Walnut or Poppy Seed Rolls
Christmas in Hungary is the most important holiday, and among many traditions, it’s a time for bejgli! Families often make their own, and these sweet rolls are also stacked high in shops and markets. The most popular fillings are walnut and poppy seed. According to folk legend, eating walnuts protects against evil, while poppy seeds bring prosperity to the home.
It’s best to prepare the bejglis the day before, allowing the egg wash to dry overnight—this step is essential for achieving the classic marbled finish.
Ingredients
This recipe makes 4 bejglis, each weighing about 1 pound (500 g)
For the dough
4 ¾ cups (600 g / 21 oz) all-purpose flour
¾ cup (167 g) unsalted butter or margarine
6 level tbsp (83 g) pork fat or other neutral fat
½ cup (67 g) powdered sugar
1½ tbsp (16–17 g) fresh yeast (or 2 tsp active dry yeast)
⅛ tsp salt
1 large egg yolk
¼ cup (67 ml) unsweetened heavy cream
About ½ cup (133 ml) cold water, add as needed for a smooth dough
1 egg for egg wash
For the filling (makes enough for 4 bejglis)
20 oz (570 g) ground walnuts OR poppy seeds
1½ cups (330 g) granulated sugar
1 cup (100 g) breadcrumbs or sweet biscuit crumbs
1 handful sultanas (optional)
2 tsp cinnamon
Zest of 2 unwaxed lemons
A pinch of toasted ground cloves
1¼ cups (330 ml) water
Tip: If you want 2 walnut and 2 poppy seed rolls, divide the filling ingredients in half. Always test poppy seeds first, as they can oxidize and lose flavor if not stored properly.
Method
1. Prepare the filling
- In a saucepan, bring the water and sugar to a boil to dissolve the sugar.
- Pour the hot sugar water over the dry filling ingredients (nuts or poppy seeds, breadcrumbs, spices, zest, sultanas). Mix thoroughly.
- Let the filling cool completely. It should be firm enough to form a 9.5 oz (270 g) ball per roll.
Tip: You can prepare the filling a few hours or a day in advance.
2. Make the dough
- Combine flour, butter, pork fat, powdered sugar, egg yolk, cream, yeast, and salt in a bowl or food processor. Hold back some water at first; add as needed to form a smooth, firm dough.
- Avoid letting salt touch the yeast directly at the start.
- Knead until smooth, pliable, and slightly firm – not sticky. The dough should roll without sticking to the surface.
- Divide the dough into four equal portions (about 270 g / 9.5 oz each). Wrap in plastic and refrigerate for 20–60 minutes to rest.
3. Assemble the bejglis
- Roll each dough portion into an 8 × 10 in (20 × 25 cm) rectangle. Once flattened, roll from the center towards the corners to shape.
- Spread ¼ of the filling evenly over the dough, leaving a ½-inch (1 cm) border around the edges. Optionally, you can roll the filling lightly with a rolling pin while covering with plastic wrap.
- Fold about ½ inch (1 cm) of dough over the filling on each side, then roll the log tightly lengthwise. Place the roll seam-side down on a tray or chopping board where it will rest preferably overnight. Repeat with the remaining three rolls.
4. Apply the egg wash
- Separate the egg. Brush each roll with egg yolk (add a few drops of water if needed) and let dry about 30 minutes.
- Brush with egg white and let dry again.
- Drying in a cool place (not the fridge) gives the bejglis a firmer crust, rustic look, and helps prevent cracks during baking.
5. Prepare for baking
- Pierce each roll several times with a skewer or knitting needle to allow steam to escape. Three rows—center and each side—work well.
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and place the rolls on top.
- 6. Bake
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C) with fan if available.
- Bake for 25–30 minutes until golden brown.
- Cool completely on a wire rack before slicing.
Tips
Using equal weights of dough and filling gives a perfectly balanced roll.
Walnut and poppy seed fillings can share the same spices (cinnamon, lemon zest, sultanas, cloves).
Prepare the filling in advance and let assembled rolls rest overnight for best results.
Don’t stress if your bejgli cracks, minor cracks are normal. Right after baking, wrap the warm roll tightly in foil and let it cool; this usually helps the cracks seal up. And for the larger cracks? They say it just means you put extra heart and soul into it, and they’re just as delicious!
I make Poteca in fact made 4 loaves this week. I will try your recipe out soon, Thanks for posting it.
I must try Poteca sometime, they look delicious!
This has always been a Christmas tradition in our family, but I’ve never seen a recipe outside of my Mom and Grandma. Bejgli is delicious! Highly recommended
I follow this recipe and made walnut one first. Your saying that it should be 4 to be able to make 4, but 1 pastry was to thin and had to add 2 together. So didn’t end up making 4 only ended up with 2 walnut. And follow you measurements on rolling out the dough was very thin. Now I have to double the ingredients to make sure there is enough for the poppyseed 2.
Hi Veronika, Sorry to hear that you found the dough too thin. It should be quite thin though when rolled out and will get thicker from the yeast during baking. Also, I’m rolling each dough roughly into a 20cm x 25cm (8″x10″) sized rectangle as the recipe says, if rolled out bit bigger, they of course come out thinner, but this would still make a good result. Hope your bejglis came out nice and tasty at the end.
Hello– My family always made beijli for Christmas and Easter but in addition to walnut and poppy, we also made plum lekvar and cheese. I never knew the real name of them, just called them nut roll, plum/prune roll, cheese and poppy rolls. My family came to the USA 1928, and all our ancestors back to at least 1700s came from the very small part of Szatmar county (most of which is now Romania) that remains Hungarian. No one left recipes, they didn’t use them. The only recipe book I had was one my grandmother bought from a church. It included a few Hungarian as well as some Russian, German and Polish recipes. I guess the mix of that church’s congregation. I use that for aranygaluska–the walnut cake my grandmother always made , the “rolls” and the cookies filled with apricot, plum, walnut (kiflis?). The ones I make, I remember by heart like stuffed cabbage and fried cabbage and noodles
I’m not even sure I make them correctly anymore. It’s so nice to be able to check what I remember against your recipes and learn some new ones. I’m so glad I found this site. Thank you.
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Where can one buy poppy seed?