flavorofpoland

POPPY SEED
(MAKOWIEC)

For the Pastry -

  • 4 cups of flour: Combine 3 cups of wheat flour 1 cup of spelt grain flour
  • 2oz. of fresh yeast
  • 1 cup of sugar
  • 1lb. of ground poppy seed filling combined with nuts and raisins
  • 1 cup of milk
  • 2 tablespoons of butter
  • 1 tspn. of salt
  • 4 egg yolks

For the Glaze –

  • 7oz powdered sugar
  • 5 tablespoons of water
  • 1 tablespoon of fresh-squeezed lemon juice
  • Optional – bits of candied orange, lemon or finely ground dry poppy seeds to sift over the top of the cake for decoration and added taste

Poppy seed is a popular ingredient used in traditional Polish dishes in many areas of Poland. Dishes containing poppy seeds are particularly important during Christmas, when the poppy is said to symbolize happiness and prosperity for the coming year, and it is particularly important to consume it in large amounts. The Polish poppy seed pastry is an especially popular treat all over Poland. In the Sub-Carpathian region it has long history. The poppy seed sweet of this region is known as “Makowiec Sędziszowski,” and it is recognized as one of the region’s culinary traditions on the List of Traditional Products put out by Poland’s Ministry of Agriculture. A true Sędziszowski Makowiec is made in the form of a sweet pastry roll, filled with a sweet poppy seed mass (sometimes with the addition of raisins) and topped with a white glaze.

To Make the Poppy Seed Pastry Roll:
  • Begin making the dough starter by crumbling the fresh yeast into a large kitchen bowl.
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  • Sift 1 tablespoon of sugar over the crumbled yeast and begin to mix together, kneading the ingredients together with your hands. Continue until you feel the yeast and sugar are smoothly blended.
  • Take a ½ cup of warm milk and pour it into a saucepan. Heat until the milk has warmed but do not let it come to a boil. Once the milk has achieved a warm temperature add it into the bowl of yeast and sugar.
  • Take 3 tablespoons of flour (spelt and wheat mixed) and add into the bowl with yeast, sugar and milk.
  • Stir all ingredients together until smoothly blended and then cover the bowl with a kitchen towel and set aside to sit for about 30 minutes.
Next…
  • Pour the remaining milk into a saucepan and combine with the remaining sugar and 2 tablespoons of butter. Let this heat and warm until the butter has melted and the liquid begins to steam.
  • Come back to the starter (after it has been set aside to let yeast activate for 30 minutes). Add the egg yolks into the yeast mixture.
  • Take the warm milk, butter and sugar mixture and pour into the ingredients in the bowl as well.
  • Start adding the flour (mix of spelt and wheat) into the bowl one tablespoon at a time and begin forming the dough with your hands.
  • ** NOTE: As you knead, keep a bit of flour nearby. You’ll want to sift just a bit over the dough from time to time to eliminate its stickiness and help to make it smooth.
  • Keep kneading the dough in the bowl until it achieves a smooth, elastic texture. You’ll know it’s ready when it easily starts to come off the edges of the bowl and off of your hands.
  • Cover the bowl with a kitchen cloth again and set the dough aside for another 30-40 minutes to allow it to rise. The exact amount of time will depend on the temperature in your kitchen. Keep an eye on the progress. Once the dough has visibly expanded to about twice its size you can continue with the recipe.
Then…
  • Sift a bit of flour over a cutting board or pastry mat and begin rolling out the dough. Roll the dough into a rectangular piece until it is about a quarter inch thick.
  • Take a bread baking pan and place it over the top of the dough. Cut the two edges along the short side of the pan to ensure that the roll will fit inside of it to bake.
  • Coat the top of the dough with the poppy seed paste, making sure it is laid evenly over the entire surface of the dough piece. As a final step, you can wet your hands a bit and pat it down smooth.
  • Now, roll the cake tightly.
  • Transfer the roll over into your bread baking pan (should be lined with a baking sheet).
  • Cover the pan with a kitchen cloth and set it aside for another 30 minutes to allow the dough to rise once again.
  • After 30 minutes, place the pan with the pastry roll inside the oven set to 350 Fahrenheit and allow to bake for about 35 minutes.
Now..
  • Once the Makowiec is done baking set it aside to cool. In this time you can prepare a glaze as a final touch and decoration for the pastry.
  • To prepare the glaze mix 7oz of powdered sugar with 5 tablespoons of water and 1 tablespoon of lemon juice. Whisk this together until the glaze achieves a thick and smooth consistency.
  • Pour the glaze lengthwise over the pastry roll.
  • Decorate the top with raisins, dried lemon pieces or another preferred dry fruit. I picked a few petals of poppy flower to finish mine.
Finally… Cut. Share and Enjoy!