Beigli (Hungarian Poppy Seed and Walnut Rolls)
Dough Easter Recipes Lacto-Ovo Vegetarian Recipes Desserts Hungarian
I really wanted to learn how to make these Hungarian sweet rolls for Easter. Store-bought ones are very good, but I suspected homemade would be even better. I really liked the dough I got - it's silky and very easy to work with.
My only problem was that my beigli cracked slightly on one side during baking (see the piece in the back in the main photo). I wouldn't change this recipe for another because they taste great, but if you have any ideas, those of you with experience making beigli, what else could I do to prevent this? This is my third attempt: I rolled the sheet thicker this time, put less filling and also poked the sides, but the dough stubbornly cracked... I asked a Hungarian friend what happened and she said that's how homemade dough is, hers cracks too... but I'm still waiting for other opinions, maybe I'll figure it out.
This time I only made half a batch, meaning 2 beigli filled with poppy seeds, because those are my favorite. When I make sweet bread I also prefer the poppy seed filling.
Ingredients
500 g all-purpose flour
180 ml warm milk
1 packet dry yeast (7 g)
1 tablespoon sugar
200 g butter
2 egg yolks
Poppy Seed Filling (for 2 rolls)
150 g poppy seeds
150 ml milk
5-6 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Walnut Filling (for 2 rolls)
150 g ground walnuts
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
3-4 tablespoons sugar
milk (about 100 ml)
For brushing:
1 egg yolk
2 tablespoons milk
Yield: 4 rolls
How to prepare beigli (hungarian poppy seed and walnut rolls)
- Put the flour with the cubed butter and egg yolks in a food processor and mix until it reaches a breadcrumb consistency. Then put all ingredients in the bread machine and set to the "dough" program (kneading/rising).
You can also knead the dough by hand, and after you get an elastic dough, let it rise covered in a warm place for about 1 hour. - Poppy seed filling: grind the poppy seeds with sugar in a coffee grinder. Put in a small saucepan with the milk and cook, stirring frequently for about 10 minutes, until the milk is absorbed. Let cool and then add the vanilla.
- Walnut filling: mix the ground walnuts with sugar and cinnamon, then pour in warm milk until you get a paste.
- Cut the dough into 4 equal pieces.
- Roll each piece into a sheet that's not too thin - the sheet will be about 15 cm x 25 cm.
- Spread the filling on top (poppy seeds on 2 rolls, walnuts on the rest), about a spoonful at a time until the sheet is covered, but leave 1-2 cm free on the sides. Spread the filling evenly using a knife. The filling layer shouldn't be too thick either.
- Roll up the sheet lengthwise and poke the roll on the sides with a fork.
- Beat an egg yolk with 2 tablespoons of milk and brush the beigli.
* You can also brush the beigli with the leftover egg whites - Place the 4 beigli on a baking sheet covered with parchment paper, put the pan in a plastic bag and let the beigli rest in a warm place for about 30 minutes.
- Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 180°C, then bake the beigli for about 40 minutes.
Cooking poppy seeds with milk
Filling
Roll out the sheet and add filling
Roll up and poke the sides
