Russian Poppy Seed Roll Recipes

Steps:

• Combine warm milk, yeast, and 1 teaspoon sugar in a large bowl; stir well. Let stand until yeast softens and begins to form a bubbly foam, about 5 minutes.
• Stir 1/2 cup sugar and lemon zest into the yeast mixture. Whisk in 2 eggs and egg yolks, 1 at time, mixing well after each addition. Add salt. Stir in flour gradually. Add melted butter and blend well. Knead dough until glossy and elastic, about 10 minutes. Form into a ball and place in a large, lightly-oiled bowl and turn to coat. Cover with a clean towel and let rise in a warm place until doubled in volume, about 1 hour.
• Place poppy seeds in a small pot and cover with 1 cup milk or more as needed. Bring to a simmer over medium heat. Remove from heat and let sit, 15 to 20 minutes. Drain milk. Pulse poppy seeds in a food processor, or leave them as is. Add raisins, egg whites, honey, 1/4 cup sugar, walnuts, and 3 1/2 tablespoons butter to poppy seeds and stir to combine for the filling.
• Punch down dough, turn out onto a lightly floured surface, and knead briefly. Divide dough in half and roll one portion into a 10-inch sheet. Cover with 1/2 the filling, leaving a 1/4- to 1/2-inch edge. Roll up into a log. Repeat with the second half.
• Arrange both rolls onto a greased baking sheet. Cover with a kitchen towel and let rise until doubled in volume, about 30 minutes more.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Whisk remaining egg with 1 tablespoon water; brush mixture over tops of rolls.
• Bake rolls in the preheated oven until golden, 20 to 25 minutes.

Steps:

• Place poppy seeds into a food processor and process until seeds are ground, about 1 minute.
• Mix poppy seeds with 3/4 cup sugar, 1 tablespoon melted butter, lemon juice, and hot milk in a bowl; stir to combine. Cover poppy seed filling and refrigerate while making bread (filling will set up and thicken as it chills).
• Mix yeast with water and 2 tablespoons sugar in a small bowl. Allow to stand until the yeast forms a creamy layer.
• Whisk flour with salt in a bowl; use a pastry cutter to cut 1/4 cup butter into the flour mixture until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
• Pour yeast mixture and egg yolk into flour mixture and stir to make a soft dough.
• Turn dough out onto a floured work surface and knead until smooth and slightly springy, about 5 minutes. If dough is too sticky, knead in more flour, about 2 tablespoons at a time.
• Cut dough into 2 equal pieces. Roll each piece out into a 12x16-inch rectangle.
• Spread half the poppy seed filling over each rectangle, leaving a 1-inch border. Fold the 1-inch border back over the filling on all sides and press down.
• Pick up the shorter side of a dough rectangle and roll it like a jelly roll; repeat with second rectangle. Pinch ends together or tuck ends under to prevent filling from leaking out.
• Line a baking sheet with parchment paper; place rolls seam sides down on the baking sheet and allow to rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Beat egg white in a bowl until frothy; brush the rolls with beaten egg white.
• Bake in preheated oven until dark golden brown on top, 30 to 40 minutes. Remove from oven and cover rolls with a clean kitchen towel until cool to keep crust soft. Cool completely before slicing.

Steps:

• THE DAY BEFORE: Scald with boiling water 2 1/3 cups poppies and drain off the water. I do this about 3 times. I put poppy seeds in a bowl, scald with hot water and wait until the poppies have settled and then pour off the water.
• Let stand for 1 hour in hot water. Drain poppies through a cheesecloth covered net sieve. Let them dry preferably overnight. This way they smell fresh and not dusty.
• Grind in a coffee grinder, or through finest blade of food chopper or if you are lucky to have a poppy seed grinder. I use a large stone Mortar and Pestle.
• FOR THE DOUGH: DISSOLVE: 1/2 cup of warm water, 1 teaspoon sugar, 1 package yeast (1 Tablespoon).
• Sift the flour in a large bowl, Make a well in the middle of the flour and add the dissolved yeast. Add around the yeast, the sugar, butter, egg, lemon peel and milk.
• MIX and KNEAD for about 10 minutes and little more flour if necessary. This is a soft dough. Let rise in a greased bowl, covered, for about 45 minutes, till doubled in bulk.
• Punch down and divide into TWO parts. Roll each into rectangle. Spread with Poppy Seed Filling. Roll up each rectangle like a jelly roll. Pinch seams to make edges secure. Place on greased baking sheet. Cover, let rise until doubled, about 45 minutes, brush with egg wash or cream. (I use evaporated milk to brush tops) I like to slash tops lightly about 1/4 inch deep and 2 inches apart all the way up the roll.
• BAKE: preheated oven 350 degree F. for about 45 to 50 minutes or until done. They should be a nice dark brown colour.
• FOR THE POPPY SEEDS: Stir HOT milk into GROUND poppy seeds, add the rest of the ingredients in the order listed. Stir until cool. Sometimes I like it sweeter so then I add liquid honey to taste. I also might add some ground prunes to the mixture. You may cook it for a 5 minutes on top of the stove if you wish but it is not necessary.
• Sometimes I buy ground poppies (NOT in a can) from the German deli. I still give them a good scalding several times to remove the bitterness and dust from the poppies. This is a delightful sweet dough. So good with only one egg. Do try this filling it is one of the best.
• Olga's recipe.

Steps:

• THE NIGHT BEFORE: Scald with boiling water 2 1/3 cups poppies. I do this about three times. I put the poppies in a large bowl add boiling water and swish them poppies. Wait until the poppies have settled and then pour off the water.
• After the third wash let the poppies stand in hot water for 1 hour.
• Drain poppies through a cheesecloth covered net sieve.
• Air dry in the sieve, preferably overnight.
• FOR THE DOUGH: MIX and KNEAD for about 10 minutes addin more flour if necessary.
• This is a soft dough.
• Let rise in a greased bowl, covered, for about 45 minutes, till doubled in bulk.
• Punch down and divide into two parts.
• Roll each into rectangle.
• Spread with Poppy Seed Filling all over the rectangle.
• Roll up each rectangle from the long end like a jelly roll.
• Pinch seams to make edges secure.
• Place on greased baking sheet.
• Cover, let rise until doubled, about 45 minutes, brush with egg wash or cream.
• (I use evaporated milk to brush tops) I like to slash tops lightly about 1/4 inch deep and 2 inches apart all the way up the roll.
• BAKE: preheated oven 350 degree F.
• for about 45 to 50 minutes or until done and brown on top.
• POPPY SEED FILLING: Stir HOT milk into poppy seeds, add the rest of the ingredients in order. Sometimes I add liquid honey for more sweetness. Add to taste.
• Stir until cool.
• When cool fill rolls.