Puff pastry is very popular in the Czech Republic, and I think we're not the only ones. It is easy to use; you almost can’t fail with it. Today I will show you how to make a Czech specialty, kohoutí hřebeny, stuffed with rich poppy seed filling.
➜ What Is Kohoutí Hřebeny Pastry?
It’s a sweet puff pastry baked in the shape of “kohoutí hřeben”. You could translate this word as “rooster comb” because it resembles the pride every rooster bears on its head.
Kohoutí hřebeny pastry is usually stuffed with poppy seed or walnut filling. This recipe describes the poppy seed variant.
➜ Ingredients
- Puff pastry; I used refrigerated puff pastry weighing about 1 lb (500 g)
- 1 egg; to brush the edges for a perfect seal; kohoutí hřebeny will hold together while being baked
- Flour; to dust the worktop
- Powdered sugar; to dust the baked pastry
✅ You will find the exact ingredient amounts in the recipe card below, which you can also print out.
Poppyseed filling
- Poppyseed; ground
- Granulated sugar; to sweeten the filling
- Jam; for more flavor, Czechs usually use plum jam
- Milk
- Lemon zest; freshly ground, to spice the filling
➜ Poppyseed Filling Instructions
I described the whole process in a separate poppy seed filling recipe. Below you’ll find a short version, which covers everything essential to succeed while making the filling.
- Ground the poppy seeds in a dedicated poppy seed mill or a clean coffee grinder.
- Place ground poppyseeds in a pot, add milk, and bring to a boil on medium heat. Stir occasionally.
- Add jam, sugar, and lemon zest to taste. Stir, reduce temperature and cook for 10 minutes until soft. Set aside and let cool down completely.
This poppyseed filling thickens while cooling down. Use for only when it's completely cold!
➜ Making Kohoutí hřebeny
Before you start baking, preheat the oven to 440 °F (170 °C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
STEP 1: Cut puff pastry into 2 equal pieces, roll out each of them in a ¼ inch thick rectangle. Divide each rectangle into 6 small, similar-sized rectangles. Cut the edges off if they are not regular.
STEP 2: Cut the pastry in the center using a plastic dough cutter. Make similarly long cuts in a ⅔-inch distance. Leave a 1-inch perimeter around the pastry.
STEP 3: Place a cooled poppy seed filling over the cuts.
STEP 4: Brush the edges with a beaten egg. This prevents poppy seed filling from oozing out while baking. Fold one side down over the filling from oozing out while baking. Fold one side down over the filling and press the edges together to seal.
STEP 5: Transfer kohoutí hřebeny pastry on a baking sheet carefully. Bend the pastry lightly that the poppy seed filling can be seen a bit.
STEP 6: Bake the pastry for 15 minutes or until puffed and golden brown. Dust with powdered sugar while served.
Kohoutí hřebeny made with puff pastry are fluffy and flaky, and they taste incredibly delicious.
➜ Useful Tips
- Since you bend the pastry to form kohoutí hřebeny, some fillings can seep out. Don’t stress; it’s okay and is to be expected. An important note: always use cold poppy seed filling while making kohoutí hřebeny.
- You could know other goodies in the USA similar to kohoutí hřebeny called Bear Claws (made with almonds).
More poppyseed recipes:
- Loupáčky – sweet rolls sprinkled with poppy seeds
- Koláče – authentic kolache recipes
- Škubánky s mákem – there is NO translation of škubánky, you simply must try them out!
- Poppy seed bundt cake – Czech makova babovka
- Poppy seed kolache – makové koláče
Tried this recipe?
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Puff Pastry with Poppy Seed Filling – Czech Kohoutí hřebeny
Tap or hover to scale
Ingredients
Poppy seed filling:
- 2 ½ cups poppy seed ground
- 1 cup milk
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ¼ cup fruit jam
- ½ Tablespoon lemon zest freshly grated
For kohoutí hřebeny:
- 1 pound puff pastry refrigerated
- 1 small egg to seal the edges
- 1 Tablespoon flour to dust the worktop
- 1 Tablespoon powdered sugar to dust the baked puff pastry
Instructions
Make the poppy seed filling:
- In a thick-bottomed pot, combine 2 ½ cups poppy seed ground and 1 cup milk. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring occasionally to prevent the milk from burning. Add ½ cup granulated sugar, ¼ cup fruit jam, and ½ Tablespoon lemon zest.
- Lower the heat and cook for about 10 minutes, until the poppy seeds are soft, stirring frequently. When finished, transfer the poppy seed filling to a bowl and set it aside to cool completely.
- Before you start baking, preheat the oven to
400 °F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Shape the pastry:
- Sprinkle the work surface with 1 Tablespoon flour. Cut 1 pound puff pastry into two equal pieces and roll each piece into a ¼-inch-thick rectangle. Divide each rectangle into six smaller, evenly sized rectangles. Trim the edges if they are uneven.
- Using a plastic dough cutter, make cuts in the center of the pastry, spaced ⅔-inch apart. Leave a 1-inch border around the edges. Place the cooled poppy seed filling over the cuts.
- Brush the edges with 1 small egg (slightly beaten) to prevent the poppy seed filling from oozing out during baking. Fold one side over the filling and press the edges together to seal.
- Carefully transfer the Kohoutí hřebeny pastries onto a baking sheet. Lightly bend the pastries so that a bit of the poppy seed filling is visible.
- Bake the pastries for 15 minutes, or until they are puffed and golden brown. Do not open the oven during the first 10 minutes of baking. Dust with 1 Tablespoon powdered sugar before serving.
Notes
- The basic pieces makes about 10-14 pieces.
- When shaping Kohoutí hřebeny, some of the filling may seep out due to the bending of the pastry. Don’t worry; this is normal and expected.
- An important note: always use poppy seed filling that has cooled to room temperature when making Kohoutí hřebeny.
Jane says
My mom always used to make hrebeny with walnut filling. I've made them myself a lot, and I love them. You have to take care that your filling is thick enough, so it doesn't seep out, though. I actually tried the poppyseed variant for the first time in my life, and it also tastes amazing!
MC says
can they be frozen?
how long to defrost?
Anicka Cooklikeczechs.com says
Thank you for asking - you can indeed freeze the Hrebeny and they should take about an hour or two to defreeze.
debra says
I loved this recipe and the final product was wonderful! Great memories of baking with my Czech grandmother. I did find that the poppy seed portion resulted in three times as much filling as I needed (and I filled the dough heavily). No worries, though. I ordered another package of pastry dough and will make another batch and hope that they freeze well. Just need to light the oven again and start again. Great recipe!
Petra Kupská says
Thank you, Debra, for your kind feedback! I will check the amount of poppy seed filling listed in the recipe and make corrections if necessary. After all, this is one of the oldest recipes I have posted on my site, which, of course, doesn't excuse me. Otherwise, I am glad the recipe turned out well!
Monica says
Can you use a full sheet pastry puff with poppy seed filling and make a roll? I tried and inside dough did not cook through at 400 F for 20 minutes, put back in at 350 F for another 20 minutes and still not cooked. Is store bought puff pastry just not good for rolling?
Thank you for any thoughts.
Louise roman says
Can you use canned poppy seed?
Petra Kupská | Cook Like Czechs says
Definitely yes! People in the US often mention the Solo brand as a filling for sweet pastries.
Petra Kupská | Cook Like Czechs says
To be honest I have never tryed. But I don´t think it should cause much trouble as long as the seeds are ground up.