Christmas Poppy Seed Roll

Name: Christmas Poppy Seed Roll
Ingredients: 350 g flour; 180 ml milk; 150 g butter; 8 g yeast (~1.5 tsp); 2 egg yolks; 2 tbsp sugar; 1 tsp vanilla sugar; pinch of salt; 250 g poppy seeds; 50–80 g sugar; 50 g honey; 50 g dried apricots; 25 g raisins; 25 g walnuts; 1 tbsp butter; 1 tsp vanilla sugar; 2 egg whites; 1 egg, for brushing; 100 g powdered sugar (for the glaze); dried apricots, poppy seeds, sliced almonds (for decoration)

I'd been wanting to make a poppy seed roll for a long time, and I finally got around to it for the winter holidays. This kind of bake is perfect for Christmas — though honestly, I think any poppy seed lover will be thrilled with it any time of year! Everyone in my house loves poppy seed baked goods, myself included, so this roll was a huge hit. I went with a yeasted, layered dough, and dressed up the poppy seed filling with honey, dried apricots, raisins, and walnuts. The result was an absolutely delicious roll — and coming from someone who isn't usually a big fan of yeasted doughs, that's saying something. I chose it specifically because I truly believe it pairs best with a poppy seed filling. And it's not just any yeasted dough — it's layered, and incredibly good! Happy holidays, dear readers — wishing you a wonderful New Year and a Merry Christmas. May you and your families be filled with happiness, peace, and warmth!

Ingredients:

Dough:
350 g flour
180 ml milk
150 g butter
8 g yeast (~1.5 tsp)
2 egg yolks
2 tbsp sugar
1 tsp vanilla sugar
pinch of salt
Filling:
250 g poppy seeds
50–80 g sugar
50 g honey
50 g dried apricots
25 g raisins
25 g walnuts
1 tbsp butter
1 tsp vanilla sugar
2 egg whites
Also:
1 egg, for brushing
100 g powdered sugar (for the glaze)
dried apricots, poppy seeds, sliced almonds (for decoration)

How to cook christmas poppy seed roll

Make the dough. Combine the flour and yeast in a bowl and mix together.

In a separate bowl, mix together the warm milk, egg yolks, sugar, vanilla sugar, and salt. Pour this mixture into the flour and knead into a soft dough. Toward the end of kneading, add 30 g of melted butter. Cover the dough with a bag so it doesn't dry out and refrigerate for 1 hour to chill.

Roll the dough out into a rectangle roughly 30×15 cm, then spread the remaining softened butter (120 g) over it, leaving the edges uncovered.

Fold one third of the dough over the center.

Then fold the remaining third on top, creating an envelope shape.

Pinch the edges closed and rotate the dough 90 degrees. Carefully roll out the rectangle again. If the butter starts breaking through, refrigerate the dough for about 30 minutes.

Repeat this process 2–3 more times: fold into an envelope and roll out, fold into an envelope and roll out, fold into an envelope again.

Wrap the folded dough loosely in a bag, leaving room for it to rise. Refrigerate overnight.

Prepare the filling. Rinse the poppy seeds, pour boiling water over them, and simmer for 5 minutes. Let them steep, then drain, reserving a little of the water. Grind the poppy seeds using your preferred method — a mortar and pestle, a meat grinder run 2–3 times, or a food processor or blender. I used a blender, adding the sugar, vanilla sugar, melted honey, and a splash of the reserved water right in.

Add the chopped dried apricots, raisins, chopped walnuts, softened butter, and, if you like and have it on hand, a couple of drops of almond extract to the poppy seed mixture.

In a separate bowl, beat the egg whites to stiff peaks, then gently fold them into the poppy seed mixture. The filling is ready.

Cut the dough in half.

Look how beautiful it is in cross-section — full of air pockets, layered, and buttery!

Roll one half out into a rectangle roughly 35×27 cm. Spread half of the poppy seed filling over it, leaving a 3–4 cm border on all sides, and smooth it out evenly.

Roll into a log, pinch the bottom seam closed, seal the ends, and tuck them underneath the roll.

Place the roll on a parchment-lined baking sheet and shape the second roll the same way. Let them rise in a warm place for 20–30 minutes. Brush with lightly beaten egg, then bake in an oven preheated to 180°C for 20–35 minutes. Let cool.

If desired, top with a glaze and decorate. To make the glaze, stir 1–2 tbsp of warm water into 100 g of powdered sugar until you get a thick but pourable consistency. Spread the glaze over the rolls and sprinkle with toppings — I used chopped dried apricots, dry poppy seeds, and sliced almonds.