Apricot & Walnut Poppy Seed Rolls (video)

30 prep + 40 cook + 1 30 Proofing Time

rolls

Delicious Ukrainian apricot and walnut poppy seed rolls recipe! Soft, yeast dough filled with a sweet poppy seed filling!

Begin with the dough. Heat the milk in the microwave or on the stovetop until it reaches between 120F and 130F (49C-54C). Sprinkle in the yeast, whisk, and let the mixture stand for 5 minutes.
Meanwhile, into a large mixing bowl, add the melted butter, eggs, sugar, salt and vanilla. Whisk for a minute, until the eggs are well beaten. Pour in the milk and yeast mixture and whisk it in.
Gradually begin adding the flour, whisking it in at first, then switching to a spatula once the dough starts to form. Once a dough ball forms, turn it out onto a well-floured work surface.
The dough should be super soft and just slightly sticky. Knead the dough for 4 to 5 minutes, until it’s very smooth and elastic. Add more flour as needed.
Drop the dough back into your mixing bowl, cover it with a towel, and set the dough into a warm corner of your kitchen to proof until doubled in size, about 1 to 1 ½ hours (on the stovetop is great!).

Meanwhile, prepare the filling. Place the walnuts and dried apricots into a food processor and pulse them until they’re finely diced. You should have a crumbly mixture. You can also do this step with a knife.
Next, add in the poppy seeds, sugar, vanilla paste (optional), and the softened butter. The butter should be super soft, but not melted! Pulse again until a thick and chunky paste forms. Set the filling aside until ready to use.

Punch the dough down to release the trapped air, then turn it out onto a well-floured work surface. Using a floured rolling pin, roll the dough out into a large, 20x20-inch (51cm) square.
Drop spoonsful of the prepared filling onto the dough, then use an off-set spatula to spread the dough evenly to all the edges.
Gently lift the dough from one side to the other, folding it in half. Watch my video tutorial for step-by-step instructions. Using a long knife, score the dough vertically into 1 to 1 ½-inch segments, then cut the dough into strips.
For shaping the rolls: lift a piece of dough from the work surface and gently stretch it a little bit. If the dough is sticking, simply slide a spatula underneath it. Start twisting the dough from both ends, creating a rope. Next, starting on the thicker side (where the fold is), roll the rope into a spiral and tuck the end underneath.
Place the shaped rolls onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or a silicon mat. Use two baking sheets, spreading the rolls at least 3 inches apart.
Next, brush the rolls all over with the egg wash using a pastry brush. Simply break an egg into a bowl and whisk it vigorously.

Allow the rolls to stand at room temperature for 30 to 45 minutes, until they’ve doubled up in size. At this point, you can also start preheating your oven to 350F/177C. I like to keep my rolls next to the oven where it’s nice and warm.
Bake the rolls at 350F/177C for 37 to 40 minutes, until they’re a rich, golden-brown color. Once the rolls start to get some nice color, after about 25 minutes, lay a sheet of foil gently right on top of the rolls to prevent the bread from burning.
Since you’ll need to bake two sheets at a time, space the oven racks apart by at least 6-inchs and rotate the pans halfway through the baking time to ensure they bake evenly. If your oven can only accommodate one pan at a time, place the second baking sheet into the refrigerator to keep the rolls from over-proofing.

Next, prepare the syrup. In a small saucepan, combine the water, sugar and lemon juice needed for the syrup. Give the mixture a good whisk and bring it to a boil on the stovetop.
Reduce the heat to a medium and let the syrup simmer for about 7 minutes. Remove it from the heat and let it stand at room temperature until you’re ready to use it.

Once the rolls are done baking and are still hot, use a pastry brush to apply the syrup generously.
Enjoy the rolls warm with a cup of coffee or tea. For storing allow the rolls to cool to room temperature. Wrap each rollind ividually with plastic food wrap, then place the wrapped rolls into an airtight container. These rolls can dry out quickly so it’s important to keep them well sealed.