Perfect Poppy Seed Strucla for the Holidays

At Christmas, there's no way I can do without makowiec (Polish poppy seed cake). Usually mine is a makowiec in the form of a strucla (a rolled yeast loaf). Until last year, I had a hard time finding a good recipe. Then, in the depths of the internet, I discovered this one. This strucla comes out perfect, with plenty of poppy seeds and a dough that doesn't fall apart.

These proportions make 2-3 strucle. According to the author (and I've tested it myself), you can roll this dough out right away and shape it into a strucla. Once shaped, set it aside to rise for about 30-45 minutes. Also remember to roll the strucle loosely so they don't crack while baking.

For the poppy seed filling, though, you'll need to plan more time, because the poppy seeds need to sit overnight.

poppy seed strucla

Instructions:

Poppy seed filling:

The day before, pour the milk over the poppy seeds and bring to a boil. Simmer over low heat for about ½ hour, stirring often so they don't burn. Set aside until the next day.

Drain the poppy seeds thoroughly and grind them 3 times.

Melt the butter in a large pot, add the almonds and walnuts, and fry briefly until lightly golden. Add the honey, fry for a moment, then add the vanilla and the rum. Mix everything together with the poppy seeds, then add the rest of the dried fruit and nuts and set aside to cool.

In the meantime, prepare the dough.

Chop the flour together with the butter, then add the yeast dissolved in 3 tbsp of cream. Add the sugar, eggs and egg yolks and knead the dough. Set aside to rise.

You can continue preparing the poppy seed filling.

Beat the egg yolks with half of the sugar until pale and fluffy and mix into the poppy seed mixture. Add the honey and mix. Beat 2 egg whites until stiff, adding the rest of the sugar near the end of beating. Gently fold into the poppy seed mixture. If the mixture turns out too dry, you can add some cream. The filling should be thick but easy to spread.

Divide the dough into 2 parts. Roll each one out into a large rectangle about ½ cm thick. Brush lightly with lightly beaten egg white and spread half of the poppy seed filling over each piece of dough, leaving a 3 cm margin without poppy seeds along the length and 4 cm along the width. Roll up the strucla loosely, starting from the filled side, and after rolling, tuck the unfilled ends underneath. Wrap the makowiec very loosely in parchment paper and set aside to rise for about 30-45 minutes, then bake in an oven preheated to 175°C (350°F) for about 40-50 minutes. The makowiec should rise and brown nicely on top. While still warm, glaze by mixing powdered sugar with water into a thick paste.

Enjoy!