Polish Poppy Seed Roll is a traditional Polish pastry served at the holidays. Sweet yeast bread is rolled around a dense sweet poppy seed filling that features sweet citrus and nutty flavors. In Polish it is know as Makowiec.
This post contains affiliate links, which won’t cost you any more to purchase, but does help support this site.
The memories that were also made with this Polish Poppy Seed Roll recipe.
Do you have a recipe that brings you back in time when you make it. That’s what this recipe for Polish Poppy Seed Roll does for me.
As I was working on this recipe in my kitchen last week I could see the hands of the clock begin to turn back.
I was 5 years old again, sitting at Grammy’s kitchen table watching her make the sweet yeast dough bread to make the Makowiec.
I could hear her Polish accent as she scolded me for nibbling on the poppy seed filling, telling me that I couldn’t eat it because she needed it for the bread roll.
That memory fills me up inside and makes me smile. Funny how food can bring back so many memories. It’s my favorite part about cooking.
I sat at Grammy’s kitchen table many times over the years watching her work her magic as she mixed, kneaded and stirred. She created so many amazing dishes. Galumpkis and Kielbasa Stuffed Potato Dumplings were two of her other specialties.
Tips for making Polish Poppy Seed Roll
This Polish Poppy Seed Roll is not difficult to make. However, you will need a bit of time slotted out to make it. Because it’s a yeast dough it needs about one and half hours to rise. Then it goes into the oven to bake for about 30 minutes.
Mixing up the ingredients and putting it together is the easy part. Here are some of my tips for making the most delicious Makowiec.
- Grind your poppy seeds: Make sure you grind your poppy seeds. Doing so will release more flavor and help the mixture hold together better.
- Let your dough rise in a warm oven: The recipe for the dough is quite easy to make and requires minimal kneading. This recipe for the dough gets mixed up in a stand mixer. If you don’t have mixer then you will need to make it by hand which will require kneading the dough. When you are ready to let the dough rise…turn your oven on to the lowest temperature you can. Somewhere between 100-170 degrees should work. Then once the oven is heated turn it off. Place your bread in the warm oven covered with a towel and let it rise inside the oven. This will insure that you get a good rise out of the dough.
- Brush the dough with egg wash: Using an egg wash on the bread dough before you bake it will give it that beautiful shiny crust. There are certain breads and rolls that I will use an egg wash on and this is one of them.
Polish Poppy Seed Roll {Makowiec}
Ingredients
For the poppy seed filling
- 2 Cups Poppy seeds ,ground
- 3/4 Cup Hot, boiled water
- 1/2 Cup Walnuts (almonds or pecans) ,ground
- 1 Cup Sugar
- 2 Tablespoons Honey
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla extract
- Zest from one orange or lemon
For the dough
- 1/2 Cup Unsalted butter ,softened
- 1/2 Cup Sugar
- 4 Large Egg yolks
- 1 Cup Milk ,scalded
- 1 package Yeast
- 1/4 Cup Luke warm water
- 5 Cups All purpose flour ,separated
- 1 teaspoon Salt
For the egg wash
- 1 Large Egg
- 2 Tablespoons Water
Instructions
For the Poppy Seed Filling
- Grind poppy seeds in batches in a coffee grinder or spice grinder. If you don't have either you can try using a small food processor or single serve container of a blender.
- Place ground poppy seeds in a large mixing bowl and pour hot boiled water over them and stir together.
- Set aside for at least 30 minutes to soak uncovered. While it's soaking I usually make the dough for the bread.
- Place remaining ingredients into the poppy seed mixture and stir well to combine. Set aside until you're ready to spread on bread.
For the Sweet yeast dough
- Sprinkle yeast packet on top of your lukewarm water, stir a little bit and then let sit to activate.
- *To scald you milk pour into a small saucepan and heat on medium heat until milk is just about to boil. Remove from heat and let cool.
- Meantime in a large mixing bowl of a stand mixer with paddle attachment mix butter and sugar together. Add salt to the egg yolks and mix together, add to butter and sugar mixture. Scrape sides and mix to incorporate.
- Add your activated yeast mixture and mix well. Add 4 cups of the flour alternately with scalded milk in batches until all is incorporated. Mix for about 5-7 minutes until dough is smooth.
- Remove the paddle and scrape any of the dough that is stuck to it off. Place dough on a floured board or work surface. **It will be sticky but will become less sticky as you work in remaining 1 cup of flour.
- Work the remaining 1 cup of flour into the dough until it is no longer sticky and there are no lumps. This should not take long. It should already be quite smooth from the mixer.
- Cut the dough into two equal pieces. Cover one with plastic wrap and set aside.
- Roll dough out on a floured surface to about a 10x12 rectangle.
- Spread half of your poppy seed mixture almost to the edges of the dough.
- Starting on the short edge roll the dough up to form a log.
- Pinch the open ends of the dough on each side and tuck under the roll to seal and prevent filling from coming out.
- Place Roll on a parchment lined baking sheet and repeat with second piece of dough.
