Poppy Seed Roll

This Poppy Seed Roll recipe is a traditional treat that is just as wonderful to eat as it is to look at. While this beautiful roll looks like a feat of a professional baker, it is so simple to make at home on your own.

This is a classic treat you’ll always see on the table at my house for holidays like Easter! I always end up making extra for my family members to take home. It’s just that good. Here we have a soft and fluffy bread dough, sweetened just slightly, all wrapped around a poppyseed filling spiked with fresh citrus zest. To die for!

I know it can be intimidating to conquer yeast doughs. In this post I have nice and detailed instructions and some of my favorite tips and tricks to give you the best possible poppy seed roll. You’ll be a pro in no time.

Ingredients

Keep scrolling down to the recipe card for full ingredient amounts and instructions, or click the Jump To Recipe button at the top.

For the dough:

• Flour – I used all-purpose flour.
• Active dry yeast – Instant yeast will also work the only difference is that instant yeast doesn’t need to be activated in warm water, you can just add it with the rest of the ingredients.
• Sugar – This roll is meant to be a bit sweet. You can use a bit less sugar, but I wouldn’t take it out completely.
• Salt – Salt in baking is a must, it brings out all the flavors.
• Milk – Any type of milk, skim to whole, will work. Make sure it’s lukewarm, usually I just microwave it for 1 minute.
• Vegetable oil – Such as canola or safflower oil.
• Eggs – We’ll be using one egg for the dough, and the other for an egg wash to give your loaf a nice shine.
• Turbinado sugar – This is a type of sugar with large crystals. You’ve probably seen it sprinkled onto pastries to give them that nice sugary crunch on top. This ingredient is optional, I’ve made it with or without.

For the filling:

• Poppy seeds – This is the most important ingredient! If you already have poppy seeds in the pantry but you aren’t sure how old they are, double check them to make sure they haven’t gone stale.
• Water – It’ll need to be boiling, fresh from the kettle.
• Almonds – Ground. You can buy them pre-ground or do it yourself in a food processor.
• Sugar – Regular granulated sugar.
• Vanilla extract – Vanilla paste or fresh vanilla bean will also work.
• Zest – I used lemon and orange zest. Don’t skip on this part! The zest will take your poppy seed roll to the next level.

How to make a poppy seed roll

1. Make the poppy seed filling: Use a spice grinder or a food processor to pulse the poppy seeds for about 30 seconds. You can do this in batches if needed, but I added them all at once. Add the seeds to a medium bowl, then the boiling water along with the rest of the filling ingredients. Mix well and set aside to cool.
2. Make the dough: In the bowl of your mixer, add the warm milk, then sprinkle the yeast over the milk. Give it about 5 to 10 minutes for the yeast to bloom, then add the flour, yeast, sugar, salt, milk, oil, and egg to the bowl, and mix for a few minutes to combine the ingredients. Let the hook knead the ingredients, adding a bit of extra flour if the dough it too sticky, until the ball of dough comes clean off the sides of the bowl.
3. Let the dough rise: Cover the bowl with the dough with plastic wrap and let it rise in a warm environment for 30 minutes to an hour or until doubled in size. Meanwhile, line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
4. Fill the dough: Roll the dough to a 14″x16″ rectangle. Spread the filling, leaving about a 1/2″ border of dough on the edges. Roll the dough starting at the 14″ end. Pinch the edges and tuck the ends under the roll to seal the filling inside. Place the roll on the prepared baking sheet and rise for another 30 minutes to 1 hour or until doubled in size.
5. Bake the roll: Preheat the oven to 350F. Brush the roll with egg wash and sprinkle turbinado sugar, if preferred, over top. Bake for 35 minutes or until golden brown and cooked through.

Other toppings

An egg wash and a bit of turbinado sugar is my preferred topping. That is just my preference! I’ll give you a few ideas for different and delicious ways you can top your roll:

• Honey butter generously brushed over after baking.
• Simple glaze made from icing sugar and milk or lemon juice, drizzled over once the rolls has cooled.
• Poppy seeds instead of turbinado sugar.

Tips for making the best dough

• Test your yeast! Haven’t used it in a while? Mix the yeast with the warm milk and a tsp of sugar. If it foams up, it’s good to pour into the mixer. Nothing happening? Your yeast is dead and you need a new jar.
• Store your yeast in the freezer to help it last longer.
• Let the dough knead long enough. We want a solid gluten formation to give you that fluffy and chewy result. Knead the dough until it’s soft, smooth, and elastic.
• Warm your oven to the lowest heat setting, then turn it off. This creates the perfect warm environment for your dough to rise.

How to store

Wrap the roll well with plastic wrap or store it in a sealable container if you have one large enough. You want to make sure this gorgeous roll doesn’t dry out! It’ll last 3-4 days at room temperature.

I suggest leaving it whole and slicing off pieces as you enjoy this roll rather than pre-slicing it. This will help ensure the bread doesn’t dry out and will keep that perfect soft texture.

How to freeze

Let the roll cool down completely to room temperature before freezing it. Wrap it well with plastic first, then a layer of foil, and finally in a large freezer bag. Freezer burn, who? Let the roll cool down completely to room temperature before slicing and serving it.

Alternatively, if you want just a few slices at a time, you can pre-slice the loaf in this circumstance. Wrap each slice well with both plastic wrap and foil. Store the slices in a freezer bag and take them out as you need.

Looking to Make Some More Homemade Breads? Try These!

• Red Velvet Cinnamon Rolls
• Walnut Roll (Cozonac cu Nuca)
• Finnish Cardamom Rolls
• Honey Rolls
• Pasca – Romanian Easter Bread
• Nutella Stuffed Rolls
• Lemon Poppy Seed Bread
• No Knead 1 Hour Cinnamon Rolls

Recipe source Jenny Can Cook