THE FESTIVAL CARNET
Homemade Poppy Seed Beigli
Two Hungarian-inspired beigli: a short raised dough wrapped around the poppy and raisins, with double gilding for a marbled surface.
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Two Hungarian-inspired beigli: a short raised dough wrapped around the poppy and raisins, with double gilding for a marbled surface. This version is designed for a home kitchen, with weighed quantities and visual cues. Prepare the ingredients before starting and reserve the indicated cooling time: it is part of the recipe.
Read the whole steps before working on the dough. The durations remain indicative; a raised dough must actually swell, a cookie must cool before being handled and a wet filling requires a cool storage.
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The preparation step by step
Weighing paste and filling
Separately weighs the ingredients of the dough and those of the filling. Cut 120 g of cold butter into cubes. Prepare 350 g of flour, 50 g of icing sugar, 4 g of dry yeast and 3 g of salt. The beigli paste is shorter and friable than a classic brioche.
Rub the butter into the flour
Flour, icing sugar and salt mix. Add the 120 g of butter and rub with your fingertips to get a texture of coarse sand. Work quickly to not melt the butter: this gesture gives a soft paste around the poppy.
Add the liquids
Break an egg in a bowl and beat it. Mix 80 ml of warm milk with 4 g of yeast depending on the bag, then pour into the shortbread mixture with the egg. Gather briefly by hand until it forms a homogeneous paste; does not look for a brioche membrane.
Firming the dough
Divides into two parts, flattened into discs, packs and refrigerates 1 hour. The dough swells little at this stage. Meanwhile, prepare the garnish; it will have to be cold before meeting the dough.
Prepare the poppy
Uses 200 g of poppy already ground for pastry. Whole seeds do not offer the same texture; if you grind them, do it in a suitable mill before measuring. Wash the lemon and remove the fine zest without the white part.
Cook the filling
Heat 150 ml of milk with 80 g of sugar in a saucepan. Add ground poppy, 40 g of raisins and zest. Stir 3 to 5 minutes over low heat until a thick, spreadable dough is obtained, without flowing liquid. Pour into a plate and let cool completely.
Spread two rectangles
Spread each half between two sheets of baking paper in a 25 x 20 cm rectangle by about 4 mm. Check the corners and edges. If the butter softens a lot, place 10 minutes in the refrigerator instead of adding flour.
Fill and roll
Divide the cold poppy filling in half. Spread on each rectangle, leaving 2 cm free on all edges. Fold the small sides inwards and then roll from a large side without squeezing to crush the poppy. Place the seam underneath on the plate.
Dore for the first time
Separate the gilding egg. Beat the yolk and brush a thin layer on both rolls. Refrigerate 30 minutes to dry the surface. Keep the covered white cool during this wait.
Dore a second time
Slightly beat the reserved white and pass a thin layer on the rollers. Leave for 20 minutes at room temperature. Prick each roll in 6 places with a fine skewer to evacuate the steam, without tearing long openings.
Cuis les rolls
Preheat the oven to 180 °C, conventional oven setting (no fan), then cook for 30 to 35 minutes. The surface should be golden brown, slightly cracked. If a crack appears, it remains acceptable for domestic preparation; does not prolong cooking to mask it.
Cool before cutting
Let cool on a rack for 2 hours. Then cut 1.5 to 2 cm slices with a serrated knife. The dark spiral should remain sharp, with a layer of dough around; cutting hot would crush the poppy.
Conservation. After full cooling, store 2 days in the refrigerator in a closed box. Take the slices out 15 minutes before serving. Freeze in portions for up to 1 month.
Recipe proposal with quantities and step by step. Times vary depending on the material: follow also the markers of texture and cooking.
The benchmarks for success
Respect the texture
Stop mixing, lifting or cooking at the mark described in the step by step. The indicated time remains an estimate: the temperature of the room and the power of the oven can change it.
Packs only cold
Let the indicated cooling finish before stowing. A box closed too early traps the steam and softens the surface.
Questions Before You Start
Why two layers of gilding?
The yolk is laid first and cooled for 30 minutes, then the white is added finely. This process gives the slightly marbled glossy surface of the roller; a small crack remains possible.
Can I use whole poppy seeds?
Choose ground food poppy, suitable for pastry. Whole seeds give a grainy filling; grind them in a suitable mixture before weighing 200 g.
Why cool the topping?
A warm filling softens the butter and makes the rolling fragile. Prepare it during the rest of the dough and wait until it is cold and thick, without free liquid.
Baking tips for this recipe
- Weigh the yeast and uses the type indicated in the recipe: yeast and yeast are not interchangeable.
- Observe the increase in volume during shoots. A cool room can lengthen the times indicated.
- Respect the dimensions of the mold and the amount of dough: a brioche too tight or too full does not cook in the same way.
Substitutions and variations
Blond or brown raisins can be used at the same weight; retains the soaking step when it is planned.
To vary a zest, choose another citrus fruit washed and intended for this use, keeping the same amount. Does not automatically replace juice, whose acidity can change the preparation.
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