Mom's Poppy Seed Roll (Roulette) Recipe (2024)

Mom's Poppy Seed Roll (Roulette) Recipe (1)

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This is my Mom’s recipe for poppy seed roll and it’s one of my husband’s favorites. I’ve always been intimidated by this classic roulade, but I’ve come to find it’s not as complicated as I thought it would be.

Mom makes these at least once a month and always makes enough to share. They go fast! If you are going to make Rouletti (a half-a-day process; most of which is dough rising time), you may as well make 4 and share them with your family and friends. They will sure appreciate it!

I’m not a fan of using “special” ingredients but this recipe is really best with flour that is made in Canada; you’ll have the softest dough with Canadian flour. P.S. have any of you tried canned poppy seeds for this?

Ingredients forPoppy Seed Roll:

1 and 1/3 cups 1% milk
1 Tbsp active dry yeast (I used Red Star Brand)
2 large eggs
3/4 cup sugar
1 stick (8 Tbsp) salted butter (or unsalted butter plus 1/4 tsp salt)
4 cups bleached all-purpose flour (I used flour Made in Canada, which is best for this recipe) *measured correctly
1/2 tsp vanilla extract or vanilla powder
1 cup poppy seeds (you will need a food grinder to prepare these)
1 egg white, for egg wash
8 oz sweetened condensed milk (from a 14 oz can)
1 cup raisins


Mom's Poppy Seed Roll (Roulette) Recipe (2)

How to make Russian Poppy SeedRoll (Roulette):

1. Heat 1 1/3 cups milk in the microwave until it’s luke-warm. Pour milk in a large mixing bowl (preferably the bowl from your KitchenAid mixer). Add 1 tbsp yeast, 2 Tbsp sugar and 1 cup flour. Mix until flour is well blended. Let stand in a warm oven (100 degrees) for 1/2 hour or put it on the counter for 1 hour at room temperature if you have all the time in the world.

(My oven doesn’t set that low, so I heat it to the lowest setting, then turn it off and let it sit in the warm oven with a towel underneath it. I also put a wooden spoon in the door to prop it open a bit. Quite the set-up!).

Dough should rise about 1.5 times in volume. Stir dough lightly.

Mom's Poppy Seed Roll (Roulette) Recipe (3)

2. Melt 1 stick (8 Tbsp) butter (until it’s just melted – it should not be hot). Add butter to the batter. Add 2 whole eggs.Add the rest of your 3/4 cup of sugar, 1/2 tsp vanilla and 1 cups flour. Whisk together.

Mom's Poppy Seed Roll (Roulette) Recipe (4)

3. Using the dough hook (on speed 2), add the remaining 2 cups of the flour 1/2 cup at a time. After all the flour is in, let it continue mixing 15 minutes.Dough is ready when it is no longer sticking to the sides of the bowl.Finished dough will be soft. It will feel sticky to the touch but should not stick to your fingers.

Mom's Poppy Seed Roll (Roulette) Recipe (5)

4. Place dough in a very large mixing bowl(our Kitchenaid bowl is 6 Qts so I left it in the same bowl), cover with plastic wrap and set in a warm place (in a 100 degree oven or in the sun) Let sit 2.5 hours to rise (until about 3-4 times in volume) Carefully peel off cellophane when it’s done.

Mom's Poppy Seed Roll (Roulette) Recipe (6)

Prepping the Poppy Seeds while dough is rising:

1. Fill medium saucepan with 1 cup poppy seeds and add enough water for impurities to float to the top, drain off the water and repeat.

2. Add 3 cups water to the pot. Over medium heat, bring to a simmer. (Don’t boil). Turn off. Cover with lid and let it sit for 30 minutes.

Mom's Poppy Seed Roll (Roulette) Recipe (7)

3. Return to a simmer (don’t boil). Turn off. Cover and let it sit for another 30 minutes.Drain poppy seeds by keeping lid on and put cheese cloth on lid to catch stray poppy seeds, or if you have a fine mesh sieve like this OXO StrainerMom's Poppy Seed Roll (Roulette) Recipe (8), use it!

Mom's Poppy Seed Roll (Roulette) Recipe (9)

4. Push the poppy seeds through a food grinder using the fine grinding plate. You can also use a coffee grinder and do it in smaller batches. With the meat grinder, you need to push firmly. The seeds won’t grind well unless they are under pressure. P.S. I’ve tried putting them through a food processor and it did not work.

5. Mix 8 ounces of sweetened condensed milk into ground poppy seeds.

Mom's Poppy Seed Roll (Roulette) Recipe (10)

AssemblingPoppy Seed Rolls (Rouletti):

1. Line an extra large cookie sheet with parchment paper.

Mom's Poppy Seed Roll (Roulette) Recipe (11)

2. Put dough onto a clean, dry, non-stick surface (a sheet of parchment paper works well). Divide into 4 equal pieces.

Mom's Poppy Seed Roll (Roulette) Recipe (12)

Mom's Poppy Seed Roll (Roulette) Recipe (13)

3. Roll out the dough into an 11″ x 8″ oval-ish shape; similar to a thin crust pizza dough. It should not stick to your rolling pin. Spread 1/2 cup poppy seed mixture over the dough and sprinkle about 30-40 raisins over the poppy mixture.

