This recipe for sourdough poppy seed twists, is a variation on a polish poppy seed roll, known as Makowiec. This dessert brings back some of my favourite memories, at my best friends kitchen table, when I first experienced this Easter treat. It is a recipe that fills me with nostalgia, reminiscent of simple times, with little to do but snack and gossip. I think I was around 16 when I first tried Makowiec, next to some Gruyere cheese. I recall finding the cheese so stinky, but couldn’t stop eating it. It tasted so delicious next to the rich, nutty taste of the poppy seed roll.
What Makes These Sourdough Poppy Seed Twists Unique?
Traditionally this is a rolled sweat bread, popular in Eastern and Central Europe. In this recipe I have taken some adaptive liberties, making the rolls into poppy seed twists. Mainly, this is to insure a quick rise, and proof of the dough. The smaller knots, proof several hours faster than the rolled log. This saves time and reduces chances of error, and less than ideal results. Because this is a sourdough, vs yeasted version, I’ve made the dough a bit lighter, with water in place of milk, and fewer eggs. This is to ensure a quicker rise, and to avoid and overly sour sweat bread. For this, I use my Easy Same-Day Sourdough Brioche Dough Recipe.
The Trick to Making This Same-Day Sourdough Brioche Dough for the Poppy Seed Twists.
Leave out the enriched ingredients until the second rise. This is a process I have used when making my ontbijtkoek sourdough bread, as well as my super soft sourdough sandwich bread, and it works wonderfully. It’s like you give the natural yeasts, flour and water a head start before adding the ingredients that typically weigh it down. By doing this, once the enriched ingredients are added, the dough continues to rise at an accelerated rate. The other benefit of this, is not having to leave out a dough with ingredients like eggs for an extended time.
Steps To Make Same-Day Sourdough Brioche Dough.
The night before feed your sourdough starter. If you are planning on mixing your initial dough more than 8 hours after feeding your starter, feed it at a 1:2:2 ratio.
On the morning of baking mix your starter with all the flour and water called for in the recipe. This can be done by hand or in a standard mixer with the dough hook attachment. Once mixed place dough in a lightly oiled bowl covered with plastic wrap to ferment.
About 4 hours later, mix your second stage dough in a standard mixer with a dough hook starting on low for 2-3 minutes, then moving to high for 6-8 minutes, roughly.
The Second Stage Dough
Basically you will see the dough come apart, come together into a sticky ball, then slowly smooth out and become less sticky. In the end you will have a very soft dough, that stretches well, without tearing (window pane test), and is not at all sticky.
After the dough is mixed, transfer the dough to an oiled bowl, cover and proof for anywhere from 2-4 hours. Ideally it should almost double in volume. If you feel it doesn’t quite double by the 4 hour mark divide and shape anyways, as it will proof again once shaped.
Making Poppy Seed Paste
Personally I find making poppy seed filling a tad labour intensive. Though making it at home results in the most delicious filling for your rolls. You can save yourself an hour or two and buy it at your local European grocery store. If however you want to view making your own, the steps below will ensure you get it just right.
Do I Need To Grind The Poppy Seeds?
Yes. Most defiantly. This is the only way to get the resulting past, and nutty taste. If you don’t grind them you will miss out on 90 percent of the flavour and totally miss the intended texture.
Why Do You Pre-Soak The Poppy Seeds?
Pre-soaking, and parboiling the poppy seeds is essential to easily grind the seeds. Poppy seeds have a tough outer shell. By heating and soaking the seeds, you soften the outer shell, so they the seeds can be ground into a paste. I rinse my seeds. Bring to a low boil in 3 cups water, allow to sit in pot removed from heat for 30 minutes before running through a grain mill, coffee grinder or kitchenAid grinder attachment.
Rolling The Dough and Assembling The Twists
Making these twists, in many ways is like making mini Babka’s, only at the end, you will be twisting these rolls into a spiral, and baking on a cookie sheet or in muffin tins. I personally like to bake them in muffin tins.
Do You Have a Sourdough Starter?
Like all the recipes featured on Bubbling Starter, this bread is made with a sourdough starter. To learn how to make your own; check out Beginners Guide to Creating a Bubbling Starter.
A Sourdough Version Of Poppy Seed Rolls (Or Twists)
These poppy seed twists, are a sourdough version of a popular Easter dessert, in Eastern, and Central Europe.
