Polish Poppy Seed Roll Food

NUT ROLL AND POPPY SEED ROLL

Steps:

• Put flour in bowl and crumble yeast into flour. Cut in butter as for pie crust. Mix yolks and sour cream, vanilla (yeast in water if dry is used), and salt. Mix well with flour mixture well. Divide into 4 (6 for smaller rolls) parts and refrigerate in plastic wrap overnight.
• Roll out one piece of dough into rectangle on powdered sugar. Spread 1/2 of one type of filling evenly over rectangle of dough, leaving about 1 1/2 inches around edges. Roll jelly roll fashion and tuck in ends. Brush with beaten egg and bake on greased sheets in a preheated 350-degree F oven for 45 minutes.
• Combine all ingredients in a saucepan. Simmer for 30 minutes. Let cool entirely before using as a filling.
• Mix all ingredients together.

OLD WORLD POPPY SEED ROLL

Steps:

• Place poppy seeds into a food processor and process until seeds are ground, about 1 minute.
• Mix poppy seeds with 3/4 cup sugar, 1 tablespoon melted butter, lemon juice, and hot milk in a bowl; stir to combine. Cover poppy seed filling and refrigerate while making bread (filling will set up and thicken as it chills).
• Mix yeast with water and 2 tablespoons sugar in a small bowl. Allow to stand until the yeast forms a creamy layer.
• Whisk flour with salt in a bowl; use a pastry cutter to cut 1/4 cup butter into the flour mixture until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
• Pour yeast mixture and egg yolk into flour mixture and stir to make a soft dough.
• Turn dough out onto a floured work surface and knead until smooth and slightly springy, about 5 minutes. If dough is too sticky, knead in more flour, about 2 tablespoons at a time.
• Cut dough into 2 equal pieces. Roll each piece out into a 12x16-inch rectangle.
• Spread half the poppy seed filling over each rectangle, leaving a 1-inch border. Fold the 1-inch border back over the filling on all sides and press down.
• Pick up the shorter side of a dough rectangle and roll it like a jelly roll; repeat with second rectangle. Pinch ends together or tuck ends under to prevent filling from leaking out.
• Line a baking sheet with parchment paper; place rolls seam sides down on the baking sheet and allow to rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Beat egg white in a bowl until frothy; brush the rolls with beaten egg white.
• Bake in preheated oven until dark golden brown on top, 30 to 40 minutes. Remove from oven and cover rolls with a clean kitchen towel until cool to keep crust soft. Cool completely before slicing.

MAKOWIEC (POPPY SEED CAKE/ROLL)

Steps:

• For the dough: Mix together yeast, sugar, and salt in a large bowl.
• Pour in milk, stir until dissolved.
• Whisk in 1 cup of flour, cover, and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 15 minutes.
• Stir in egg, egg yolk, and vanilla extract.
• Knead remaining 2 cups flour and butter into yeast mixture, adding each alternately a little at a time.
• Kneed until smooth and elastic, about 15 minutes.
• Place dough in a large bowl, cover, and let rise until doubled, about 1 hour.
• For the filling: Simmer poppy seeds in a medium pot full of water until soft, about 40 minutes.
• Drain and puree in a food processor, about 4 minutes.
• Return poppy seed puree to same saucepan.
• Add sugar, butter, raisins, almonds, vanilla extract, and honey.
• Cook, stirring, over medium-low heat for 15 minutes.
• Set aside to cool.
• To Cook: Preheat oven to 350*F.
• Roll out dough to a 16" x 12" rectangle.
• Whisk egg white in a bowl into stiff peaks, fold into the poppy seed filling.
• Spread over dough, leaving a 1" border all around.
• Fold dough lengthwise in thirds to form a long log.
• Pinch ends to seal.
• Place cake on nonstick baking sheet, brush with beaten egg white, and bake until it sounds hollow when tapped, about 50 minutes.
• Cool before serving.