Mom's Poppy Seed Roll (Roulette) Recipe (14)

4. Roll the Roulette (not too tight!)and placeside-by-side on the lined baking sheet.Brush the top with egg wash(1 egg white, 1/2 tsp sour cream, 1/2 tsp sugar –whiskedtogether). Let them rise on the counter for 1 hour (or in a 100˚F oven for 30 minutes).

Mom's Poppy Seed Roll (Roulette) Recipe (15)
Mom's Poppy Seed Roll (Roulette) Recipe (16)

Mom's Poppy Seed Roll (Roulette) Recipe (17)

Mom's Poppy Seed Roll (Roulette) Recipe (18)

5. Preheat Oven to 360°F and bake 28-30 min until the tops are deep golden (but not brown; I over-baked just a tad, but they were still great. My husband was raving about them. See the picture below; he couldn’t wait long enough for me to take a picture of all 4).

Mom's Poppy Seed Roll (Roulette) Recipe (19)

Enjoy! 🙂

Mom's Poppy Seed Roll (Roulette) Recipe (20)

Mom's Poppy Seed Roll (Roulette) Recipe (21)

Mom's Poppy Seed Roll (Roulette) Recipe

4.93 from 55 votes

Author: Natasha of NatashasKitchen.com

Mom's Poppy Seed Roll (Roulette) Recipe (23)

This is my Mom's recipe for poppy seed rolls and it's one of my husband's favorites. I've always been intimidated by this classic roulade, but I've come to find it's not as complicated as it looks.

SavePinReviewPrint

Prep Time: 4 hours hrs 30 minutes mins

Cook Time: 30 minutes mins

Total Time: 5 hours hrs

Ingredients

Servings: 4 Poppy Seed Rolls

  • 1 and 1/3 cups 1% milk
  • 1 Tbsp active dry yeast, I used Red Star Brand
  • 2 large eggs
  • 3/4 cup sugar
  • 1 stick, 8 tbsp salted butter (or unsalted butter plus 1/4 tsp salt)
  • 4 cups bleached all-purpose flour, I used flour Made in Canada, which is best for this recipe
  • 1/2 tsp vanilla extract or vanilla powder
  • 1 cup poppy seeds, you will need a food grinder to prepare these
  • 1 egg white, for egg wash
  • 8 oz sweetened condensed milk, from a 14 oz can
  • 1 cup raisins

Instructions

How to make Russian Poppy Seed Rolls (Roulette):

  • Heat 1 1/3 cups milk in the microwave until it's luke-warm. Pour milk in a large mixing bowl (preferably the bowl from your KitchenAid mixer). Add 1 tbsp yeast, 2 Tbsp sugar and 1 cup flour. Mix until flour is well blended. Let stand in a warm oven (100 degrees) for 1/2 hour or put it on the counter for 1 hour at room temperature if you have all the time in the world. Dough should rise about 1.5 times in volume. Stir dough lightly.

  • Melt 1 stick (8 Tbsp) butter (until it's just melted - it should not be hot). Add butter to the batter. Add 2 whole eggs. Add the rest of your 3/4 cup of sugar, 1/2 tsp vanilla and 1 cups flour. Whisk together.

  • Using the dough hook (on speed 2), add the remaining 2 cups of the flour 1/2 cup at a time. After all the flour is in, let it continue mixing 15 minutes. Dough is ready when it is no longer sticking to the sides of the bowl. Finished dough will be soft. It will feel sticky to the touch but should not stick to your fingers.

  • Place dough in a very large mixing bowl (our Kitchenaid bowl is 6 Qts so I left it in the same bowl), cover with plastic wrap and set in a warm place (in a 100 degree oven or in the sun) Let sit 2.5 hours to rise (until about 3-4 times in volume) Carefully peel off cellophane when it's done.

Prepping the Poppy Seeds while dough is rising:

  • Fill medium saucepan with 1 cup poppy seeds and add enough water for impurities to float to the top, drain off the water and repeat.

  • Add 3 cups water to the pot. Over medium heat, bring to a simmer. (Don't boil). Turn off. Cover with lid and let it sit for 30 minutes.

  • Return to a simmer (don't boil). Turn off. Cover and let it sit for another 30 minutes. Drain poppy seeds by keeping lid on and put cheese cloth on lid to catch stray poppy seeds, or if you have a fine mesh sieve, use it!