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24
servings20
minutesIngredients
- Build Your Sourdough Starter The Evening Before Baking At A 1:2:2 Ratio
- On Baking Day:
First Stage Ferment 750 g flour
375 g water
150 g sourdough starter
- Second Stage Ferment
4 egg yolks
20 g salt
75 g butter
50 g sugar
- Poppy Seed Paste
254 g poppy seeds (1 3/4 cups)
240 g milk (1 cup)
113 g butter (1/2 cup)
200 g sugar (1 cup)
2 g salt (1/2 tsp)
2 eggs beaten
Directions
- The night before feed your sourdough starter. If you are planning on mixing your initial dough more than 8 hours after feeding your starter, feed it at a 1:2:2 ratio.
- On the morning of baking mix your starter with all the flour and water called for in the recipe. The remaining ingredients will all be added on the second stage dough in about 4 hours.
- Mixing the first stage ferment can be done by hand or in a standard mixer with the dough hook attachment. Mix approximately 3-5 minutes until dough is smooth. Once mixed place dough in a lightly oiled bowl covered with plastic wrap to ferment. If you want to build a little extra strength to your dough, do 3-4 stretch and folds at 30 minute inetervals, within the first two hours of fermenting.
- Mix your second stage dough in a standard mixer with a dough hook starting on low for 2-3 minutes, then moving to high for 6-8 minutes, roughly. Basically you will see the dough come apart, come together into a sticky ball, then slowly smooth out and become less sticky.
- In the end you will have a very soft dough, that stretches well without tearing (window pane test), and is not at all sticky.
- After the dough is mixed, transfer the dough to an oiled bowl, cover and proof for anywhere from 2-4 hours, or until it almost doubles in volume.
- Poppy Seed Paste
- Pre soak the seeds. Poppy seeds have a tough outer shell. By warming and soaking the seeds you soften the outer shell so they the seeds can be ground into a paste. I rinse my seeds. Bring to a low boil in 3 cups water, allow to sit in pot removed from heat for 30 minutes before running through a grain mill, coffee grinder or kitchen aide grinder attachment.
- Rinse poppy seeds fine mesh strainer.
- Place 3 cups water on stove bring to simmer not boil. Remove from heat and let sit for 30 minutes
- Prepaid your egg mixture on the side in a bowl sitting on a towel so it doesn’t slide around.
- To make poppy seed filling it is very much the same steps as if you were making custard or pasty cream. Begin your heating your milk and vanilla over medium heat until it just restarts to bubble. Stirring occasionally.
- Temper your eggs. To do this you are going to whisk the eggs consistently as you slowly poor in your milk mixture. Once you have added about 1/2 of the milk mixture you can pour the egg and milk. Mixture into the remaining milk. Return to stove and heat, stirring constantly with whisk, until it starts to bubble. Add butter and continue to mix, add poppy seeds and remove from heat. Place in glass bowl to cool to room temperature.
- Once cool place in refrigerator till needed or up to 5 days
- Rolling The Dough and Assembling The Twists
- Remove poppy seed paste from fridge about an hour before assembling the rolls, to insure it spreads evenly.
- Divide your dough in half. You will be making 24 rolls in total, so each batch will be making 12.
- Prepare your work surface by lightly flouring the area you will be rolling the dough on. You want to roll the dough out to roughly a 26 inch x 14 inch rectangle. a few times through rolling, lift the dough up gently to insure it isn’t sticking. If it is sticking, apply more flour to the work surface.
- Spread your poppy seed paste generously over half the dough.
- You will be folding the long end over on itself, then slicing the dough into 12, roughly 1 inch strips.
- Each strip of dough you will then slice in half, but leaving the top 1-2 inches attached.
- braid the two strips of dough, and spriral into a ball and place on cookie sheet to proof.
- Repeat with second half of dough.
- Proof the 24 twists for about2-3 hours before baking.
- Pre-heat oven to 425 and bake for 10 minutes then reduce temperature to 375 and bake for a remaining 10-15 minutes.
- If you want to insure the dough is sufficiently cooked insert a digital food thermometer into a twist from the center of the tray.
- If it reads 200 Fahrenheit degrees or higher they are done.
- Allow to cool at least 15 minutes, and serve.
- Store in airtight container on counter for up to three days, or up to three months in freezer.
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