Polish Poppy Seed Roll Makowiec Recipe

A prominent feature at the Polish tables, the Polish poppy seed bread covered with sugar frosting or chocolate is really toothsome. Makowiec recipe is surprisingly easy!

Memories Of Poppy Seeds And Poland 

Poppyseed flowers contain opium alkaloids, but they can be misused sometimes. 

Years ago, when I was growing up in Poland I remember my neighbor producing drugs from poppy seeds. It was quite common for individuals to do that at the time.

But it soon became such a big issue in Poland, that resulted in poppy seeds being banned in the entire country. Nowadays, you can’t seed them yourself, only self-seeders are available for use.  Of course, you can buy ready-to-eat poppy seeds in the stores as well.

But when used in the right amount, poppy seeds add a lot of flavor to both dinners and desserts. We often made the Polish poppy seed pastry and cover it with chocolate frosting or sprinkle it with powdered sugar. 

These poppy seed roll Polish desserts are as popular at Easter and Christmas as piernik – gingerbread, keks – fruitcake, Polish nut roll, or kompot z suszu drink.  

Why Are Makowiec Rolls Popular With Polish Christians?

Don’t have time to make a proper makowiec? See my quick poppyseed Christmas tree cake recipe!

According to legend, poppy flowers grew from the places where Jesus’ blood fell during the crucifixion. So having makowiec rolls with poppy seeds at Easter and Christmas became representative of Jesus’ death and resurrection, and the new life that he gives us.

It’s also popular to eat makowiec at Christmas time so that you will have wealth and prosperity in the year ahead. 

How To Make Polish Poppyseed Roll?

I have a full video where I am showing how to make makowiec step-by-step. You can watch it here:

Step 1 – Make The Dough

When you are making yeast dough you need to remember about the following things:

• always use room-temperature or warm ingredients (they cannot be hot though because that will kill the yeast)
• knead the dough using your hands or food processor
• place the dough in warm, draft-free place to let it double or triple its size. Alternatively, place the dough in the fridge to let it grow overnight.

This makowiec recipe calls for 1 cup of warm milk, 4 egg yolks, 1 stick (110g) of melted butter, 5 cups (600g) of all-purpose flour, 1 tbsp (7g) of instant yeast, ½ cup (100g) of sugar, and ½ tsp of salt.

You just need to knead all the ingredients, place the dough in a large bowl. Cover the bowl with a clean kitchen cloth and simply wait for the dough to grow.

I’ve been developing this recipe for sometime because my goal was to get makowiec that is not dry. In my opinion, the biggest problem in the Polish poppyseed rolls is that they are sometime too dry.

In my opinion, the perfect makowiec needs to have a buttery dough and sticky filling. This Polish poppyseed recipe have it all, and I truly think it’s perfect!

Step 2 – Prepare The Filling

You will have 4 egg whites left from the dough and you will use it for the filling.

But first you need to ground your poppyseed (4 cups / 400g). In Poland, it’s easy to buy poppyseed that is already grinded and it makes the cooking process so much easier!

Bring 1 ½ cup of milk to almost-boil, then add grind poppyseed to milk. Cook for a few minutes, stirring from time to time.

The final step is to add 2 tbsps of honey, 4 tbsps of butter, 1 (200g) cup of sugar, and raisins, candied fruits, and nuts. It is optional, however, I think they add makowiec more flavor. Allow to cool.

I recommend adding beaten egg whites to the poppyseed filling right before rolling the cake, so we will get back to you in the next step.

Step 3 – Beat Egg Whites And Add To The Poppyseed Filling

When your dough has grown (it needs about 90 minutes), prepare pastry board and rolling pin.

Beat egg whites with a pinch of salt until stiff then, using the spoon, aa it to the poppyseed filling. Do it very carefully. You want you filling to be fluffy and sticky so gentle stirring will make it perfect.

Step 4 – Rolling Up Makowiec

The first thing you need to do is to preheat the oven to 350°F / 175°C. Next, divide the dough into 2 pieces.

Roll the first piece out onto a floured surface to just under ½” thickness.

Now spread the filling onto the dough, avoiding the edges. 

Roll up the pastry, starting at one of the long ends. 

Make sure to tuck the ends of the roll under it. (that will prevent the filling from leaking out).

It’s also ok to tuck the ends of the dough inside before rolling, then rolling makowiec. The point is to secure the edges to make sure the filling won’t leak.

Repeat the process with the second part of the dough and the filling. Place both rolls on one large baking tray lined with parchment paper. Make sure they don’t touch each other because the cakes will grow a bit in the oven.

You may have some leftover filling and it’s ok! It’s better to add too little than too much.

Step 5 – Brushing The Cakes And Baking

The final step (before decorating) is to brush the rolls with beaten egg or melted butter. Bake them for 35-40 minutes 

Step 6 – Decorate Makowiec

When your makowiec is cold, decorate it however you like!

I recommend the best toppings below. My favorite is sugar glaze (1 cup of icing sugar + 4 tbsps of water) and some dried nuts, fruits, or candied orange peel on top.

What Other Toppings Can I Use For This Polish Poppy Seed Roll Recipe?

