St. Martin’s crescents: soft poppy seed rolls for November 11 that keep their filling

Tip: tap a step to mark it as done.

1. Activate the yeast

   10 min

   Crumble the yeast into the lukewarm milk and add 1 tsp of the powdered sugar and 1 tbsp of the flour. Let stand for 10 minutes until foamy.

2. Make the dough

   10 min

   Place the flour, remaining powdered sugar, vanilla sugar, and salt in a bowl. Add the yeast mixture, egg yolks, and melted butter. Knead for 10 minutes, until the dough is smooth and pulls away from the bowl.

3. Let the dough rise

   1 hr

   Cover the bowl with a kitchen towel and let the dough rise in a warm place for 1 hour, until doubled in size.

4. Cook the filling

   20 min

   Cook the poppy seeds, milk, and granulated sugar for 5 minutes, stirring constantly, until thick and a wooden spoon leaves a trail across the bottom of the pot. Stir in the plum butter and lemon zest. Spread the filling on a plate and let cool completely for 15 minutes.

5. Fill and shape the rolls

   20 min

   Divide the dough into 12 equal pieces and roll each into a triangle with sides about 20 cm long. Place one-twelfth of the filling along the wide end, fold the corners over it, and roll the dough up tightly toward the point. Place each roll seam-side down on a large baking sheet lined with parchment paper and bend it into a horseshoe shape.

6. Let the rolls rise again

   20 min

   Cover the rolls with a kitchen towel and let rise for 20 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F).

7. Bake

   25 min

   Brush the rolls with the beaten egg and prick each one twice with a toothpick, reaching the filling, so steam can escape during baking. Bake for 25 minutes at 180°C (350°F), until deep golden brown. Let the rolls rest briefly on the baking sheet, then transfer to a wire rack.

Tip: The filling must be completely cold, since warm filling would make the dough soggy; leave space between the rolls on the baking sheet, as they will expand in the oven. You can replace the poppy seeds with ground nuts, using the same amounts of milk and sugar. Read more: Frozen lemons: why to freeze them and use the peel

This recipe was translated from the Slovak original: Nadýchané martinské rožky s makom: mäkké kysnuté podkovy, z ktorých plnka nevytečie