  • Push the poppy seeds through a food grinder using the fine grinding plate. You can also use a coffee grinder and do it in smaller batches. With the meat grinder, you need to push firmly. The seeds won't grind well unless they are under pressure. P.S. I've tried putting them through a food processor and it did not work.

  • Mix 8 ounces of sweetened condensed milk into ground poppy seeds.

Assembling Poppy Seed Rolls (Rouletti):

  • Line an extra large cookie sheet with parchment paper.

  • Put dough onto a clean, dry, non-stick surface (a sheet of parchment paper works well). Divide into 4 equal pieces.

  • Roll out the dough into an 11" x 8" oval-ish shape; similar to a thin crust pizza dough. It should not stick to your rolling pin. Spread 1/2 cup poppy seed mixture over the dough and sprinkle about 30-40 raisins over the poppy mixture.

  • Roll the Roulette (not too tight!) and Place side-by-side on the lined baking sheet. Brush the top with egg wash (1 egg white, 1/2 tsp sour cream, 1/2 tsp sugar - whisked together). Let them rise on the counter for 1 hour (or in a 100˚F oven for 30 minutes).

  • Preheat Oven to 360°F and bake 28-30 min until the tops are deep golden (but not brown).

Notes

Because my oven doesn't heat to 100˚F, I heat it to the lowest setting, then turn it off and let it sit in the warm oven with a towel underneath it. I also put a wooden spoon in the door to prop it open a bit.

  • Full Nutrition Label
  • Nutrition Disclosure

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: Russian, Ukrainian

Keyword: Poppy Seed Roll, Roulette

Skill Level: Medium

Cost to Make: $

Natasha Kravchuk

Mom's Poppy Seed Roll (Roulette) Recipe (24)

Welcome to my kitchen! I am Natasha, the blogger behind Natasha's Kitchen (since 2009). My husband and I run this blog together and share only our best, family approved and tested recipes with YOU. Thanks for stopping by! We are so happy you're here.

Read more posts by Natasha

Mom's Poppy Seed Roll (Roulette) Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What is poppy seed roll made of? ›

The poppy seed roll is a pastry consisting of a roll of sweet yeast bread (a sweet roll) with a dense, rich, bittersweet filling of poppy seed. An alternative filling is a paste of minced walnuts, or minced chestnuts.

How to make poppy seed tea? ›

Poppy seed tea is a drink made by soaking large amounts of unwashed poppy seeds in water or lemon juice. Poppy seed pods contain morphine and codeine, which are opioid medicines. The seeds are coated with small amounts of these opioids, which remain in the liquid when the seeds are removed.

Is poppy actually healthy? ›

Poppy seeds are rich in iron. This helps purify the blood and increase haemoglobin levels in the blood. Consumption of poppy seeds can improve the circulation of blood which results in an optimal supply of oxygen to every part of the body including your brain.

Is poppy actually good for you? ›

Poppy seeds are often said to offer various other benefits, including promoting digestion, boosting skin and hair health, and treating headaches, coughs, and asthma. Although direct studies are lacking, some research links individual poppy seed nutrients or compounds to some of these effects. May aid digestion.

Are poppy seeds good for high blood pressure? ›

The presence of oleic acid in poppy seeds actively helps in normalizing the blood pressure levels and keeps it under check. It is extremely pivotal in both high and low blood pressure conditions.

Why do you soak poppy seeds in milk? ›

Pro tip: the poppy seeds get soaked in milk overnight to. make them extra tender.

Do poppy seeds go bad? ›

The dark-gray seeds of the poppy plant give nutty flavor to cakes, cookies, strudels, and breads, especially in traditional Eastern European recipes. It's best to store poppy seeds in the fridge, tightly sealed, for no more than half a year—the high oil content means the seeds can go rancid quickly.

What are poppy seed muffins made of? ›

Ingredients
  • 3 cups all-purpose flour.
  • 2-1/2 cups sugar.
  • 2 tablespoons poppy seeds.
  • 1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder.
  • 1-1/2 teaspoons salt.
  • 3 eggs.
  • 1-1/2 cups milk.
  • 1 cup canola oil.
Jun 30, 2023

Is poppy seed paste good for you? ›

Some of the benefits that poppy seeds offer include providing manganese, calcium, copper, zinc, iron, linoleic acid (and omega-6 fatty acid) and fiber. Even a small daily dose of poppy seed may help manage symptoms like constipation, dry skin, achy joints and weak bones.

Why do bakers use poppy seeds? ›

Poppy seeds perform several functions in baked goods such as: Flavor: provide a rich nutty flavor, may be intensified by toasting. Aroma: provide a mild nutty aroma. Texture: contributes a crunchy texture.

What liquor is made from poppy seeds? ›

OPYYUM is unique alcoholic drink made from Brandy and Poppy Seeds. Poppy Seed as a plant was already known in the ancient times. It can be found on cave drawings as early as the time of the Sumerians.

References

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