If you love those classic yeasty swirls, you should make poppy seed rolls at home. It takes a bit of effort, but it’s very much worth it.
This sweet treat is very popular in Central and Eastern Europe, where it has different names and variations. But the main idea is the same: a yeast dough filled with a poppy seed filling!
You can eat it all year round, but it is especially popular at Christmas and Easter.
This recipe is simple and classic. It was inspired by Eric’s Hungarian grandma, who made delicious Hungarian poppy seed rolls (Mákos beigli/bejgli) for Christmas.
The only difference from this recipe is that she added raisins to her filling, which you can also do if you like. In Eric’s family, it was always called Mákos kalács (kalács meaning “sweet bread”), but there are many different names depending on the country.
We know that it can seem like a difficult recipe, but it’s not that hard if you follow the steps and take your time!
Poppy Seed Rolls Across Europe
As mentioned above, poppy seed yeast rolls are eaten in many Central and Eastern European countries. So it’s not surprising that there are many different variations and recipes.
Some recipes call for an icing/glaze and candied peel or poppy seeds on top. Others have additional fillings like raisins, plum jam, honey, etc.
Here are some of the names for poppy seed roll in different European countries, in case you are curious and want to look into some of the differences:
- In Hungary, it is Mákos beigli/bejgli.
- In Germany and Austria, it’s Mohnstrudel or Mohnstollen.
- In Poland, it is commonly known as Makowiec.
- In Slovakia, it is known as Makovník.
- In Czechia, it is Makový závin.
- In Ukraine, it is Makivnyk.
- In Romania, it is Coardă cu Mac.
It’s also enjoyed in the Baltics, the Balkans, and other places.
Ingredient Notes
- Poppy Seeds – Use fresh poppy seeds. You will need to grind them.
- Flour – Regular all-purpose flour to make the dough.
- Milk – Both low-fat and whole milk work; some for the dough and some for the filling.
- Granulated sugar – To add sweetness to the dough and the filling.
- Eggs – One large egg at room temperature for the dough, and one for the egg wash.
- Vanilla extract – To add extra flavor to the dough.
- Butter – At room temperature; for the dough.
- Instant Yeast – To make the dough. Make sure it hasn’t expired.
- Lemon Zest – To add extra flavor to the dough; preferably from an organic lemon.
- Salt – A pinch of salt to enhance the flavor and balance the yeast activity.
Recipe Tips
- This recipe is written for instant yeast. You can use active dry yeast, but it has to be dissolved first. Add it to the warm milk with about 1 teaspoon of sugar and let it sit for 5-10 minutes until foamy. Then add it to the dry ingredients.
- Make sure the yeast is fresh, the milk is warm, and the butter and egg are at room temperature, otherwise, the dough may not rise.
- There are lots of different filling variations for poppy seed rolls. For example, you can add raisins (soaked in water or rum beforehand), honey, plum jam, ground cinnamon, lemon zest, and/or orange zest.
- Knead the dough well until it is smooth and elastic. Five minutes may seem like a long time, but it is worth it.
- When rolling out the dough, make sure it has an even thickness. Also, make sure to spread the filling evenly. This will create a consistent spiral in the baked poppy seed rolls.
- Roll out the dough to the size called for in the recipe (slight variations are fine). If you roll it out too small, the filling may be too thick and the rolls don’t cook evenly during baking. If you roll it out too large, the dough may be too thin and split during baking.
- Poke lots of holes in the tops and sides before baking or it’s more likely that the poppy seed rolls split open.
- Even if you do everything right, sometimes a poppy seed roll may still split open during baking. This is normal – and it will still taste delicious.
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How to Make Poppy Seed Roll – Step by Step Instructions
First, grind the poppy seeds in batches. This is important since you can’t make this recipe with whole poppy seeds.
You can use a blender or a food processor.
The poppy seeds will end up quite fine and slightly sticky.
In a small saucepan over medium-high heat, bring the milk and sugar to a boil. Whisk to dissolve the sugar.
When the milk comes to a boil, lower the heat, and add the ground poppy seeds. Simmer for 2 minutes, stirring constantly.
Then remove the pot from the heat and let the filling cool while you make the dough.
In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, yeast, and salt.
Next, add the warm milk and mix briefly.
Now add the butter, egg, vanilla extract, and lemon zest.
Knead with your electric hand or stand mixer (using the spiral dough hooks) for 5 minutes until the dough forms a ball and is smooth and elastic.
