Poppy Seed Roll – Czech Makový závin

Three pieces of Czech poppy seed roll served on a plate.

Poppy Seed Roll – Czech Makový závin

Do you enjoy poppy seeds? If so, I have got an amazing recipe for you—a classic Old Bohemian poppyseed roll that is sure to delight anyone who tries it!

Course Dessert, Sweet Bread, Sweet Pastry

Cuisine Czech

Keyword Czech Christmas, poppyseed recipes

Prep Time 20

Cook Time 30

Rising time 2

Total Time 2 50

Servings loaf

Calories 2848kcal

Author Petra Kupská

Ingredients

Sweet yeast dough:

1 ¾ cup all-purpose flour
½ cup milk warm
2 Tablespoons granulated sugar
⅓ stick unsalted butter softened at room temperature
1 ½ teaspoons active dry yeast
1 egg yolk
1 egg white
⅛ teaspoon salt

Poppy seed filling:

1 ½ cup ground poppy seeds
⅔ cup milk
½ cup granulated sugar
1 Teaspoon spiced rum Kirkland from Costco or Austriah Stroh 40
1 teaspoon vanilla paste (or vanilla essence)
2 teaspoons lemon zest freshly grated
¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
⅓ cup raisins

Misc.:

1 Tablespoon powdered sugar for dusting, optional

Cups - Metric

Instructions

Prepare yeast dough: First, proof the yeast. Pour a teaspoon of sugar into ½ cup of warm milk, add 1 ½ teaspoons active dry yeast, and stir. Let the yeast activate in a warm place; that means the yeast should be foamy on the surface. It all takes 10–15 minutes.
In the mixing bowl, pour in 1 ¾ cup all-purpose flour, remaining sugar and warm milk, 1 egg yolk, and the activated yeast mixture. Start the kitchen stand mixer at medium speed for about a minute to roughly combine the ingredients. Then add ⅓ stick unsalted butter and ⅛ teaspoon salt, continuing to knead the dough—for about ten minutes—to achieve a very smooth and elastic texture.
Remove the finished dough from the dough hook, shape it into a ball, and place it in a bowl. Cover it with a clean kitchen towel or plastic wrap, and let it rise in a warm spot until it doubles in size. This usually takes about an hour to two, depending on the surrounding conditions.
Make poppyseed filling: While the dough is rising, prepare the poppy seed filling. In a saucepan, heat ⅔ cup milk with ½ cup granulated sugar; add 1 ½ cup ground poppy seeds, ⅓ cup raisins, ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon, 2 teaspoons lemon zest, and 1 teaspoon vanilla paste. Stir everything together. Reduce the heat and simmer for about ten minutes. Finally, add 1 Teaspoon spiced rum. Let the filling cool on the kitchen counter.
Turn out the raised dough onto a lightly floured surface. Roll the dough into a roughly rectangular shape, if possible. The size depends on the baking sheet—the roll should comfortably fit lengthwise on the sheet.
Spread the chilled poppyseed filling onto the rolled-out dough, leaving about an inch of space along the edges. Fold the shorter sides over the filling first, then roll the longer side towards the other edge.
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Place the rolled strudel on it seam side down and let it rise in a warm place for another half an hour (the so-called second rise).
Brush the raised roll with 1 egg white you reserved earlier when preparing the dough. Use a fork to prick the surface of the roll to prevent it from cracking.
Preheat the oven to 350 °F. Bake the roll for 30 minutes until the surface turns golden brown.

Notes

The basic recipe makes 1 poppy seed roll loaf.
SERVING: Let the pastry cool on the baking sheet, or carefully transfer it along with the parchment paper and let it cool on a metal rack. Once cooled, slice the roll 1 and ½ inches (4 cm) thick and serve.
For those who enjoy a sweeter taste, dust the slices with powdered sugar—that's how the Czechs usually do it.
My favorite trick is to brush the freshly baked strudel with melted butter for a fragrant and perfectly soft result.
Start making the poppy seed filling ahead of time. For the leavened dough, use filling that's brought to room temperature. Never too hot or too cold—avoid using filling straight out of the fridge, for instance.
How to grind poppy seeds? Put them in smaller batches into a food processor or a clean coffee grinder and pulse them quickly to grind. The texture of the ground poppy seeds should resemble fine sand. If you grind them for too long, they will turn into a dense, greasy mass—something you don't want.

Nutrition