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    Where Is My Spoon > Recipes > Bread

    Beigli - Traditional Hungarian Nut Rolls

    Last modified: Jan 13, 2024 · Published by Adina, Nov 4, 2017 · 32 Comments

    Jump to Recipe
    completely sliced loaf of hungarian beigli.

    Beigli – a traditional Hungarian nut roll recipe filled with walnuts: this is a real treat for Christmas!

    hungarian nut rolls beigli

    These delicious traditional Hungarian nut rolls or beigli are something you definitely have to try!

    There are two kinds of beigli or Hungarian pastry rolls: the rolls filled with a poppy seed filling (which I have to try soon) and this walnut version, which is kind of similar to the Romanian Sweet Bread with Walnuts - Cozonac that my grandmother always used to make for Christmas and Easter in Romania.

    Maybe the Hungarian beigli was the inspiration for the Romanian cozonac, I cannot say, but they are both really delicious! You will find similar pastry rolls filled with poppy seeds or walnuts all over Eastern Europe, so I think it would be really difficult to determine where exactly they originate from.

    Jump to recipe
    • How to make the pastry?
    • How to make the filling?
    • How to form a nut roll?
    • More rolls
    • Recipe
    • Beigli - Traditional Hungarian Nut Rolls
    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Poppy_seed_roll

    How to make the pastry?

    The pastry is made with lard; the traditional way to make it.

    Food processor:

    • Let the lard come to room temperature. Place it together with the flour in the food processor and pulse until mixed.
    • Dissolve the fresh yeast and the sugar in the lukewarm milk. If using instant yeast, mix it with the flour without mixing it first with the milk
    • Add the fresh yeast-milk mixture to the flour-lard mixture and add the egg yolk, whole egg, and salt. If using instant yeast, add the lukewarm milk now as well.
    • Knead until the dough is smooth and doesn't stick to the walls of the machine anymore, 2-3 minutes or depending on the instructions of your food processor. Place the dough on the working surface and knead shortly with the hands. Form a ball.

    No food processor:

    • Cut the lard into the flour using a butter knife. Add the lard cut in small pieces to the flour and keep cutting through it with a knife until roughly incorporated.
    • Add the fresh yeast, which you have dissolved in milk (or the instant yeast mixed with the flour), and the rest of the ingredients needed for the dough.
    • Knead until the dough is smooth and doesn't stick to your hands anymore. Form a ball.
    • Place the dough into a large bowl, cover with a cloth and let rise in a warm place for about 40-60 minutes or until doubled in size.

    How to make the filling?

    • Place the ground walnuts, sugar, and milk in a small pot and bring to a boil.
    • Take off the heat, let cool for about 5 minutes, then add the rum (or rum aroma), vanilla sugar (or vanilla extract/aroma) and the lightly beaten egg whites.
    • Mix well.

    How to form a nut roll?

    • Place the dough on the working surface and knead shortly again. Divide it into two equal parts.
    • Roll one half of the dough with a rolling pin to form a rectangle of about 35x28 cm/ 14x11 inches.
    • Spread ½ of the walnut filling onto the rectangle leaving about 2 cm/0.8-inch space at the bottom and the sides of the rectangle and about 5 cm/ 2 inches space at the top of the dough rectangle.
    • Fold the sides of the dough over the filling to keep it from coming out during the baking. Roll the pastry starting at the bottom side and carefully fold the upper side over the roll, pressing gently to seal the roll as tightly as possible.
    • Place it on a baking tray lined with baking paper, smooth it side up, and let it rest for about 15 minutes.
    • Repeat with the second dough portion and the remaining walnut filling.
    how to roll hungarian nut roll
    how to roll hungarian nut roll

    Egg wash:

    • Mix the leftover egg yolk and 1 tablespoon of milk. Brush the pastry with this mixture and make some holes on the top of the beigli using a fork. This will keep them from splitting.
    beigli hungarian nut rolls

    More rolls

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    Recipe

    hungarian nut roll sliced on a white cloth.

    Beigli - Traditional Hungarian Nut Rolls

    These delicious traditional Hungarian nut rolls or beigli are something you definitely have to try!
    4.50 from 42 votes
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    Course: Bread
    Cuisine: Hungarian
    Prep Time: 1 hour hour
    Cook Time: 35 minutes minutes
    Additional Time: 1 hour hour
    Servings: 2 loaves
    Calories: 233kcal
    Author: Adina
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    Ingredients 

    Dough:

    • 530 g all-purpose flour 18.7 oz/ 4 ⅓ cups + 1 tablespoon
    • 125 g lard 4.5 oz/ ½ cup, room temperature
    • 25 g instant dry yeast 0.25 oz 0.9 oz fresh yeast or 1 sachet
    • 150 ml lukewarm milk 5 fl.oz/ ⅔ cup
    • 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
    • 1 egg yolk
    • 1 whole egg
    • a pinch of salt

