Poppyseed Roll

This recipe was inspired by a similar one in George Lang's The Cuisine of Hungary. I use canned poppyseed filling as the base for this pastry, and I add my own flavoring. If you cannot get Solo filling (or prefer to make your own), I have included a recipe. Although this is a yeast dough, it does not rise much at all - the finished product looks a bit like a long wide turtle shell.

Ingredients:

• filling
  • one 12 oz. can of Solo brand poppyseed filling
  • 2 T. honey
  • 1 tsp. lemon juice
  • 1/8 tsp. ground cinnamon
  • 1/8 tsp. ground cloves
  • 2 T. raisins
• dough
  • 2 3/4 T. milk (or unflavored rice milk, if pareve preparation)
  • 3/4 tsp. yeast
  • 1/2 pound flour (2 cups)
  • 4 ounces butter (or vegetable shortening, if pareve preparation)
  • 4 T. sugar
  • 1 egg yolk, divided into two parts
  • pinch of salt
  • 1 egg white

Yield: 2 10 inch rolls

Preheat oven to 375°F. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper or silpat.

Mix together all filling ingredients. Warm milk or soy milk gently to about 95°F. Dissolve yeast in milk. Mix flour, butter or shortening, and sugar until crumbly. Add half of egg yolk, yeast mixture, and salt. Knead the mixture well and divide into two portions. This process can be done in a food processor or by hand. Roll each portion into a thin sheet, approximately 8x10inches. Spread half the filling on each piece of dough. Roll up tightly along the shorter edge, carefully transfer to the lined cookie sheet, seam down, and press the ends to keep the filling from coming out. Beat the remaining half egg yolk with a few drops of water. Brush the rolls with the egg yolk, and let them rise in a warm place for about an hour. Place the cookie sheet in the refrigerator for an additional hour. Finally brush the rolls with the egg white (beaten just a bit). Prick the rolls with a fork in 3 or 4 spots. Bake in the preheated oven for 30-40 minutes until golden. Let cool and either eat that day or freeze (double-wrapped in foil). Optional: poppyseed filling from scratch:

• 1/2 cup sugar
• 2 T. honey
• 2 T. shortening
• 2 T. lemon juice
• 1/2 tsp. finely grated lemon rind
• 1/4 pound poppyseeds, ground or crushed
• 1/8 tsp. ground cinnamon
• 1/8 tsp. ground cloves
• 2 T. raisins