A rich, spiraling yeast roll filled with a dense, sweet poppy seed paste laced with honey, raisins, and citrus — the crown jewel of Polish holiday baking.
Ingredients
500g all-purpose flour
7g instant yeast
80g sugar
100g butter, melted
2 eggs
150ml warm milk
300g poppy seeds, ground
100g honey
80g raisins
50g candied orange peel
Zest of 1 lemon
1 egg white
Powdered sugar glaze
Instructions
1Mix flour, yeast, sugar. Add melted butter, eggs, and warm milk. Knead into a smooth dough. Rise 1.5 hours.
2Scald ground poppy seeds with boiling water, drain. Mix with honey, raisins, candied peel, lemon zest, and beaten egg white.
3Roll dough into a large rectangle. Spread poppy seed filling evenly, leaving a border.
4Roll up tightly into a log. Place seam-down on a lined baking sheet. Let rise 30 min.
5Bake at 180C (350F) for 40-45 min until golden brown and hollow-sounding when tapped.
6Cool completely. Drizzle with powdered sugar glaze and slice.
Did You Know?
In Polish tradition, the spiral of poppy seeds inside makowiec symbolizes abundance and prosperity for the coming year.