A prominent feature at the Christmas table, the Polish poppy seed bread covered with sugar frosting or chocolate is really toothsome. This Polish poppy seed pastry is made with a really easy Makowiec recipe!
Memories Of Poppy Seeds And Poland
See also my Polish poppy seed cheesecake recipe (seromakowiec).
Poppyseed flowers contain opium alkaloids, but they can be misused sometimes.
Years ago, when I was growing up in Poland I remember my neighbor producing drugs from poppy seeds. It was quite common for individuals to do that at the time.
But it soon became such a big issue in Poland, that resulted in poppy seeds being banned in the entire country. Nowadays, you can’t seed them yourself, only self-seeders are available for use. Of course, you can buy ready-to-eat poppy seeds in the stores as well.
But when used in the right amount, poppy seeds add a lot of flavor to both dinners and desserts. We often made the Polish poppy seed pastry and cover it with chocolate frosting or sprinkle it with powdered sugar.
These poppy seed roll Polish desserts are as popular at Easter and Christmas as piernik – gingerbread, keks – fruitcake, Polish nut roll, or kompot z suszu drink.
Why Are Makoweic Rolls Popular With Polish Christians?
Don’t have time to make a proper makowiec? See my quick poppyseed Christmas tree cake recipe!
According to legend, poppy flowers grew from the places where Jesus’ blood fell during the crucifixion. So having makowiec rolls with poppy seeds at Easter and Christmas became representative of Jesus’ death and resurrection, and the new life that he gives us.
It’s also popular to eat makowiec at Christmas time so that you will have wealth and prosperity in the year ahead.
What Are The Other Names Of These Makowiec Poppy Seed Rolls?
The other names for the Polish poppy seed bread are makowiec strudla, strucla, makownik or placka. They look a lot like the Swiss roll, but the makowiec recipe uses yeast-based dough.
What Other Toppings Can I Use For This Polish Poppy Seed Roll Recipe?
You can top the makowiec with any of the following:
- Chocolate Frosting
- Powder Sugar
- Sugar Glaze
- Candied Peel
- Chopped Nuts
- Honey
Tips For Making Polish Poppy Seed Roll Recipe – Makowiec
- You don’t need to make the poppy seed filling yourself. You can buy the poppy seed filling here.
- Washing the poppy seeds in hot water reduces the morphine content.
- You can also add cinnamon, nuts, dried fruit, or honey to the filling.
- If you want something heady, you can also add rum-soaked raisins to the filling.
- Serve the makowiec dessert roll with coffee or wine!
Polish Poppy Seed Roll – Frequently Asked Questions About Making Makowiec
How Do You Pronounce Makowiec?
Makowiec is pronounced mak-ov-yets or mah-kov-yets.
If Poppies Contain Opium, Is It Safe To Eat Makowiec?
With the current food regulations, only poppies that have a very low morphine content are harvested for food purposes. So yes, it’s safe to eat makowiec.
Who Invented Makoweic?
No one knows who invented makowiec, but it has been a popular dish in most Central European cuisines for a few centuries.
Legend tells that Polish King Jan III Sobieski’s baker once made a makowiec that was decorated with a replica of the Queen in the 17th century.
And then in the 18th century, King Stanisław August Poniatowski was gifted a makowiec that was 4 meters long.
Can I Freeze Leftover Makoweic?
Yes, you can freeze leftover makowiec in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature for a few hours and reheat before serving.
Can I Use A Different Filling? I Don’t Have The Poppy Seeds!
Yes, you can use any kind of jam, or Nutella for this recipe. Alternatively, you may make a Polish nut roll (follow the link for the recipe), which is also a very popular Polish cake!
Polish Poppy Seed Roll Makowiec Recipe
Yield: 15 servings
Polish Poppy Seed Roll Makowiec Recipe
A prominent feature at the Christmas table, the Polish poppy seed bread covered with sugar frosting or chocolate is really toothsome. This Polish poppy seed bread is made with a really easy Makowiec recipe!
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes
Additional Time 2 hours
Total Time 3 hours 10 minutes
Ingredients
Makowiec Dough
- 5 cups (600g) of all-purpose flour
- 1 cup of milk
- 4 egg yolks
- 1 stick (110g) of butter
- 1 tbsp (7g) of instant yeast
- ½ cup (100g) of sugar
- ½ tsp of salt
Makowiec Filling
- 4cups (400g) of poppy seeds
- 1(200g) cup of sugar
- 1 ½ cup of milk
- 2 tbsps of honey
- 4 tbsps of butter
- 4 egg whites
- raisins/ candied fruits/ nuts (optional)
Instructions
Make The Dough
- Melt the butter in warm milk (don't make it too hot!).
- Add the remaining ingredients and knead the dough (using your hands or food processor). The dough may be a bit sticky but it's ok.
- Place the dough in a big bowl then cover it with a clean kitchen cloth.
- Leave the bowl in a warm place for about 90 minutes until the dough doubles its size.
Make The Filling
- If your poppy seeds are not ground, grind them in a coffee/meat grinder or food processor. You may need to run the food processor a few times, depending on how strong your grinder is.
- Bring the milk to almost boil.
- Add poppy seeds to boiling milk, and cook for about 2 minutes, stirring all the time.
- Add sugar, and butter to hot poppy seeds and mix.
