Poppy Seed Rolls ("Poppyseed")

 

Poppy Seed Roll

Poppy Seed Rolls, or simply "Poppyseed" as I have always known them, are a sweet dough baked good made from a potato dough that is filled with a thick and bitter-sweet ground poppy seed paste and then rolled up into a log and baked. The perfect roll is light, fluffy, and bursting with poppy seed filling.

As far as I know, poppy seed rolls have their roots in Central and Eastern Europe communities. In particular, this delicious delicacy has origins in communities and peoples that immigrated to the United States from present day Ukraine and Switzerland. A bit of internet searching reveals that this treat is often baked for holiday celebrations with Easter and Christmas being two of the commonly mentioned ones. In my family, we often had poppy seed rolls at Christmas time, whether they were freshly made or out of the freezer. My grandmother would always make or have rolls on hand whenever we visited, and if we were good (lucky?) we would get to take a frozen roll home to enjoy later.

A number of years ago, as my interest in cooking flourished, I set out to learn how to make Poppyseed on my own. I have had a lot of help from both my mother and grandmother, and every year my mother and I have a "baking day" where we make a few rolls of Poppyseed and a few pans of cinnamon rolls. We then divide the rolls up among the immediate family to enjoy immediately or to freeze for a special occasion like Christmas brunch. Learning to make poppy seed rolls has been a year long adventure. They take time, patience, and practice to make well, and we had a number of years where we simply couldn't seem to create the same thing that grandma did!

The recipes we use come from two sources, both hailing from the Mennonite community. The dough is Edna Ruth Byler's Potato Dough from More with Less by Doris Janzen Longacre and the filling is from The Centennial Treasury of Recipes: Swiss (Volhynian) Mennonites by Alice Kaufman. The dough recipe is great in both these rolls and other sweet goods like cinnamon rolls or sticky buns.

Poppyseed is meant to be shared, which often happens for a special occasion, but there is no wrong time to make a few rolls and share them with friends and family. Enjoy!

Required Equiment

• Jelly Roll Pan
• Parchment paper

Ingredients - Dough

• 1 ½ packages of dry instant yeast
• ½ cup warm water (100° F to 110° F)
• 2 cups scalded milk
• 1 cup mashed potatoes (russet potatoes, peeled, no milk or seasonings added)
• ½ cup butter, melted
• ½ cup sugar
• 3 cups flour
• 1 egg, beaten
• ½ Tbsp salt
• 5 cups flour (maybe less or more)

Ingredients - Poppy Seed Filling

• 2 cups ground poppy seed
• 1 ½ cups sugar
• 1 ½ cups milk
• ½ to 1 cup of marshmallows (approximately 10-12 large)

Instructions - Dough

Yeast bubbling away in warm water

1. Dissolve yeast in the warm water and set aside for a few minutes.
2. Combine scalded milk, mashed potatoes, butter, and sugar in a large bowl, stirring well to combine and completely dissolve the potatoes into the mixture. Any clumps of potato can be smashed using the back of a wooden spoon or other utensil.
3. Let mixture cool to lukewarm (below 110° F) and then add yeast mixture. Stir to combine and then add 3 cups of flour. Mix well to the dough sponge.
   
   

   

   Sponge after standing for 20 minutes

   
   
4. Let sponge stand for about 20 minutes until it foams up.
5. Add beaten egg, salt, and about 4 of the remaining cups of flour, mixing well to combine. Add remaining flour until a soft dough is formed, then turn out on a floured counter and knead until dough is smooth and satiny.
   
   

   

   Dough after rising to doubled in size

   
   
6. Let dough rise in a warm place until doubled in bulk.
7. When ready, very lightly deflate before dividing into the 5 portions for assembly (see Instructions - Assembly)

Instructions - Poppy Seed Filling

Making the poppy seed filling

1. Combine ground poppy seed, sugar, and milk in a saucepan, bring to a boil, and cook for 10 minutes or longer to thicken, stirring constantly.
2. Remove from heat and add the marshmallows. Stir until dissolved.
3. Let cool before spreading on dough.