Cover the bowl and let the dough rise in a warm spot without draft for 1 hour.
The dough should have increased in size noticeably, but not as dramatically as in some other yeast dough recipes.
Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and divide it into two equal pieces.
Knead the dough briefly, then use a rolling pin to roll it out into a rectangle, about 14 x 12 inches.
Now gently spread half of the cooled filling evenly over each rectangle, leaving about a 1-inch border around the edges.
Next, fold the short sides of each rectangle over the filling and press down slightly.
Then roll up the long side from bottom to top, forming a log. Pinch the seams to seal. Place the rolls seam-side down on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
Repeat with the other piece of dough.
Brush the rolls with egg wash and let them rise in a warm and draft-free spot for another 30 minutes.
If you want to cover the rolls with a dishtowel while they are rising, put some toothpicks in the rolls first – otherwise the dishtowel will stick to the rolls (due to the egg wash).
When the 30 minutes are almost up, preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
Then brush the poppy seed rolls with egg wash again and poke holes in the top and sides with a toothpick.
It’s important to poke both the tops and the sides, otherwise, the rolls are more likely to split open during baking.
Bake the poppy seed rolls at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for about 30 to 35 minutes, or until cooked through and golden brown.
The exact baking time may vary depending on your oven.
Let the cooked poppy seed rolls cool slightly before slicing. Then serve and enjoy!
Storage Tips
Poppy seed rolls store very well, just be sure to let them cool first. You can store them in a sealed container at room temperature for 1 to 2 days.
If you want to keep them for longer, you can store them in a sealed container in the fridge for about 5 days.
You can also freeze them, either whole, cut into smaller pieces, or sliced. We usually cut a poppy seed roll into four pieces, then wrap them tightly in plastic wrap and then in aluminum foil before placing them in the freezer.
To eat, simply take the piece(s) out of the freezer and allow them to thaw in the fridge or at room temperature.
FAQ
The amount of poppy seeds per roll can vary depending on the size of the roll. In our case, we use 3/4 cup of whole poppy seeds per poppy seed roll.
To help prevent poppy seed roll filling from spilling out, you can poke holes in the top and sides of the rolls before baking. This will allow steam to escape as the rolls bake. The rolls may also split during baking if you use too much filling, so you can try using less filling per roll.
Related Recipes
If you enjoyed this sweet poppy seed roll recipe, here are some other classic European desserts you may like as well:
- Mohnkuchen (German Poppy Seed Cake)
- Easy Cherry Strudel
- Hungarian Apple Pie (Almás Pite)
- Apple Strudel
- Christmas Stollen
- Oliebollen (Dutch Donuts)
Poppy Seed Roll
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups poppy seeds
- ⅔ cup milk
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 2 ¼ teaspoons instant yeast, (see notes if you only have active dry yeast)
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- ¾ cup milk, warm
- ½ cup butter, at room temperature
- 1 large egg, at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest, more or less to taste
- 1 egg, beaten (for the egg wash)
Instructions
- Grind the poppy seeds in batches in a blender or food processor.1 ½ cups poppy seeds
- In a small saucepan over medium-high heat, bring the milk and sugar to a boil, stirring so that the sugar dissolves. Lower the heat, add the ground poppy seeds and simmer for 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from the heat and let the filling cool while you make the dough.⅔ cup milk, ½ cup granulated sugar
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, yeast, and salt.3 cups all-purpose flour, ¼ cup granulated sugar, 2 ¼ teaspoons instant yeast, ⅛ teaspoon salt
- Add the warm milk and mix briefly. Then add the butter, egg, vanilla extract, and lemon zest and knead with your electric hand or stand mixer (using the spiral dough hooks) for 5 minutes until the dough forms a ball and is smooth and elastic.¾ cup milk, ½ cup butter, 1 large egg, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, 1 teaspoon lemon zest
- Cover the bowl and let the dough rise in a warm spot without draft for 1 hour.
- Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and divide it into two equal pieces.
- Knead the dough briefly, then use a rolling pin to roll it out into a rectangle, about 14 x 12 inches (35 x 30 cm).
- Spread half of the cooled filling evenly over each rectangle, leaving about a 1-inch border around the edges.
- Fold the short sides of each rectangle over the filling, then roll up the long side from bottom to top, forming a log. Pinch the seams to seal.
