A homemade classic poppy seed roll makes a cup of tea feel like a special occasion. This version has soft, yeasted dough wrapped around a rich poppy seed filling with raisins. Serve a slice with butter or your favorite jam, and enjoy it for a holiday gathering or a cozy afternoon at home.
The filling is the part I’m especially pleased with. It’s moist and flavorful, yet it holds together when you slice the roll instead of scattering poppy seeds across the table. The secret is to cook the poppy seed mixture long enough for as much moisture as possible to evaporate. Once it’s thickened, the poppy seeds are ground and mixed with butter, egg white, and plump raisins.
What You’ll Need
The dough is made with yeast, milk, sugar, egg, butter, salt, and flour. It bakes up soft and tender, with a golden egg-washed top sprinkled with poppy seeds.
For the filling, poppy seeds are paired with sugar, vanilla sugar, butter, egg white, and raisins. The egg white helps the filling hold together, while the raisins add little bursts of sweetness. If you can’t find vanilla sugar, you can use a little vanilla extract.
The recipe card below has the exact ingredient quantities.
How the Classic Poppy Seed Roll Comes Together
The dough starts with a simple yeast pre-ferment, which gives the yeast a chance to activate before the rest of the ingredients are added. After kneading, the dough rises until puffy and doubled in size.
Meanwhile, the poppy seeds are soaked, then cooked with sugar until the excess moisture has evaporated. This step matters: a wet filling can make the roll harder to bake through and more likely to crumble when sliced. The cooked poppy seeds are ground, then mixed with butter, egg white, and drained raisins.
The filling is spread over the rolled-out dough, which is then rolled up and placed seam-side down in a loaf pan or on a baking sheet. After a second rise, the roll is brushed with egg wash, sprinkled with poppy seeds, and baked until golden. Let it cool completely before slicing so the filling has time to set.
Make the Poppy Seed Pastry Filling Ahead
To spread out the prep, you can make the poppy seed filling ahead of time. You can also prepare a larger batch and freeze some for another bake. Thaw it before using.
This is a baking project that takes some time, but the work can be split across a couple of days.
If you try this recipe, I’d love to hear how it turned out! Share your experience or any creative twists in the comments below. Happy baking!
Classic Poppy Seed Roll | YellowMixer.com Baking Blog
Print RecipeIngredients
- For the dough
- 1¼ tsp active dry yeast (4 g), or 12 g fresh yeast if available
- 50 g granulated sugar (¼ cup)
- 90 g milk (⅜ cup)
- 1 large egg
- 55 g butter (about 4 tbsp), melted and cooled
- A pinch of salt
- 240 g all-purpose flour (about 2 cups)
- For the poppy seed and raisin filling
- 150 g poppy seeds (about 1 cup)
- 120 g granulated sugar (about ½ cup plus 1 tbsp)
- 1 tsp vanilla sugar
- 1 large egg white
- 50 g butter (about 3½ tbsp)
- 80 g raisins (about ½ cup)
- For the egg wash
- 1 large egg yolk
- 1 tbsp milk
- A little poppy seed, for sprinkling
Instructions
Melt the butter for the dough and set it aside to cool.
To make the sponge, combine the milk, yeast, sugar, and 40 g of the flour (about ⅓ cup). Mix well, cover with a clean kitchen towel, and let stand for 30 minutes.
While the sponge rests, pour boiling water over the raisins and let them soak. Rinse the poppy seeds a few times, cover them with boiling water, and soak for 20–30 minutes. Drain well.
When the sponge is puffy, add the egg, salt, and cooled melted butter. The butter should be no more than slightly warm. Add the remaining flour and stir with a spoon, then knead by hand until the dough is soft and no longer sticky. Add a little more flour if needed.
Shape the dough into a ball and place it in a bowl. Cover and let rise in a warm place for 1½–2 hours, or until doubled in size.
Transfer the drained poppy seeds to a saucepan. Add the sugar and vanilla sugar, then cook over low heat, stirring occasionally, for about 30 minutes. Cook the mixture down thoroughly so as much moisture as possible evaporates.
Grind the poppy seed mixture with a blender or food processor. Add the butter and stir until it melts. Let the mixture cool slightly, then stir in the egg white. Drain the raisins and mix them into the filling.
Roll the dough into a long rectangle. Spread the filling evenly over the dough, leaving a little space at the short ends. Roll up the dough and pinch the seam closed. If baking in a loaf pan, the ends can remain open. If baking on a baking sheet, pinch the ends closed to help keep the filling from leaking out.
Place the roll seam-side down in a parchment-lined loaf pan or on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Cover with a clean kitchen towel or plastic wrap and let rise for 1 hour. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F).
Mix the egg yolk with the milk and brush generously over the roll. Sprinkle with poppy seeds and bake for 40–45 minutes, until golden brown. A toothpick inserted into the dough should come out clean.
Notes
Let the roll cool completely before slicing.
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