Polish Makowiec – Poppy Seed Roll
Poppy seed roll is one of the most traditional Polish cakes. We most often prepare it for Christmas, but there’s nothing stopping you from baking a poppy seed roll for Easter or just for the weekend. Although preparing a poppy seed roll can be intimidating, the result is worth the effort. Once you try a homemade makowiec, you’ll never buy a store-bought poppy seed roll again.
TIP:
Some people brush the inside of the dough with egg or just egg white before rolling it so that the filling adheres to the dough, but I don’t see the need for this. However, you can try this tip if, for example, the poppy seed filling is peeling off the dough after baking. This can happen if the roll is rolled too loosely or the filling is too wet, but in my opinion, it’s better to have a delicious filling that comes loose than a beautiful but dry poppy seed roll.
Rolling the makowiec can be difficult at first; the dough continues to rise and is quite loose, just like the filling. Therefore, I recommend making three smaller rolls rather than two large ones. It’s easier to roll them up and transfer them to a baking sheet. Don’t be discouraged by a failed attempt. Practice makes perfect. Even if you roll the poppy seed cake too loosely and it comes out a bit flat or cracks, it will still be delicious, and the icing will cover any cracks.
Recipe Modifications:
- Dough: If you’re tired of yeast dough, you can make the poppy seed cake in yeast puff pastry, as in the St. Martin’s Croissants recipe.
- Poppy Seeds: You can use traditional unground poppy seeds, but then you’ll need to grind the poppy seeds twice in a meat grinder after cooking. You can grind the poppy seeds alone or with the dried fruit, depending on whether you prefer a smooth filling or one with noticeable dried fruit and nut pieces.
- Dried Fruit: You can modify the amount of dried fruit and nuts as desired. For example, if you don’t like orange zest, you can omit it. You can also grind the filling to “cheat” family members who don’t like raisins, for example.
- Flavorings: I flavor the poppy seed filling with amaretto and almond sugar, which give it a marzipan flavor. Their addition is optional. You can also use almond or amaretto flavoring, for example, in the form of oil.
- Proportions: Poppy seed cake fans fall into two groups: a lot of dough and less poppy seeds, or as little dough and a lot of poppy seeds as possible. My family definitely favors the latter. If you want your poppy seed cake to have more dough, use half the poppy seed filling, roll out the dough much thicker, and make two rolls instead of three. This will create the characteristic spiral of dough and poppy seeds.
Do we add eggs to the poppy seed filling?
Don’t add whole eggs to the poppy seed filling, but stiffly beaten egg whites. This will make the filling fluffier and moister.
How to make poppy seed filling with dry ground poppy seeds?
Ground poppy seeds make the work much easier and faster. Simply cook the poppy seeds in water or milk and add the remaining ingredients (dried fruits, flavorings, honey). When the mixture has cooled, add the beaten egg whites, and it’s ready! However, I recommend cooking the poppy seeds in water rather than milk, as milk dulls the flavor. Cooking in water enhances the poppy seed flavor.
How to bake poppy seed cake?
You need to wrap the poppy seed cake in baking paper to keep it in shape. Try to wrap it tightly, leaving about 5 mm of space on each side. Let the wrapped poppy seed cake rise for a few minutes, then bake it in a preheated oven with the top and bottom heater, without a fan.
How to store poppy seed cake?
Store the baked poppy seed cake in a tightly sealed container in the refrigerator. You can also bake the poppy seed cake in advance and freeze it.
The following proportions make 3 poppy seed cakes, each weighing approximately 1kg. Read the step-by-step recipe for how to make the best rolled Polish makowiec and watch the video below. Also, subscribe to the SaltedPasta YouTube channel and sign up for the newsletter so you don’t miss any recipes!
Polish Makowiec – Poppy Seed Roll
Video
Polish Makowiec Recipe
Ingredients
Dough
- 500 g flour
- 25 g yeast
- 5 egg yolks
- 200 ml milk
- 100 g butter (melted)
- 100 g sugar (approx. ½ cup)
- 12 g vanilla sugar
- salt
Filling
- 400 g ground poppy seeds
- 450 g water (hot)
- 150 g sugar
- 100 g dried apricots
- 100 g raisin
- 100 g walnuts
- 100 g almond flakes
- 100 g honey
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 50 ml amaretto
- 15 g almond sugar (or almond flavoring)
- 50 g butter
- 3 tbsp breadcrumbs
- 5 egg whites (beaten)
- 1 tbsp candied orange peel
- salt
Icing
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 2-4 tbsp hot water
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
Topping
- 1 tbsp candied orange peel (optional)
- 1 handful almond flakes (optional)
- 1 handful chopped walnuts (optional)
Instructions
Dough
- Separate the egg whites from the yolks.First, prepare the leaven. Crumble the yeast into a mixing bowl, add about half the sugar, and warm milk (approx. 30℃ (~86℉)), stirring until the yeast dissolves. Finally, add the sifted flour and cover with a cloth. Let rise for 5-10 minutes.500 g flour, 25 g yeast, 200 ml milk, 50 g sugar
- When there is foam visible from beneath the flour, you can add the remaining ingredients to the starter. Add the egg yolks, the remaining sugar, vanilla sugar, and salt. Mix for about 5 minutes. Then, while constantly mixing, slowly add the melted butter. Knead for another few minutes until the dough is smooth and elastic. Then cover and let rise for about 30 minutes.5 egg yolks, 100 g butter, 12 g vanilla sugar, salt, 50 g sugar
Filling
- While the dough is rising, prepare the poppy seed filling.Chop the nuts and dried fruit into larger or smaller pieces, depending on your preference.Bring 450 ml of water to a boil in a pot (or pour it from the kettle) and add the poppy seeds. Cook the poppy seeds over low heat, stirring frequently to prevent burning. Add the chopped dried fruit, sugar, honey, and flavorings. Cook for a few minutes. Finally, add the butter and breadcrumbs. Cook and stir until the butter is completely melted. Cook for a total of about 5-10 minutes. Set aside to cool.400 g ground poppy seeds, 450 g water, 150 g sugar, 100 g dried apricots, 100 g raisin, 100 g walnuts, 100 g almond flakes, 100 g honey, 1 tsp cinnamon, 50 ml amaretto, 15 g almond sugar, 50 g butter, 3 tbsp breadcrumbs, 1 tbsp candied orange peel
- While the mixture is cooling, whisk the egg whites with a pinch of salt. Add the beaten egg whites into the cooled mixture. It's best to add the egg whites in batches and mix them in with a spatula to prevent them from collapsing too much.salt, 5 egg whites
Rolling
- Place the risen dough on a floured surface. Divide the dough into three pieces. Return two pieces to the bowl and cover to prevent drying. Roll out one piece to form a rectangle about 5 mm thick. Spread â…“ of the poppy seed filling over the dough and fold it (see how to do this in the video).
- Place the roll on a parchment paper and roll it up tightly, leaving a small gap. Repeat with the remaining dough to form three rolls. Place them on a baking sheet and bake in an oven preheated to 170°C (
350 °F) for approximately 35 minutes. Remove the baked poppy seed rolls from the oven. Let them cool slightly for 10 minutes, then unwrap them from the parchment paper to prevent from steaming.When the poppy seed rolls have cooled completely, you can glaze them and sprinkle them with dried fruit or nuts. You can also freeze the unglazed poppy seed rolls.1 cup powdered sugar, 2-4 tbsp hot water, 2 tbsp lemon juice, 1 tbsp candied orange peel, 1 handful almond flakes, 1 handful chopped walnuts
Nutrition
Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet
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