- Place the rolls, seam-side down, on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
- Brush the rolls with egg wash and let them rise in a warm and draft-free spot for another 30 minutes.1 egg
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit (175 degrees Celsius) top and bottom heat.
- Brush the poppy seed rolls with egg wash again and poke holes in the top and sides with a toothpick.
- Bake the poppy seed rolls at 350 degrees Fahrenheit (175 degrees Celsius) for about 30 to 35 minutes, or until cooked through and golden brown. The exact baking time may vary depending on your oven.
- Allow the cooked poppy seed rolls to cool before slicing.
Notes
- This recipe makes 2 poppy seed rolls.
- Instant vs. active dry yeast: This recipe is written for instant yeast which does not need to be dissolved first. If you only have active dry yeast, you need to dissolve it first or the dough may not rise. Stir it into the warm milk with a teaspoon of sugar and let it sit for 5-10 minutes until it is foamy, then add it to the dry ingredients and follow the rest of the recipe steps.
- Make sure the yeast is fresh, the milk is warm, and the butter and egg are at room temperature. Otherwise, the dough may not rise.
- Optional additions to the filling include raisins (soaked in water or rum beforehand), honey, plum jam, ground cinnamon, lemon zest, and/or orange zest.
- Roll out the dough evenly and spread the filling evenly on top. This will create a consistent spiral in the baked poppy seed rolls.
- Roll out the dough to the size specified in the recipe instructions (slight variations are fine). If you roll it out too small, the filling may be too thick and the rolls don’t cook evenly during baking. If you roll it out too large, the dough may be too thin and split during baking.
- Poke holes in both the tops and sides before baking, or it’s more likely that the poppy seed rolls split open.
- Even when doing everything right, sometimes a poppy seed roll may still split open during baking. This is normal and it will still taste delicious.
Nutrition
This nutritional information has been estimated by an online nutrition calculator. It should be seen as a rough calculation and not a replacement for professional dietary advice.
Can these be frozen?
Yes, they can be frozen, just allow the rolls to cool fully first. You can freeze them whole or cut into smaller pieces. We usually cut a poppy seed roll into four pieces, then wrap them tightly in plastic wrap and then in aluminum foil before placing them in the freezer. You can then thaw them in the fridge or at room temperature when you need them. /Lisa
Can I use honey instead of sugar to make poppyseed filling?
Thanks for your comment, Doreen! I haven’t tried it myself, but honey should work. Since it is sweeter and adds extra liquid, I’d recommend using a bit less honey than sugar and reducing the milk slightly so the filling doesn’t get too thin. The overall flavor will also be a little different due to the honey, but still delicious. /Lisa
I am Hungarian and Finn with Irish mixed in…this recipe is near exact to both my grand
Mothers’ they would make both poppyseed and walnut filled rolls
For holidays…always had generous fillings
Inside… kersonem
I was always told Hungary is in central
Europe
Thanks for leaving a comment, that’s so interesting! Eric’s grandma also used to make poppyseed and walnut filled rolls for holidays… I haven’t quite mastered the walnut filling yet but will post a recipe in the future. /Lisa
My husband is Slovak and loves this so I would like to make it. I would like to use Almond milk and think the substitution will work. Would you agree?
Hi Kathy, yes, we would agree that almond milk will work as a suitable substitute in this recipe. Please let us know how it turns out! /Eric
My mother who lived to 100 years, always made poppy seed and walnut rolls all her life. Unfortunately, she made those rolls without proper recipes, all by feel and sight. Of course, I have not her skills, so I am hoping that your recipe will replicate hers.i preferred walnut rolls, whilst my brother liked the poppy seed ones. By the way we are Polish.
I am Ukrainian and my Mother always baked this making but she also included raisins in the ground mak. ❤️
Excellent step-by-step directions! I am Polish and have been making poppyseed rolls for Easter for 50 years now, and I still learned a few tips from your directions. Thank you!
I love this cake. It’s called makowiec in my native Poland. We also add honey,raisins,chopped walnuts and almonds to poppy seeds while they are cooking.
This recipe brings back the best of memories. My mom was German and made wonderful poppy seed rolls for Christmas.
I’m so happy to hear that Annie!
The recipe sounds lovely but could you please give weights of solids, liquids and sizes in metric measurements. Danuta
Thanks for your comment, Danuta! Currently I unfortunately don’t have the capacity to provide all recipes in imperial and metric measurements, but I’ll definitely try to do that in the future.