How to make it
6 steps. Take it one step at a time.
Rinse the poppy seeds
Rinse the poppy seeds, then cover with boiling water and let soak for at least 30 minutes (or overnight). Drain thoroughly and grind them twice using a fine-mesh meat grinder until a white paste begins to appear.
30 minPrepare the leaven
Prepare the leaven by mixing the yeast with 1 tablespoon of sugar and 1/2 cup of warm milk. Let it stand in a warm place for 15 minutes until frothy.
15 minCombine the flour, remaining sugar, egg yolks, vanilla, and the yeast leaven
In a large bowl, combine the flour, remaining sugar, egg yolks, vanilla, and the yeast leaven. Knead the dough, gradually adding the melted butter. Knead until smooth and elastic. Cover and let rise in a warm place for 60-90 minutes until doubled in size.
1 hr 30 minMix the ground poppy seeds
Mix the ground poppy seeds with honey, raisins, and chopped walnuts. In a separate bowl, whisk the egg whites until stiff peaks form, then gently fold them into the poppy seed mixture.
Divide the dough
Divide the dough into two equal parts. Roll each out into a rectangle about 1 cm (0.4 in) thick. Spread the poppy seed filling evenly over the dough, leaving a 2 cm (0.8 in) border.
Roll the dough tightly like a jelly roll
Roll the dough tightly like a jelly roll. Wrap each roll in parchment paper, leaving about 1-2 cm of space between the dough and the paper for rising. Bake at 180°C (356°F) for about 35-40 minutes until golden brown.
40 min
A little kitchen wisdom
To ensure the poppy seeds are flavorful, they must be scalded and ground twice. Wrapping the roll in parchment paper during baking helps maintain its perfect cylindrical shape and prevents the dough from cracking.
