This recipe for sourdough poppy seed twists is my playful take on the classic Polish poppy seed roll, makowiec. Every time I make it, I’m transported back to my best friend’s kitchen table, where I first tasted this Easter treat and instantly fell in love.
It brings back the kind of nostalgia that feels warm and unhurried—simpler days when our biggest plans were snacking, chatting, and lingering just a little longer at the table. I must’ve been about 16 when I first tried makowiec, alongside a slice of Gruyère. I remember thinking the cheese smelled outrageously stinky… and then immediately reaching for more. Somehow, it was perfect with the rich, nutty sweetness of the poppy seed roll, and I couldn’t stop eating either one.
What Makes These Sourdough Poppy Seed Twists Unique?
Traditionally, this is a rolled sweet bread popular in Eastern and Central Europe. In this recipe, I’ve taken a few adaptive liberties by shaping the dough into poppy seed twists instead. This helps ensure a quicker rise and proof. The smaller knots proof several hours faster than a rolled log, saving time and reducing the chances of error or less-than-ideal results.
Because this is a sourdough, rather than a yeasted version, I’ve made the dough a bit lighter by using water in place of milk and fewer eggs. This encourages a faster rise and helps avoid an overly sour sweet 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
- Day Before Baking
- Feed your sourdough starter.
- If you plan to mix the dough more than 8 hours after feeding, use a 1:2:2 ratio (starter : flour : water).
- Morning — First Dough Stage
- Mix starter, flour, and water from the recipe.
- Do not add the remaining ingredients yet (they’ll be added in ~4 hours).
- Mix the dough by hand or with a stand mixer and dough hook for 3–5 minutes, until smooth.
- First fermentation:
- Place dough in a lightly oiled bowl and cover with plastic wrap.
- Optional: For extra strength, perform 3–4 stretch-and-folds at 30-minute intervals during the first 2 hours.
- Second Dough Stage (After ~4 Hours)
- Add the remaining dough ingredients(4 egg yolks, 20g salt, 75g butter
- 50g sugar) and mix using a stand mixer:
- Low speed: 2–3 minutes
- High speed: 6–8 minutes
- Watch for these signs:
- Dough pulls apart, then forms a sticky ball, then smooths out and becomes less sticky.
- Final dough should be very soft, stretchy (passes windowpane test), and not sticky.
- Proofing:
- Transfer to an oiled bowl, cover, and proof 2–4 hours, until nearly doubled in size.
- Poppy Seed Paste
- Soak the Seeds
- Rinse poppy seeds using a fine mesh strainer.
- Bring 3 cups water to a simmer (not a boil).
- Remove from heat, add seeds, and let soak 30 minutes.
- Grind seeds using a grain mill, coffee grinder, or mixer attachment.
- Prepare Egg Base
- In a separate bowl, whisk eggs and set aside (place bowl on a towel so it doesn’t slide).
- Make the Filling
- Heat milk and vanilla over medium heat until just starting to bubble, stirring occasionally.
- Temper the eggs:
- Slowly pour about half the hot milk into the eggs while whisking constantly.
- Pour the egg mixture back into the remaining milk.
- Return to stove and cook over medium heat, whisking constantly, until it begins to bubble.
- Add butter and mix until melted.
- Stir in ground poppy seeds and remove from heat.
- Transfer to a glass bowl and cool to room temperature.
- Refrigerate until needed (up to 5 days).
- Rolling & Assembling the Twists
- Remove poppy seed filling from the fridge 1 hour before use so it spreads easily.
- Divide dough in half (you’ll make 24 rolls total, 12 per batch).
- Lightly flour your work surface.
- Roll one portion into a 26 × 14 inch rectangle.
- Lift occasionally while rolling to prevent sticking; add flour if needed.
- Spread poppy seed filling generously over the dough.
- Fold the dough lengthwise over itself.
- Slice into 12 strips (about 1 inch wide).
- For each strip:
- Cut lengthwise down the middle, leaving the top 1–2 inches attached.
- Twist/braid the two strands together.
- Coil into a spiral and place on a baking sheet.
- Repeat with the second half of dough.
- Final proof: Let twists rise 2–3 hours before baking.
- Baking
- Preheat oven to 425°F (220°C).
- Bake 10 minutes, then reduce temperature to 375°F (190°C).
- Continue baking 10–15 minutes, until golden brown.
- To check doneness:
- Insert a digital thermometer into a center roll.
- 200°F (93°C) or higher = fully baked.
- Cooling & Storage
- Let cool at least 15 minutes before serving.
- Store:
- Airtight container at room temperature: up to 3 days
- Freezer: up to 3 months
Still in middle of baking this but your instructions need attention, like prepare egg mixture, but you don’t say what that is?! Egg and sugar? When do you add the salt?
Hi Kevin,
Apologies if it is not clear in the directions. I will go over the recipe and edit it. The egg mixture is for the poppy seed paste.