Hungarian Bejgli: Walnut or Poppy Seed Roll

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• Classic Hungarian holiday pastry with a stunning marbled, crackled gloss.
• Generously filled spirals that slice cleanly into neat, shareable pinwheels.
• Two traditional fillings: fragrant walnut (diós) and aromatic poppy seed (mákos).
• Step-by-step method ensures no bursting, tight rolls, and bakery-worthy shine.

Grocery List

• Produce: 1 lemon (for zest)
• Dairy: Unsalted butter, full-fat sour cream, whole milk, eggs
• Pantry: All-purpose flour, powdered sugar, granulated sugar, instant yeast, salt, vanilla extract, ground cinnamon, ground walnuts, ground poppy seeds, honey, raisins, dark rum (optional)

Full Ingredients

Dough for 2 logs

• All-purpose flour: 500 g (4 cups)
• Powdered sugar: 60 g (1/2 cup)
• Instant yeast: 7 g (2 1/4 tsp)
• Fine salt: 1 tsp
• Cold unsalted butter, diced: 200 g (14 tbsp)
• Full-fat sour cream: 150 g (2/3 cup)
• Whole milk: 80 ml (1/3 cup)
• Large egg: 1
• Extra flour for rolling

Walnut Filling (Diós) – enough for 1 log

• Ground walnuts: 200 g (about 2 1/4 cups loosely packed)
• Granulated sugar: 100 g (1/2 cup)
• Whole milk: 120 ml (1/2 cup)
• Lemon zest: 1 tsp
• Vanilla extract: 1 tsp
• Ground cinnamon: 1/2 tsp
• Raisins (optional): 40 g (1/4 cup)
• Dark rum (optional): 1 tbsp
• Pinch of salt

Poppy Seed Filling (Mákos) – enough for 1 log

• Ground poppy seeds: 200 g (about 1 3/4 cups)
• Granulated sugar: 120 g (2/3 cup)
• Whole milk: 180 ml (3/4 cup)
• Lemon zest: 1 tsp
• Vanilla extract: 1 tsp
• Honey: 1 tbsp
• Raisins (optional): 40 g (1/4 cup)
• Pinch of salt

For the Marbled Finish

• Large egg: 1, separated (first yolk, then white)
• Milk: 1 tbsp (to thin, only if needed)

Note: The dough makes 2 logs. Prepare one walnut filling and one poppy seed filling for one of each, or double your preferred filling to make both the same.

Step-by-Step Instructions

Step 1: Make the dough quickly and keep it cool

In a large bowl, whisk flour, powdered sugar, yeast, and salt. Add the cold diced butter and rub it into the dry ingredients with fingertips until the mixture resembles fine crumbs with a few pea-sized bits. Whisk the egg with the sour cream and milk, then add to the bowl. Mix with a fork until shaggy, then knead just 1–2 minutes until smooth. Do not overwork. Divide dough into 2 equal pieces (about 440–450 g each), flatten into rectangles, wrap, and refrigerate 30 minutes.

Step 2: Prepare your pans and oven rack

Line a large baking sheet with parchment. Position the oven rack in the middle, but do not preheat yet; Bejgli benefits from chilled dough going into a hot oven later.

Step 3: Cook the walnut filling (if using)

In a small saucepan, heat the milk and sugar over medium until the sugar dissolves and the mixture just simmers. Remove from heat and stir in ground walnuts, lemon zest, vanilla, cinnamon, raisins, rum (if using), and a pinch of salt. Return to low heat, stirring, until the mixture thickens into a spreadable paste, 2–3 minutes. Scrape into a shallow bowl to cool to room temperature.

Step 4: Cook the poppy seed filling (if using)

In a clean saucepan, heat milk and sugar to a simmer. Off heat, stir in ground poppy seeds, lemon zest, vanilla, honey, raisins (if using), and a pinch of salt. Return to low heat, stirring until thick and glossy, 2–3 minutes. Transfer to a shallow bowl and cool completely.

Step 5: Roll out and fill tightly

Lightly flour the work surface. Roll one dough piece into a 28 × 32 cm (11 × 13 in) rectangle, short side facing you. Spread your chosen filling in an even layer, leaving a 2 cm (3/4 in) border on all sides. Fold the top and bottom short edges in by 2 cm to seal the ends. Starting from a long side, roll up tightly into a log, keeping the roll even and snug. Pinch the long seam to seal and place seam-side down on the prepared sheet. Repeat with the second dough piece and the other filling.

Step 6: Chill the logs to set the shape

Refrigerate the shaped logs seam-side down for 30 minutes. This firms the butter, prevents blowouts, and keeps the spirals tight during baking.

Step 7: Create the traditional marbled crackle-gloss and dock

Preheat oven to 180°C/350°F. Beat the egg yolk (thin with a few drops of milk if very thick) and brush a thin, even coat over both logs. Let the yolk dry at cool room temperature 20–30 minutes until no longer tacky. Beat the egg white just to loosen and brush a thin coat over the dried yolk. Let dry 15–20 minutes. Using a skewer, pierce deep vents along the top centerline (5–6 holes) and once on each side near the edges, pushing all the way into the center. This docking releases steam so the rolls do not split.

Step 8: Bake, cool completely, then slice

Bake at 180°C/350°F for 30–35 minutes until the tops are deep chestnut brown with visible marbled cracks and the bottoms are evenly golden. If coloring too fast, tent loosely with foil for the last 5 minutes. Cool on the sheet 10 minutes, then transfer to a rack to cool completely, 1–2 hours. Slice into 1.5 cm (1/2–5/8 in) pinwheels with a sharp serrated knife.

Pro Tips

• Weigh your dough and filling: a near 1:1 ratio by weight yields tight, generous swirls. Aim for 300–350 g filling per log.
• Keep everything cool: cold butter and chilled logs produce distinct layers and prevent bursting.
• Do not skip docking: deep vents along the top and sides are key to clean spirals and an intact crust.
• Thin, dry egg washes: apply in two light coats (yolk then white) and let each dry fully for that classic marbled crackle.
• Roll snugly, not aggressively: compress gently as you roll so the filling doesn’t squish out.

Variations

• Chocolate–Walnut: Add 1 tbsp unsweetened cocoa and a pinch of espresso powder to the walnut filling.
• Orange–Poppy Seed: Swap lemon zest for orange zest and stir in 2 tbsp finely chopped candied orange peel.
• Almond–Apricot: Replace walnuts with ground blanched almonds and scatter 2–3 tbsp finely chopped dried apricots over the filling before rolling.

Storage & Make-Ahead

Store tightly wrapped at cool room temperature for up to 4 days, or refrigerate up to 1 week. Freeze whole logs or slices for up to 2 months; thaw wrapped at room temperature. Make-ahead: the dough can rest refrigerated up to 24 hours. The fillings keep covered and chilled for 3 days. To freeze unbaked: shape logs and freeze without egg washes. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator, then apply the yolk and white washes, dock, and bake as directed.

Nutrition (per serving)

Approximate for 1 slice (1/20th of recipe, one walnut and one poppy log total): 380 calories; 21 g fat; 42 g carbohydrates; 7 g protein; 2 g fiber; 210 mg sodium. Values will vary with filling choice and slice thickness.