Hungarian Poppy Seed Roll (Mákos Bejgli)

 Ingredients

For the dough:

500 g all-purpose flour

200 g cold butter

60 g sugar

2 egg yolks

100 ml milk

20 g fresh yeast

1 pinch of salt

For the poppy seed filling:

250 g ground poppy seeds

120 g sugar

100 ml milk

50 g raisins

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 teaspoon grated lemon zest

1 tablespoon honey

For the walnut filling:

250 g ground walnuts

120 g sugar

100 ml milk

50 g raisins

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 teaspoon grated lemon zest

Instructions

Prepare the dough: Mix the flour, sugar, and salt. Rub in the cold butter. Add the egg yolks, milk, and yeast, then knead until a smooth dough forms.

Cover and refrigerate for about 1 hour.

Make the fillings: Heat the milk and sugar. Stir in either the poppy seeds or walnuts, raisins, vanilla, and lemon zest. Add honey to the poppy seed filling. Let the mixture cool.

Divide the dough into two portions and roll each into a rectangle.

Spread the filling evenly over the dough, leaving a small border around the edges.

Roll each rectangle tightly into a log and place on a baking tray.

Brush with beaten egg and prick the rolls several times with a fork. This helps prevent cracking.

Bake at 180°C (350°F) for about 30–35 minutes, until golden brown.

Cool completely before slicing.

Tip: Traditional Hungarian bejgli is often made with either poppy seed (mákos) or walnut (diós) filling and is es

pecially popular during Christmas.