar
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3
tbsp
honey
-
2
tbsp
unalted butter
-
1
tsp
vanilla extract
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¼
cup
candied orange peal
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1
cup
raisins
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½
cup
cranberries, dates, or apricots
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3-5
cups
water
(start with 3 and add accordingly)
-
1
cup
pecans or walnuts
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The night before, or at least 3 hours earlier, prepare the raisins by soaking them in boiled water.
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Using a medium pot, add 500 grams (1.1 lb) of poppy seeds and pour about 3 cups of water.
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Place the pot on the stove top and over a medium to low heat, cook the poppy seeds for about 30 to 45 minutes, stirring occasionally. As the poppy seeds boil and you notice that you need more water, go ahead and add another 1-2 cups.
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After boiling the poppy seeds, strain the extra water using a large sieve placed over a bowl to catch the water. I also add cheese cloth to prevent any of the tiny seeds from escaping.
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Set the poppy seeds aside for 20-30 minutes to cool off and fully drain.
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Traditionally in Poland people grind the poppy seeds after boiling them, but I find it just as delicious without the extra step of grinding. If you prefer to have a very smooth poppy seed texture, then you can grind the poppy seeds using a meat grinder if you have one at home.
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In the meantime, strain the water from the raisins you soaked the night before. Chop the pecans or walnuts, or both, into small pieces. And then chop the dates, apricots or cranberries. You can mix all three, or use other dried fruits that you like most, like figs.
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Using a medium pot, add the poppy seeds, chopped dried fruits and nuts, raisins, cranberries, candied orange, butter, honey, brown sugar, and vanilla extract. Cook on a medium to low heat while stirring all the ingredients together for about 10-15 minutes.
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Cool off the mixture for at least 15 minutes and your poppyseed filling is done!
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You can prepare the poppyseed filling the night before, or even a few days earlier. Your poppy seed filling can last about a week in the fridge or you can freeze it for about a month.
Yeast Cake for Poppyseed Roll
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In a medium pot, combine milk, eggs, egg yolk, and sugar. Warm the ingredients over a medium heat and mix them using a whisk until the mixture reaches lukewarm temperature. Not higher than 110° Fahrenheit (43°Celsius).
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In the meantime, using a bowl from a stand mixer, combine the flour, vanilla extract, orange zest, and salt. Gently mix the ingredients with a spoon.
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Pour the combined liquid ingredients into the bowl with the flour, and mix all the ingredients together with a spoon to get the dough started.
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Then, using a dough hook, knead the dough for about 5 - 8 minutes on medium speed, until the dough starts pealing off the walls of the bowl.
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When the dough is being kneaded, in a small pot, melt the butter over a low heat. Make sure not to burn it. Let the melted butter cool off for a few minutes.
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While the dough continues to knead, slowly pour in the melted butter.
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Continue kneading until the butter is absorbed into the dough.
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Once the dough is well kneaded, the consistency is elastic, and the outside has a slight sheen, cover the dough with a clean dish towel and let it rest for 45 - 60 minutes.
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When the dough doubles in size, split it into two portions.
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You can refrigerate one portion for the following day or make two poppyseed rolls at once which will require double portion of the poppyseed filling. You can also fill the other portion of your dough with chocolate (like Nutella), sweet cheese filling, or fruit preserves.
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Using a rolling pin, roll out one portion of the dough into a large rectangle. About 30 cm x 36 cm (14 inches x 11 inches).
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Take your prepared poppyseed filling and using a large spoon spread it evenly to cover the surface, leaving a border all around.
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Roll the dough into a log while tucking the side edges and tucking the end edge underneath the roll.
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You can wrap the log in parchment paper to keep an even shape. One thing to remember is to avoid wrapping it too tightly so that the roll has room to expend as it grows.
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Let the roll rest for 45 - 60 minutes in a warm room, covered with a clean dish cloth.
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Preheat the oven to 170° Celsius (335° Fahrenheit). You'll want to avoid having a very hot oven when baking yeast cakes, especially with filling inside as you may find that on the surface the yeast cake will burn, but on the inside it may not be fully baked.
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Once the roll doubles in size, take the leftover egg white and using a basting brush, gently brush it onto the surface.
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Bake it for about 35-45 minutes until the roll develops a deep golden color.
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Cool it off for at least 20 minutes. Then you can cover it with a sugar glaze.
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You can quickly make your sugar glaze by combining 4 tablespoons of powdered sugar with 1 teaspoon of water or lemon juice and cooking it over a low heat for about 2-3 minutes until it turns into a thick liquid.
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Enjoy a slice of your poppyseed roll with a cup of tea or coffee.