- Add chopped nuts/dried fruits and mix again. Allow to cool.
- Beat the egg whites with a bit of salt until stiff.
- Carefully add beaten egg whites to the poppy seeds.
Assemble Makowiec
- Preheat the oven to 350°F / 175°C.
- Divide the dough into 2 pieces.
- Roll each piece out onto a floured surface to just under ½” thickness.
- Spread the filling onto the dough, avoiding the edges.
- Roll up the pastry, starting at one of the long ends. Make sure to tuck the ends of the roll under it. (that will prevent the filling from leaking out).
- Brush the rolls with beaten egg or melted butter.
- Place the poppy seed rolls on a pan lined with baking paper.
- Bake for 35-40 minutes.
Decorate Makowiec (Makowiec Toppings)
Here are the most popular ways to decorate Polish poppy seed cake:
- powdered sugar
- sugar glaze (1 cup of icing sugar + 4 tbsps of water)
- chocolate frosting
For each of these options, you may add candied fruits or nuts on top.
Notes
If you don't want to make the filing yourself, you can buy a (canned version.)
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Nutrition Information:
Yield:
24 Serving Size:
1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 195Total Fat: 5gSaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 2gCholesterol: 39mgSodium: 94mgCarbohydrates: 33gFiber: 1gSugar: 12gProtein: 5g
These data are indicative and calculated by Nutritionix
Did you like this Polish poppy seed roll makowiec recipe? Let us know in the comments below!
26 Responses
Do you let rest before baking? Anxious to try your recipe.
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Yes, it’s a yeast dough so it needs to rest for 1,5-2h. It’s all in the recipe 🙂
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If using canned poppyseed…how much??
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1 can (30oz /850g).
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Hi reading the recipe where does the other 1/2 a cup of milk go ?
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I am sorry for the mistake! You need to add it to the dough.
I’ve just updated the recipe to make it easier (instant yeast instead of fresh yeast).
I hope that helps!Merry Christmas 🙂
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Should the rolls be left to rise (a second rise) before baked? The first rise is noted, not another after rolling. Jules
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I don’t wait for the cakes to rise again when they are rolled. I place them straight in the oven.
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Dough doesn’t rise at all what a waste. The method needs to be adjusted bug time. Threw it all out. Wouldn’t rise!
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If the yeast dough is not growing, it’s not the problem with the recipe 🙂
Here’s what might happen:
-room temperature in your kitchen is too low
-you had drafts in your kitchen
-you used milk that’s too hot or too cold
-your yeast’s expiration date has passed
-you didn’t follow the instructions in the recipeI am 100% sure the recipe is correct, as I used it so many times.
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My parents are Polish. I made this one time and my mother couldnt believe I actually made this. She thought I bought it. My mom passed away in September and will keep making this in her honour.
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Thanks for your comment, Ann. That’s great that you will keep making makowiec to honor your mom.
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My poppyseed rolls crack along the sides. What am i doing wrong?
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Maybe you don’t let the dough rise? It’s really important to give the dough time to grow.
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This recipe didn’t work for me either 🙁 the dough didn’t rise and was extremely hard and dry, despite using active yeasts as recommended and the above ingredients
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The dough needs to rise, otherwise the cake won’t be good…
Here are some of the reasons why the dough didn’t rise
-old yeast
-too cold in the room
-drafts in the room
-too hot milk that killed the yeastYeast dough requires warm temperature and time to rise… I hope you will succeed next time!
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Hi can I use fresh yeast and if so how much?
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Yes, it’s 25 grams of fresh yeast. You need to active it first with 1 tbsp of sugar, 1 tbsp of flour, and 1 tbsp of warm milk. Wait for 10 minutes, then follow the recipe.
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Any tips on the top cracking exposing the filling? Maybe the dough was rolled too thick or too much yeast? I halved the recipe if that would have done anything I also used active dry yeast in milk
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Here are some of the possible reasons:
1. The dough wasn’t knead well enough before rolling out.
2. Too much yeast.
3. The dough didn’t have enough time to grow.
4. Too much filling.If you want to avoid cracking in the future you may let the dough rest for additional 30 minutes when makowiec is already formed.
Don’t forget to brush it with egg white, that may prevent makowiec from cracking too.Good luck!
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Hello, I’ve tried a bunch of different recipes for this and the filling has turned out to watery and leaked out while baking. Any reason that might be happening and any tips on how to prevent that?
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Add less milk/water or drain the poppyseed when it’s cooked.
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I have way tooo much filling remaining!!! I followed the recipe exactly……is this normal? What can you do with leftover filling? I have likely 5 times too much!
Beth DalyReply
Maybe your dough didn’t grow? You can use the leftover filling for kluski z makiem
https://polishfoodies.com/polish-poppy-seed-noodles-recipe-kluski-z-makiem/Alternatively, you may freeze it. Or use for the following recipes:
https://polishfoodies.com/seromakowiec-poppy-seed-cheesecake-recipe/
https://polishfoodies.com/polish-poppy-seed-pierogi-recipe/
https://polishfoodies.com/poppyseed-christmas-tree-cake-recipe/
https://polishfoodies.com/polish-wheat-berry-dessert-kutia-recipe/Reply
Who wet should the filling be?
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It shouldn’t be wet! If it’s watery, cook it longer or drain.
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