You can top the makowiec with any of the following:

• Chocolate Frosting
• Powder Sugar
• Sugar Glaze
• Candied Peel
• Chopped Nuts
• Honey

What Are The Other Names Of These Makowiec Poppy Seed Rolls?

The other names for the Polish poppy seed bread are makowiec strudla, strucla, makownik or placka. They look a lot like the Swiss roll, but the makowiec recipe uses yeast-based dough. 

Tips For Making Polish Poppy Seed Roll Recipe – Makowiec

• You don’t need to make the poppy seed filling yourself. You can buy the poppy seed filling here.
• Washing the poppy seeds in hot water reduces the morphine content.
• You can also add cinnamon, nuts, dried fruit, or honey to the filling. 
• If you want something heady, you can also add rum-soaked raisins to the filling. 
• Serve the makowiec dessert roll with coffee or wine!

Polish Poppy Seed Roll – Frequently Asked Questions About Making Makowiec

How Do You Pronounce Makowiec?

Makowiec is pronounced mak-ov-yets or mah-kov-yets.

If Poppies Contain Opium, Is It Safe To Eat Makowiec?

With the current food regulations, only poppies that have a very low morphine content are harvested for food purposes. So yes, it’s safe to eat makowiec. 

Who Invented Makowiec?

Can I Freeze Leftover Makowiec?

Yes, you can freeze leftover makowiec in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature for a few hours and reheat before serving. 

Can I Use A Different Filling? I Don’t Have The Poppy Seeds!

Yes, you can use any kind of jam, or Nutella for this recipe. Alternatively, you may make a Polish nut roll (follow the link for the recipe), which is also a very popular Polish cake! 

See also my Polish poppy seed cheesecake recipe (seromakowiec).

Polish Poppy Seed Roll Makowiec Recipe

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Yield: 15 servings

Polish Poppy Seed Roll Makowiec Recipe

A prominent feature at the Christmas table, the Polish poppy seed bread covered with sugar frosting or chocolate is really toothsome. This Polish poppy seed bread is made with a really easy Makowiec recipe!

Prep Time 30 minutes

Cook Time 40 minutes

Additional Time 2 hours

Total Time 3 hours 10 minutes

Ingredients

Makowiec Dough

• 5 cups (600g) of all-purpose flour
• 1 cup of milk
• 4 egg yolks
• 1 stick (110g) of butter
• 1 tbsp (7g) of instant yeast
• ½ cup (100g) of sugar
• ½ tsp of salt

Makowiec Filling

• 4 cups (400g) of poppy seeds
• 1 (200g) cup of sugar
• 1 ½ cup of milk
• 2 tbsps of honey
• 4 tbsps of butter
• 4 egg whites
• raisins/ candied fruits/ nuts (optional)

Instructions

Make The Dough

1. Melt the butter in warm milk (don't make it too hot!).
2. Add the remaining ingredients and knead the dough (using your hands or food processor). The dough may be a bit sticky but it's ok.
3. Place the dough in a big bowl then cover it with a clean kitchen cloth.
4. Leave the bowl in a warm place for about 90 minutes until the dough doubles its size.

Make The Filling

1. If your poppy seeds are not ground, grind them in a coffee/meat grinder or food processor. You may need to run the food processor a few times, depending on how strong your grinder is.
2. Bring the milk to almost boil.
3. Add poppy seeds to boiling milk, and cook for about 2 minutes, stirring all the time.
4. Add sugar, and butter to hot poppy seeds and mix.
5. Add chopped nuts/dried fruits and mix again. Allow to cool.
6. Beat the egg whites with a bit of salt until stiff.
7. Carefully add beaten egg whites to the poppy seeds.

Assemble Makowiec

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F / 175°C.
2. Divide the dough into 2 pieces.
3. Roll each piece out onto a floured surface to just under ½” thickness.
4. Spread the filling onto the dough, avoiding the edges.
5. Roll up the pastry, starting at one of the long ends. Make sure to tuck the ends of the roll under it. (that will prevent the filling from leaking out).
6. Brush the rolls with beaten egg or melted butter.
7. Place the poppy seed rolls on a pan lined with baking paper.
8. Bake for 35-40 minutes.

Decorate Makowiec (Makowiec Toppings)

Here are the most popular ways to decorate Polish poppy seed cake:

- powdered sugar

- sugar glaze (1 cup of icing sugar + 4 tbsps of water)

- chocolate frosting

For each of these options, you may add candied fruits or nuts on top.

Notes

If you don't want to make the filing yourself, you can buy a (canned version.)

Recommended Products

As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.

• 
  Bakalland Poppy Seed Filling - Masa makowa
• 
  Candied Fruits - Bakalie
• 
  Raisins - Rodzynki
• 
  Powdered Sugar - Cukier puder
• 
  Honey - Miód
• 
  Whole Poppy Seed - Mak
• 
  Margarine - Margaryna
• 
  Sugar - Cukier
• 
  Milk - Mleko
• 
  Fresh Yeast - Drożdże świeże
• 
  Eggs Organic Cage-Free
• 
  All Purpose Flour

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

24

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 195Total Fat: 5gSaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 2gCholesterol: 39mgSodium: 94mgCarbohydrates: 33gFiber: 1gSugar: 12gProtein: 5g

These data are indicative and calculated by Nutritionix

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