Makowiec
Makowiec is the traditional Polish poppy seed roll, an essential dessert at Christmas and Easter tables, symbolising abundance thanks to the thousands of tiny seeds used in the filling. The recipe dates back to 19th-century bourgeois cuisine, but the roots of using poppy seeds in festive desserts go much deeper into Slavic traditions. Preparing the filling is considered a true art in many Polish households — the seeds must be ground extremely finely, sometimes multiple times, to release their fragrant oils and create a velvety paste rather than a gritty texture. Well-made makowiec rolls have a perfect ratio of fluffy dough to dense filling, and the visible spiral when sliced is considered the mark of a successful roll, a point of pride for the cooks who prepare them.
Poppy seed filling
Finely ground poppy seeds, sweetened
Honey and raisins
Honey, raisins and orange peel in the filling
Spiral shape
Rolled dough with a visible swirl when sliced
Simple icing
Topped with a thin sugar glaze
Ingredients 4 servings
- 500 g flour
- 25 g fresh yeast
- 150 ml warm milk
- 80 g sugar
- 100 g soft butter
- 2 large eggs
- 300 g poppy seeds, finely ground
- 100 g honey
- 80 g raisins
How to make it
- 1Dissolve the yeast in the warm milk with a teaspoon of sugar and let it foam for 10 minutes.
- 2Mix the flour with the remaining sugar in a large bowl, make a well and add the dissolved yeast, eggs and soft butter.
- 3Knead the dough for 10 minutes until smooth and elastic, then cover and let rise in a warm place for an hour.
- 4For the filling, simmer the finely ground poppy seeds gently with honey and a little water for 5 minutes, then let cool and mix in the raisins.
- 5Roll out the risen dough into a large rectangle on a floured surface, about 1 cm thick.
- 6Spread the poppy seed filling evenly over the whole surface, leaving a 2 cm border free.
- 7Roll the dough tightly from the long edge to form a roll, then seal the ends and place it on a lined tray, seam-side down.
- 8Bake at 175°C for 35-40 minutes, until golden, then let it cool completely before glazing with icing sugar mixed with water and slicing.
Nutritional info
per serving (~350 g)
Estimated nutritional values.
Pairs perfectly with