    Walnut filling:

    • 250 g ground walnuts 8.8 oz/ 2 cups
    • 100 ml milk 3.5 fl.oz/ ⅓ cup + 1 ½ tablespoons
    • 100 g granulated sugar 3.5 oz/ ½ cup
    • 1 tablespoon rum or a few drops rum aroma
    • 1 tablespoon vanilla sugar or a few drops vanilla extract/aroma
    • 2 egg whites one from the pastry, one from the egg needed for brushing the pastry

    Egg wash:

    • 1 egg yolk
    • 1 tablespoon milk

    Instructions

    Dough:

    • Combine: Place the flour and the soft lard in the food processor. Pulse until mixed.
    • Dissolve the fresh yeast and the sugar in the lukewarm milk. If using instant yeast, add it to the flour.
    • Add the yeast-milk mixture to the flour and lard, and add the egg yolk, whole egg, and salt. If using instant yeast, add the lukewarm milk now as well.
    • Knead until the dough is smooth and doesn't stick to the walls of the machine anymore. Place the dough on the working surface and knead shortly with the hands. Form a ball.
    • Dough in a food processor: If making the dough without a food processor, mix the flour and the lard with the help of a butter knife. Add the lard in small pieces to the flour and keep cutting through it with a knife until roughly incorporated. Add the dissolved yeast and the rest of the ingredients and knead until the dough is smooth and doesn't stick to your hands anymore. Form a ball.
    • Let dough rise: Place the dough in a large bowl, cover it with a cloth and let rise in a warm place for about 40-60 minutes or until doubled in size.

    Nut filling:

    • Prepare filling: Place the ground walnuts, sugar, and milk in a small pot and bring to a boil.
    • Add ingredients: Take off the heat, let cool for about 5 minutes, then add the rum (or rum aroma), vanilla sugar (or vanilla extract/aroma), and the lightly beaten egg whites. Mix well.

    Beigli:

    • Preheat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius/ 360 degrees Fahrenheit.
    • Roll dough: Place the dough on the working surface and knead shortly again. Divide it into two equal parts. Roll half of the dough with a rolling pin to form a rectangle of about 35x28 cm/ 14x11 inches.
    • Fill dough: Spread ½ of the walnut filling onto the rectangle leaving about 2 cm/0.8-inch space at the bottom and the sides of the rectangle and about 5 cm/ 2 inches space at the top of the dough rectangle.
    • Fold the sides of the dough over the filling to keep it from coming out during the baking. Roll the pastry starting at the bottom side and carefully fold the upper side over the roll, pressing gently to seal the roll as tightly as possible.
    • Rest rolls: Place it on a baking tray lined with baking paper, smooth side up, and let rest for about 15 minutes.
    • Repeat with the second dough portion and the remaining walnut filling.

    Egg wash:

    • Brush pastry: Mix the leftover egg yolk and 1 tablespoon of milk. Brush the pastry with this mixture and make some holes on the top of the beigli using a fork. This will keep them from splitting.
    • Bake in the preheated oven for about 30-35 minutes or until deeply golden and cooked through.

    Notes

    I don't recommend using cup measuring for this recipe. Always use a digital kitchen scale (the Amazon link opens in a new tab); it guarantees the best results (Amazon affiliate link).

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1thick slice | Calories: 233kcal | Carbohydrates: 24g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 13g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 9g | Cholesterol: 29mg | Sodium: 21mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 6g
    Tried this Recipe? Pin it for Later!Mention @adinabeck or tag #WhereIsMySpoon!

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Audrey says

      October 30, 2021 at 3:01 am

      Thanks for this recipe! I’ve moved away from Hungary after living many years there. The hope of making beigli this Christmas is cheering!

      Reply
    2. Trudy A Herbst says

      January 12, 2021 at 1:20 am

      Correct spelling is Bejgli and has either walnut or poppyseed filling.

      Reply
    3. Janet Nyitray says

      December 11, 2020 at 4:19 pm

      I followed the pastry to a tee and it’s so dry and tough feeling what could my problem be?

      Reply
      • Adina says

        December 12, 2020 at 8:34 am

        Hi Janet. I am sorry it didn't turn out the way it is supposed to. It is difficult to say what went wrong from afar, the only thing I can think of is that the oven got too hot, and this way the loaf was overbaked.

        Reply
    4. Katalin Illes says

      December 05, 2020 at 4:40 am

      The eggs gives it a shine

      Reply
    5. Donna Hutchinson says

      August 04, 2020 at 12:05 am

      Can you substitute pecans for the walnuts in this recipe?

      Reply
      • Adina says

        August 04, 2020 at 8:39 am

        I never did because pecans are pretty much non-existent in Eastern European cuisine. But from a technical point of view, it should work.

