Makowiec
Polish poppy seed roll for Christmas and Easter
Makowiec is the poppy seed roll that sits on almost every Polish Christmas Eve and Easter table; in Silesia and Lesser Poland poppy seeds stand for plenty in the year ahead. A soft, buttery yeast dough is rolled around a thick, black, honey-sweet filling of ground poppy seeds with raisins, walnuts and candied orange peel, then baked and glazed so each slice shows a tight spiral. It takes time, but the process is calm and the roll keeps for days. Chef's tip: grind the soaked poppy seeds two or three times, until they look grey and pasty; whole or once-ground seeds give a gritty filling that falls out of the slices.
- Total time
- 135 min
- Difficulty
- hard
- Serves
- 12
Ingredients
For the yeast dough
For the poppy seed filling
For the glaze
Method
0/12 doneStep 1: Rinse 10 ½ oz blue poppy seeds in a fine sieve, then cover with boiling water and leave for 1 hour (or simmer gently for 15 minutes). Drain in a sieve lined with a clean cloth until completely dry.
60 minStep 2: Grind the poppy seeds two or three times through a mincer with a fine plate, or in a spice grinder in batches, until they turn grey and start to stick together.
Step 3: Melt 1 ¾ oz butter in a pan over a low heat. Add the poppy seeds, 3 ½ oz honey and 2 ⅞ oz caster sugar and cook, stirring, for 8–10 minutes, until the mixture is thick and glossy and smells toasty. Stir in 2 ⅛ oz raisins, 1 ¾ oz walnuts, 1 ⅜ oz candied orange peel and ½ tsp almond extract and leave to cool completely.
10 minStep 4: Meanwhile make the dough. Mix ⅞ oz fresh yeast with ¾ cup whole milk and a spoon of the 2 ½ oz caster sugar and leave for 10 minutes, until frothy.
10 minStep 5: Put 16 oz plain flour and 1 pinch salt in a bowl. Add the yeast mixture, the rest of the sugar, 3 egg yolks, 1 egg and 1 tsp lemon zest, and knead for 8 minutes. Add 2 ⅞ oz butter gradually and knead for another 5 minutes, until smooth and silky and leaving the bowl clean.
13 minStep 6: Cover and leave to rise somewhere warm for about 1 hour, until doubled.
60 minStep 7: Whisk 1 egg white to stiff peaks and fold it into the cold poppy filling. This keeps the filling light and helps it hold together in the slices.
Step 8: Roll the dough on a floured worktop into a rectangle about 30 × 40 cm and 5 mm thick. Spread the filling over it, leaving a 2 cm border all round.
Step 9: Roll up tightly from the long side, pinch the seam and tuck under the ends. Wrap loosely in baking paper, leaving room to rise, and lay seam-side down on a baking tray. A common mistake is wrapping it tightly or not at all: the roll cracks open along the top as it bakes.
Step 10: Leave to prove for 30 minutes, until puffy. Heat the oven to 350°F (325°F fan).
30 minStep 11: Open the paper at the top, brush the roll with 1 egg and bake for 40–45 minutes, until deep golden and it sounds hollow when tapped underneath. Cover loosely with foil if it browns too fast.
45 minStep 12: Cool completely. Mix 3 ½ oz icing sugar and 1 tbsp lemon juice into a thick glaze, drizzle over the top and let it set before slicing.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 420 kcal
- Protein
- 10 g
- Carbs
- 60 g
- Fat
- 16 g
- Fibre
- 5 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does makowiec take?
- About 135 minutes in total: 90 minutes to prepare and 45 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 12 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- What can I use instead of whole milk?
- Semi-skimmed milk with 1 tbsp cream per 240ml (1 cup).
- What can I use instead of caster sugar?
- Caster sugar, same amount.
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