Name: Poppy Seed Swirl Buns
Prep time: 190 min
Cook time: 24 min
Total time: 214 min
Yield: 12 servings
Cuisine: Polish
Ingredients: 3 1/2 cups (440 g) all-purpose flour, plus more for rolling; 1/4 cup (50 g) granulated sugar, for the dough; 2 1/4 tsp (7 g) instant yeast; 1 tsp (6 g) fine sea salt; 1 1/2 cups (360 g) whole milk, divided; 2 large eggs, 1 for the dough, 1 beaten for the wash; 6 tbsp (85 g) unsalted butter, softened, divided; 1 cup (140 g) poppy seeds; 1/3 cup (65 g) granulated sugar, for the filling; 2 tbsp honey; 1 lemon, finely zested; 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Poppy Seed Swirl Buns

4.4 from 227 home cooks Free

Tall, tender yeast buns wound around a dark, fragrant filling of ground poppy seeds simmered with milk, honey and lemon zest. Baked snug in muffin cups so they climb upward, they have a soft, buttery crumb and a slightly nutty, bittersweet swirl that tastes like a Central European holiday bakery.

Prep

3 hr 10 min

Cook

24 min

Total

3 hr 34 min

Serves

Level

Medium

Cuisine

Polish

Method

Step 1: Grind the poppy seeds in a spice grinder in short bursts until they look darker and clump slightly, about 30 seconds. Simmer them with 3/4 cup milk, the filling sugar, honey and 2 tbsp butter over low heat, stirring, for 8 to 10 minutes until thick and spreadable. Stir in the lemon zest and vanilla and cool completely, about 20 minutes.
Step 2: Mix the flour, dough sugar, yeast and salt, then add the remaining 3/4 cup milk, lukewarm, 1 egg and the remaining 4 tbsp butter. Knead 8 to 10 minutes until smooth, soft and elastic.
Step 3: Cover loosely and give the dough 60 to 75 minutes to double; a floured finger poke should spring back slowly. Grease a 12-cup muffin tin well or set 12 tall paper baking cups on a sheet.
Step 4: Roll the dough into a 12x16-inch rectangle, spread the cooled poppy seed filling evenly over it, leaving a 1/2-inch border on one long side, and roll up tightly toward that border. Pinch the seam closed.
Step 5: Cut the log into 12 slices about 1 1/3 inches thick and set each cut side up in a muffin cup. Cover and proof until they dome above the rim, 40 to 45 minutes, while the oven heats to 350F.
Step 6: Brush the tops with beaten egg and bake 22 to 25 minutes, until deep golden and the centers read 190F. Cool 10 minutes in the tin, then lift out onto a rack.

Kitchen note

Whole poppy seeds taste bland and gritty because their oil is locked inside a hard coat; grinding cracks them open so the filling turns dark, creamy and properly nutty.