        Reply
    6. Suzanne says

      November 25, 2019 at 7:26 am

      Why does the recipe end with egg wash on raw dough? I know you’re supposed to bake it but for some reason that information is not included

      Reply
      • Adina says

        November 25, 2019 at 9:49 am

        Hi Suzanne, of course there is. There is one last sentence at the end after the line regarding the egg wash.

        Reply
    7. Kaylie says

      December 09, 2018 at 6:21 pm

      Thank you for posting this. My grandmother's family came from Czechoslovakia and she would make these rolls every Christmas along with Kolaczki cookies. No one ever makes them anymore. They are so sweetly delicious and now I want to make them for my family.

      Reply
      • Adina says

        December 09, 2018 at 7:29 pm

        Thank you for the comment, Kaylie. I hope you like the rolls.

        Reply
    8. Tim says

      April 27, 2018 at 4:44 pm

      Thank u Adina for your lovely recipes! So this pastry resembles a pastry a coworker gave to me to try a long , long , long time ago and was wonderful . The Doughwas a tight dense Dough like yours however it also had I believe cinnamon and nutmeg in it. So I have have of course lost that recipe and fallen out of contact with my friend and your recipe lookes and sound very familiar to hers ☺️ So adina the only catch is that I have my wife and 10 yr old is vegaterian so what would recommend to substitute for the lard and what would b the amount. Thank u so very much

      Reply
      • Adina says

        April 27, 2018 at 8:57 pm

        Hi Tim, I am so glad you like the recipe. I checked the original recipe and it says that you can substitute the 125 g/4.4 oz lard with 250 g/8.8 oz butter or margarine. However, I have never made this recipe with butter, I have only ever made it with lard, so I cannot say for sure what the results would be when using butter. Please let me know if you try it.

        Reply
    9. Bucataresele Vesele says

      February 28, 2018 at 9:46 am

      Arata foarte bine!! <3
      Ne bucuram ca v-a placut reteta noastra, multumim de mentionare!!

      Reply
      • Adina says

        February 28, 2018 at 10:25 am

        Multumesc si eu.
        🙂

        Reply
    10. Nikolas says

      January 26, 2018 at 3:18 am

      Hi,
      for the walnut filling ingredients you mention 2 egg whites but later on when you describe how to prepare the filling you nowhere mention where to use those two egg whites. Could you please clarify this point of your recipe?

      Thank you

      Reply
      • Adina says

        January 26, 2018 at 8:48 am

        Hi Nikolas, sorry for the confusion, I wrote egg yolks instead of egg whites. So you are supposed to make the filling, let it cool shortly and then add the lightly beaten egg whites.

        Reply
        • Nikolas says

          January 26, 2018 at 2:10 pm

          Thank you!

    11. Sissi says

      November 08, 2017 at 5:26 pm

      You are such a talented baker, Adina! This looks so perfectly shaped! In Poland this is also a traditional cake, but filled with poppy seeds paste. I have actually eaten it in Hungary too!
      I promised myself I'll bake with lard one day and keep on forgetting to buy lard! I know many sweets taste 100 x better when lard is used.

      Reply
      • Adina says

        November 08, 2017 at 6:51 pm

        Thank you, Sissi. I actually intended to make this with poppy seeds as well, but then decided to use walnuts instead. Next time poppy seeds. 🙂

        Reply
    12. Marvellina|What To Cook Today says

      November 08, 2017 at 3:33 am

      I love pastry roll stuffed with nuts like this! One of the reasons I like baklava so much too. You make it sounds like I really must try this out

      Reply
      • Adina says

        November 08, 2017 at 7:38 pm

        I hope you do, if you like walnuts, you will love this roll.

        Reply
        • Elizabeth szafranic says

          December 26, 2020 at 7:54 am

          The walnut beigli is just what I have been looking for.
          Looks amazing. Cant wait to try it.

    13. Anca says

      November 06, 2017 at 12:31 pm

      I wanted to make Hungarian beigli, obviously not with lard. :)) I forgot about it until I saw your recipe. I should have a proper look at the recipes I want to try.

      Reply
      • Adina says

        November 08, 2017 at 7:38 pm

        It happens to me all the time, so many things I want to try, so little time... 🙂

        Reply
    14. grace says

      November 05, 2017 at 10:38 pm

      this is so much better than a cake roll filled with frosting! love those walnuts. 🙂

      Reply
      • Adina says

        November 08, 2017 at 7:39 pm

        I agree, Grace.

        Reply
    15. Angie@Angie's Recipes says

      November 04, 2017 at 4:53 pm

      The pastry made with lard must be extremely delicious and the walnut filling sounds really tempting too.

      Reply
      • Adina says

        November 08, 2017 at 7:40 pm

        Lard is really great for baking, I can't believe I didn't use it for so many years, it used to be so common back in Romania when I was a child.

        Reply
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