Instructions - Assembly

1. Fit a piece of parchment paper to the jelly roll pan so the paper hangs about an inch over all sides.
2. Divide the dough into five equal portions. Three will be used for the poppy seed rolls. We often make cinnamon rolls with the other two, but any sweet dough treat can be made!
   
3. Take one piece of dough and roll into a thin rectangle with the side closest to you (and the counter edge) having the same length as the long side of the jelly roll pan. Dough should be about 1/8" thick. Don't roll the dough too thin or it will be prone to ripping or tearing.
   
   

   

   Rolled out dough with poppy seed filling spread on it

   
   
4. Spread 1/3rd of the cooled poppy seed filling onto the rolled out dough using a spatula, leaving a border of about 1". You need enough of a plain border so that when you roll the dough up it can be sealed without any filling leaking into the seal. Filling should be thick and sticky but still spreadable (without tearing the dough).
   
   

   

   Roll dough on long side to create a log

   
   
5. Starting from the side away from you, roll the dough with filling into a log. Tightly pinch the seam and ends shut.
6. Carefully place the roll lengthwise and seem side down on the parchment paper lined jelly roll pan. Three rolls will fit lengthwise in the pan.
   
   

   

   Three rolls in the lined jelly roll pan

   
   
7. Repeat steps 3 through 6 for all three poppy seed rolls.
   
   

   

   Rolls after rising to fill pan

   
   
8. Cover with plastic and let rolls rise until they nicely fill out the pan. Be careful not to let them over rise.
9. Bake at 350° F for 33-35 minutes, until the top is golden brown. A toothpick inserted into the center should come out fairly clean. (a little moisture from the poppy seed is expected, but it should not have dough on it)
   
   

   

   Rolls after baking

   
   
10. Remove from oven and let cool in pan for 5-10 minutes before removing rolls to a cooling rack by sliding the rolls out on the parchment paper and then carefully sliding the paper out from under the rolls once they are on the rack.
    
    

    

    Poppy Seed Roll - cut crosswise. Look at those swirls!
    
    

11. Once cooled to just above room temperature, slice rolls crosswise into ½" thick slices and enjoy!

Notes

• You must use a jelly roll pan lined with parchment paper, and you must make three rolls together. This setup ensures that the rolls are not too large (and thus have too much filling to allow a proper rise) and that each roll is well contained to prevent them from flattening and spreading out horizontally. The parchment paper helps contain the inevitable leakage and makes it simple to transfer the rolls out after baking. The jelly roll pan construction is also perfect for ensuring a proper bake - we tried using a glass baking dish once and the result was very disappointing. Learn from our mistake and use the setup described!
• All three rolls do not need to be filled with poppy seed; try sweet fruit fillings or a cinnamon roll style filling - recipes are all over the internet.
• It is typical to have some of the filling leak out around the sides or the ends. A thick filling will leak less than a thinner one, and a slightly thicker dough is less likely to split open than a thicker dough. If you get large amounts of leakage, try making the filling thicker and rolling out the dough a bit thicker next time.
• 1 cup of poppy seed equals about 2 cups of ground poppy seed.
  
  

  

  Grinding poppy seed

  
  
• Grinding poppy seed can be challenging. Use a dedicated poppy seed grinder (pictured above, example here) or a clean(!) electric spice grinder. I have an "antique" grinder that has been passed down in the family from my great-grandmother to my great-aunt and now to me.
• The mashed potatoes should be plain (no seasonings added). If a little liquid is needed for mashing, use the cooking liquid from boiling the potatoes.
• If the poppy seed filling does not thicken up enough, add one or two tablespoons of cornstarch and mix in well.
• The bread proofing setting on your oven (if it has one) can help speed along the rising steps!
• Baking time will vary depending on your oven. The original recipe we have says bake for 30 minutes, but in the current oven it takes at least 35 minutes. If the top is getting too dark but you think the roll needs more time, cover it with foil to prevent further browning. It is better to slightly overbake the roll than it is to under bake, as an under baked roll really cannot be salvaged.