Polish Poppy Seed Roll – Makowiec Recipe

sliced loaf of polish makowiec on a wire rack.

5 from 3 votes

Polish Poppy Seed Roll – Makowiec Recipe

The Polish poppy seed roll or Makowiec is a traditional Easter or Christmas treat in Polish homes. Filled with poppy seeds, nuts, and dried fruit, this roll is perfect with a cup of tea or coffee.

Prep Time1

Cook Time45

Additional Time2

Total Time3 45

Course: Cakes

Cuisine: Polish

Servings: large roll

Calories: 265kcal

Author: Adina

Ingredients

Yeast dough (Note)

25 g fresh yeast OR 7 g active dry yeast 0.9 oz fresh yeast OR 0.24 oz active dry yeast
250 ml lukewarm milk 8.5 fl.oz/ 1 cup + 1 tablespoon
30 g granulated sugar 1 oz/ 2 ¼ tablespoon
400 g all-purpose flour 14 oz/ 3 ⅓ cups
¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
1 egg yolk Note 2
50 g unsalted butter 2 oz/ scant ¼ cup
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Filling:

220 g poppy seeds ground, 8 oz/ 1 ½ cups, Note 3
2 tablespoons raisins
2 tablespoons dried blueberries Note 4
2 tablespoons chopped walnuts
2 egg whites
80 g sugar 3 oz/ ⅓ cup + 1 tablespoon
100 ml milk 3.5 fl.oz/ ⅓ cup + 2 tablespoons
1 egg yolk
1 tablespoon milk

Glaze:

75 g icing sugar 2.5 oz/ ¾ cup
2 to 3 tablespoons lemon juice/ milk/ water as needed

Instructions

Dough:

Proof yeast: If using fresh yeast, crumble it in a small bowl. If using active dry yeast, place it in the bowl. Add 2 teaspoons of the already measured sugar, 2 tablespoons of the measured flour, and a little lukewarm milk from the measured milk. Just enough milk to form a thick paste. Mix well and leave to stand for about 5-10 minutes, covered, in a warm place. It should double its volume.
Melt butter: In the meantime, melt the butter and let it cool slightly.
Combine: Place the flour into a large bowl or in the bowl of a stand mixer attached with dough hooks. Add salt and the remaining sugar. Mix well. Add the melted butter, egg yolk, vanilla extract, and yeast mixture. Mix well with a spoon.
Knead: with a mixer with dough hooks or stand mixer for about 5 minutes or until elastic and smooth.
Let rise: Place the dough in a clean bowl, cover with a kitchen cloth, and let rise in a warm place for 1 to 2 hours or until doubled in size. (Note 5)

Filling:

Make the filling while the dough rises.
Beat the egg whites until stiff.
Mix: In another bowl, mix together the ground poppy seeds, raisins, blueberries, walnuts, and sugar.
Combine: Heat the milk until boiling. Pour it over the poppy seed mixture and mix well. Set aside to cool.
Fold in the egg whites.

Form the roll:

Preheat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius/ 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
Melt the butter and let it cool slightly.
Roll the dough on a lightly floured surface, about 1 cm/ 0.4 inch thick and about 40x30 cm/ 15x12 inches large.
Brush with the butter.
Spread the filling on top.
Roll up and close the ends well so that the filling doesn't spill during baking. Then, place it on a baking tray lined with parchment paper, seam side down.
Egg wash: Mix the egg yolk and the milk and brush the roll with the mixture.
Bake in the preheated oven for about 45 minutes or until golden and baked through. Let cool on a wire rack.

Glaze:

Mix the icing sugar with enough lemon juice (or milk or water) to form a thick, pourable glaze. Drizzle over the cooled roll. Sprinkle with a few poppy seeds if you have any left.

Video

Notes

Scale: Use a digital kitchen scale to measure the ingredients; it will give you the most precise results ensuring the best bakes possible. (Amazon affiliate link)
Eggs: You will need a total of 2 eggs, both separated. One egg yolk for the dough and one for the brush. Both egg whites are for the filling.
Poppy seeds: If they are not ground, you can easily do it in the food processor. They will be finer but should not become a powder.
Dried fruit: The exact amount of other dried fruit or berries can be used instead.
The rising time depends on how warm your kitchen is and the type of yeast you are using. If using fresh yeast, check after one hour already; dough made with fresh yeast always rises faster.

Nutrition