- Cover each Roll with a towel and place in a warm place. **I like to heat oven to about 100-170 Degrees F then turn off. Place the towel covered rolls in the warm oven for about 1 and half hours or until the dough has doubled in size.
- Scramble the egg and water together to create egg wash.
- Gently brush egg wash all over the top of the rolls with a pastry brush.**Careful not to pierce the bread or the filling may come out as it bakes.
- Preheat oven to 350 Degrees F. Bake roll for 35 minutes.
- Remove from oven and let cool before cutting.
Notes
Nutrition
Celebrating the holidays with Polish Poppy Seed Roll
Grammy made this Polish Poppy Seed Roll for almost every holiday. It was definitely a staple at Christmas and Easter. However, it was such a family favorite she made it many times during the year not just at the holidays.
Let me know if you make this Makowiec and how you like it in the comments below. Then share it on your instagram account and make sure you tag me @familytabletreasures.
See more of our favorite authentic Polish recipes in Celebrating our Heritage Series.
This always brings memories of Grammy . It’s not often found homemade like this so we appreciate when we have it and what better time then the holidays. It must have been a comforting memory for her as well each time she made it from her life in the old country. How wonderful we have this to pass down.
Directions day to roll from the long side, but picture shows it being rolled from the short side. Which is it?
Thanks Carmen, I adjusted the directions to clarify.
When I bake the roll, often there is a space between the top and layer of poppy seeds. Do you know what I did wrong and how to correct it. My grandmother’s always came out looking like your picture.
Ok ML…after a bit of research I did find an article on the issue that you’re having with the space created in your Poppy Seed Roll. The article is about Cinnamon Swirl Bread but it’s definitely a related issue. I’ll let you read it and take away what you think your issue was because I’m not sure if you followed the recipe exactly or if you made any slight alterations. However, after reading the article myself I would try adding an egg wash to the inside of your Makowiec as well as the outside. It may act as a glue to keep it help together. The pockets inside of the roll are created by steam getting trapped in the middle. Here is the link to the article from Pastry Chef Online ….https://pastrychefonline.com/why-does-my-cinnamon-swirl-bread-separate/
in Poland we usually brush this roll with powder sugar icing on top of the cake, sometimes also when the icing is dry we put dry fruits and nuts finley chopped
Thanks for stopping by Bozena! Yes…there are a lot of different ways to make this bread. I’m glad you mentioned that. I’ve seen it made with icing on top and I know sometimes my grandmother with add raisins to the filling.
Yes, my grandmother used to do that too.
This sounds like the perfect recipe for nut or poppy seed rolls. The only thing I’m not
sure of is you say to set the finished dough aside. At this stage do you rise the dough for
the 1st. time then punch down and roll out?
Hi Marcia, The dough only has to rise once. You are splitting the dough in half to make two rolls so when I say to cover one of them and set aside it’s just so it doesn’t dry out when you are working with the other one. You will not need to punch down the dough at all in this recipe.
Hi Nicole. I have a hard time finding poppy seeds. Where do you get yours?
Hi Beth, I get my at my local grocery store. They come in jars…usually in the spice section.
If you havent purchased your poppyseeds. Try penzeys.com. you can buy in bulk. 2 cuos, around $12. Cheaper than groers. Try their Krakow Nights too. EXCELLENT
Thank you Wayne for adding this tip!
What are the adjustments for instant yeast, which typically you don’t bloom in warm water? ? And do you drain the poppy seeds before making the filling?
I’m not sure what the adjustment would be but you could try going to this link for Red Star Yeast to see what their recommendations would be. https://redstaryeast.com/yeast-baking-lessons/yeast-types-usage/instant-or-fast-rising-yeast/
My Babcia would also make a prune filled roll and cinnamon buns with this dough.
They were the best. Now that I have a recipe I am going to make it.
Sounds delicious! I’ve never tried cinnamon buns with this dough but I bet it’s amazing! Thanks for the tip!
I saw an almond filing recipe. Can it be used as an alternate to poppy seed filing?
I made this the other winter day, and it turned out superbly well! There is a lot of delicious filling and 35 minutes was the perfect time for baking. I would HIGHLY RECOMMEND this roll for anyone out there to try. The only comment I have to make is that mine took a while to rise; took about 3 hours to rise nough for my liking so next time I will put in a tad more yeast (ill use 1 tbsp instead of 2 1/4 tsp as is usual) and I know it will be great. Thanks for the best poppy seed roll Ive ever eaten.!!!
I used to make poppyseed coffee cake with my mother-in-law. I remember her brushing the dough with melted butter after you roll it out. Then put your poppyseed filling on next. Then roll it up and let rise. I’m making it now for the 1st time by myself since my mother-in-law passed.
Great recipe thank you so much for posting . Somebody asked where to find popy seeds . I purchase my poppy seeds at nuts.com in a 1 pound bag . That so far is the best quality and quantity for baking I am able to buy and reasonably priced . Purchased a poppy seed mill years ago visiting home and am glad I did 🙂 used the can before but fresh cannot be beat . Happy baking and Merry Christmas to all