Sweet Snowflake | White Poppy Seed Bread

Name: Sweet Snowflake | White Poppy Seed Bread
Prep time: 2 h
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 2 h 30 min
Cuisine: European, Eastern European
Ingredients: 500g wheat flour, Butler’s Gold ’00’; 5g instant yeast; 6g kosher salt; 70g sugar; 260g milk, warm, 105F; 4 egg yolk, large; 100g butter, softened; 240ml poppy seed, white, ground; 30ml butter, melted; 1 tbsp brandy; 2 egg whites, large; 3 tbsp confectioner’s sugar; 120ml almond meal; 4 tbsp brown sugar; 60ml honey; 2 egg yolks; 1 tbsp water; 4 tbsp white poppy seeds

13 steps

Prep:2hCook:30min

With slight variations, this versatile dough recipe is used for many baked goods throughout Ukraine. The same dough is made for savory garlicky pampushky served with borsch and sweet, plain, or filled with fresh berries, jam (povydlo), poppy seed filling, and dusted with sugar powder. Pies, braided and intricately decorated loaves of sweet bread, rolls — the dough suitable for all of them. Try it this holiday season! This snowflake-shaped sweet bread makes a light, fluffy, nutty, and delicately sweet gift to remember. White poppy seeds are used in Indian cooking and are available at Indian grocery stores. They add thickness, texture, and flavor to savory meals, sauces, lentils, and rice dishes. They are known to be less sweet than blue poppy seeds. Sprinkling the top of the bread with white poppy seeds is optional. If you like how they look on a glossy golden brown soft crust, don’t be shy and generously sprinkle them on top. Otherwise, use powdered sugar.

Updated at: Tue, 14 May 2024 01:16:54 GMT

Nutrition balance score

Unbalanced

Glycemic Index

Moderate

Glycemic Load

215

High

Nutrition per serving

Calories2702.2 kcal (135%)

Total Fat127 g (181%)

Carbs335 g (129%)

Sugars112.9 g (125%)

Protein67.1 g (134%)

Sodium1337.4 mg (67%)

Fiber21.4 g (76%)

% Daily Values based on a 2,000 calorie diet

Ingredients

2 servings

Instructions

for the dough

Step 1

In a bowl, measure and combine with a whisk all dry ingredients — flour, yeast, sugar, and salt.

Step 2

Add egg yolks and mix. Mix and knead the dough until smooth. It takes about 8-10 minutes by hand. Cube the butter and knead it into the dough. (Using a KitchenAid Stand mixer and K-shaped attachment, start with the “stir” setting to combine all ingredients, then set at “6” for 8 minutes to knead the dough.)

Step 3

Shape the dough into a ball. Place it into a large bowl, cover it with plastic wrap, and let the dough double at room temperature. It’ll take about 1-1.5 hours. The timing depends on your room temperature. You can flatten it and refrigerate it in a covered container for up to 48 hours.

for the filling

Step 4

Using an electric coffee grinder, grind poppy seeds to a powder.

Step 5

In a saucepan, melt honey and butter over low heat. Add poppy seeds and brandy and cook for 5 minutes, continually stirring. Make sure the heat is the lowest possible, or your mixture will be too dry and might burn. Add a few drops of water if needed. Stir, stir, stir. Turn off the heat.

Step 6

Add almond meal and brown sugar and mix well.

Step 7

Combine egg whites and powdered sugar in a small bowl and whip a medium-stiff meringue. Add it to the poppy seed paste and mix well. Divide the filling into four equal portions, two per bread. Keep the filling covered to prevent overdrying.

for egg wash

Step 8

Mix egg yolk and water with a silicone brush in a small bowl. Keep refrigerated until ready to use.

for having and baking

Step 9

Divide the dough into 6 equal portions (3 per one bread). Preheat the oven to 375F.

Step 10

Roll 3 portions of dough into the rounds 1/6” thin. Roll 2 portions of the poppy seed filling into slightly smaller rounds between two layers of plastic wrap and refrigerate.

Step 11

Alternate the layers of dough and filling and pinch the edge.

Step 12

Shape bread. Brush it with the egg wash, cover it with a large bowl, and let it rise for about an hour. Repeat with the second bread.

Step 13

Sprinkle your bread with poppy seeds (optional). Bake for about 20-25 minutes. Let cool on a rack.