Christmas and Easter wouldn't be complete without a batch of homemade Slovak nut rolls! This easy, no-fail recipe makes two delicious rolls with a generous amount of walnut filling.
➜ What are nut rolls made of?
Traditional Slovak nut rolls are made of yeast dough rolled out thinly and filled with ground walnuts. The rolled strudel is baked on a sheet after being brushed with an egg wash to give it a shiny appearance before being placed in the oven. The baked nut roll is cut into slices and served with tea or coffee.
TIP: I successfully use this same dough to make poppy seed rolls!
Slovaks call a nut roll made of yeast dough "kysnutá orechová štrúdľa" or "orechový závin."
⇢ Check for more Slovak recipes
However, this recipe is very popular not only in Slovakia but also in other countries of Central Europe - the Czech Republic, Poland, and Hungary. The Czech name of this nut roll is "ořechový závin"; in Polish, it would be "strudel orzechowy." Can you see the amazing similarity between Slavic languages?
➜ Ingredients
To make homemade nut rolls from scratch, you will need the following:
Yeast dough:
- Warm water; about 110°F
- Active dry yeast
- Honey; to activate yeast. If you don't have honey, you can use white granulated sugar, which also works well in the recipe.
- All-purpose flour
- Granulated sugar
- Pinch of salt
- Unsalted butter; softened at room temperature
Note on nut roll dough: Water, not milk, is actually used to make the dough. There is no egg and no sour cream added to the dough! The dough is quite fatty, with a fair amount of unsalted butter. I highly recommend working the dough in a stand mixer with the dough hook attached.
Walnut filling:
- Ground walnuts; walnuts are always the first choice when preparing nut rolls in European cuisines. Pecans are another possible option as to what kind of nuts to use. I personally use walnuts from our garden, which I grind on a manual rotary grater before using.
- Half-and-half; half whole milk, half heavy cream.
- Granulated sugar
- Seasoning: ground cinnamon, freshly grated lemon zest, vanilla pasta (or essence)
Egg wash:
- Whole egg; at room temperature, lightly beaten with a fork
✅ You’ll find the exact amount of ingredients below in the recipe card, which you can also print out.
Equipment: A large cookie sheet at least 12 inches long. If you only have a smaller baking sheet, feel free to curve the roll slightly. Next, you will need parchment paper to line the sheet.
➜ How to make Slovak nut rolls
Preparing yeast dough
STEP 1: Start by measuring and preparing all the ingredients in the recipe.
STEP 2: Take ½ cup of warm water from the measured ingredients and dissolve all the honey in it. Combine about ⅔ cup of flour with the active yeast. Whisk the flour mixture with the sweetened water to form a semi-thick dough with no lumps.
STEP 3: Cover the bowl with a clean tea towel and let rise in a warm place for about 30-45 minutes.
⇢ MY TIP: Learn how to make dough rise fast inside oven
Making nut roll filling
STEP 4: While the yeast is activating, prepare the nut filling. Bring the cream and milk to a boil in a saucepan. Be careful; as soon as it comes to a boil, immediately remove the saucepan from the heat. Dissolve the sugar in the hot milk, then add the ground nuts, vanilla, lemon zest, and ground cinnamon. Let the nut filling cool to room temperature.
Rising the dough
STEP 5: Add the rest of the lukewarm water, flour, and sugar to the bowl with the activated yeast. Mix roughly for about a minute.
STEP 6: Add the salt and softened butter. Knead the dough until smooth and elastic. I ran my stand mixer with a dough hook for 8 minutes on medium speed.
NOTE: If you are working the dough by hand, melt the butter in the microwave or in a saucepan on the stove - the butter must not be hot!
STEP 7: Cover the bowl with a cloth and let rise in a warm place until the dough has doubled in volume. This will take about an hour or two, depending on room conditions.
TIP: In the meantime, line a baking sheet with parchment or wax paper.
Assembling the walnut rolls
STEP 8: Dump the raised dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead briefly. Divide into two halves, shape each into a small ball, and leave to rest for ten minutes.
STEP 9: Using a rolling pin, roll one rested ball of dough into a rectangle about 12 × 10 inches and about ¼ inch thick. Spread the walnut filling over the dough, leaving about an inch of space around the edges. An angled cake spatula makes the spreading easier.
NOTE: The walnut filling needs to be at room temperature, not hot or too cold.
STEP 10: Start rolling the dough lengthwise, like a jelly roll. Gently tighten the dough as you roll. Finish the roll with the seam facing down. Press the ends of the roll together and tuck them underneath. Place the roll, seam side down, on a lined baking sheet.
Repeat with the second piece of dough the same way. I made the second strudel with poppy seed filling!
Brushing with egg wash
STEP 11: In a deep bowl, beat the egg with a fork. Using a pastry brush, brush the rolls on all sides.
STEP 12: Allow the formed rolls to rise for another 30 minutes.
I like to repeat the brushing one more time so that the strudel is nice and shiny.
Baking the rolls
STEP 13: Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C). Put the baking sheet with the rolls on a medium rack and bake for 25-30 minutes.
➜ Serving
Let the cooled nut strudel cool, then cut it into slices about 1 ½ inches thick. Place individual slices on a dessert plate, make a cup of coffee or tea and enjoy your dessert!
In Slovakia, this nut roll is one of the most popular breakfast pastries served during the Christmas holidays. At Easter, the strudel used to be an item in the Easter basket of ceremonial food that was taken to the church for blessing.
⇢ Check for more Christmas recipes and Easter food
Some people sprinkle the roll with powdered sugar before serving, but I don't think it's necessary because the strudel has a glossy shine on the surface thanks to the egg wash.
➜ Storage tips
Sweet breads from yeast doughs are best eaten the same day they are made. However, this walnut roll has a longer shelf life thanks to the multi-stage rising process; it will stay soft for up to several days!
At room temperature: When completely cooled, wrap the roll in a clean cloth or plastic wrap. Store at room temperature and consume within five days.
In the fridge: If you're wondering how long the nut roll will last in the refrigerator, you can count on about a week. Compared to storing the roll at room temperature, the refrigerator will extend its shelf life by two to three days.
In the freezer: You can certainly freeze the strudel as well. Do it as soon as possible after cooling! My mom always cuts the strudel into slices and stores it in an airtight container in the freezer, where the pastry will keep for at least three months.
Thaw overnight in the fridge, on the kitchen counter for about two hours, or in the microwave set on defrost mode.
➜ Useful hints
- I followed an authentic, old-fashioned recipe that Slovak grandmas have been using for many years to make these nut rolls. No modern ingredients, maybe just a stand mixer that helped me knead the yeasty dough without too much effort.
- Yeast rolls have a tendency to crack while baking, usually on the side or bottom. What appears to be a flaw when they come out of the oven is actually not a flaw at all. When you cut the strudel into pieces and your guests dig in, there are no cracks to worry about.
More yeast dough recipes:
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Slovak Nut Roll (Orechovy Zavin)
Ingredients
Yeast dough:
- ¾ cup water (180 ml) warm
- 1 teaspoon active dry yeast
- 1 teaspoon honey or granulated sugar
- 3 and ½ cups all-purpose flour (455 g)
- ½ cup granulated sugar (100 g)
- 1 pinch salt
- 1 stick unsalted butter (112 g) softened
Walnut filling:
- 4 cups walnuts ground
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 1 cup half and half half whole milk, half heavy cream
- 1 Tablespoon lemon zest freshly grated
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon ground
- 1 teaspoon vanilla paste or vanilla essence
Egg wash:
- 1 egg
Instructions
- Start by measuring and preparing all the ingredients in the recipe.
- Making yeast starter: Take ½ cup of warm water from the measured ingredients and dissolve all the honey in it. Combine about ⅔ cup of flour with the active yeast. Whisk the flour mixture with the sweetened water to form a semi-thick dough with no lumps.
- Cover the bowl with a clean tea towel and let rise in a warm place for about 30-45 minutes.
- Walnut filling: While the yeast is activating, prepare the nut filling. Bring the cream and milk to a boil in a saucepan. Be careful; as soon as it comes to a boil, immediately remove the saucepan from the heat. Dissolve the sugar in the hot milk, then add the ground nuts, vanilla, lemon zest, and ground cinnamon. Let the nut filling cool to room temperature.
- Making yeast dough: Add the rest of the lukewarm water, flour, and sugar to the bowl with the activated yeast. Mix roughly for about a minute.
- Add the salt and softened butter. Knead the dough until smooth and elastic. I ran my stand mixer with a dough hook for 8 minutes on medium speed.
- Cover the bowl with a cloth and let rise in a warm place until the dough has doubled in volume. This will take about an hour or two, depending on room conditions.
- In the meantime, line a baking sheet with parchment or wax paper.
- Assembling nut rolls: Dump the raised dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead briefly. Divide into two halves, shape each into a small ball, and leave to rest for ten minutes.
- Using a rolling pin, roll one rested ball of dough into a rectangle about 12 × 10 inches and about ¼ inch thick. Spread the walnut filling over the dough, leaving about an inch of space around the edges. An angled cake spatula makes the spreading easier.
- Start rolling the dough lengthwise, like a jelly roll. Gently tighten the dough as you roll. Finish the roll with the seam facing down. Press the ends of the roll together and tuck them underneath. Place the roll, seam side down, on a lined baking sheet.
- Repeat with the second piece of dough the same way.
- Egg wash: In a deep bowl, beat the egg with a fork. Using a pastry brush, brush the rolls on all sides.
- Allow the formed rolls to rise for another 30 minutes.
- Baking: Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C). Put the baking sheet with the rolls on a medium rack and bake for 25-30 minutes.
Notes
- Makes 2 nut rolls. Each roll serves around 12 slices.
- SERVING: Let the cooled nut strudel cool, then cut it into slices about 1 ½ inches thick. Place individual slices on a dessert plate, make a cup of coffee or tea and enjoy your dessert!
- In Slovakia, this nut roll is one of the most popular breakfast pastries served during the Christmas holidays. At Easter, the strudel used to be an item in the Easter basket of ceremonial food that was taken to the church for blessing.
Storage tips:
- At room temperature: When completely cooled, wrap the roll in a clean cloth or plastic wrap. Store at room temperature and consume within five days.
- In the fridge: If you're wondering how long the nut roll will last in the refrigerator, you can count on about a week. Compared to storing the roll at room temperature, the refrigerator will extend its shelf life by two to three days.
- In the freezer: You can certainly freeze the strudel as well. Do it as soon as possible after cooling! My mom always cuts the strudel into slices and stores it in an airtight container in the freezer, where the pastry will keep for at least three months.
DISCLAIMER: Because I come from Central Europe, my recipes are based on metric units such as grams or milliliters. Check out how I convert metric units to the U.S. system:
Conversion chart
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