Walnut beigels recipe

As a few of you asked before Christmas I'm posting the walnut beigels recipe below. They're traditional Hungarian "cookies" for Christmas and Easter. There's also a version with poppy filling, but since we're not a fan of the poppy filling I only make the walnut ones every year. I took a few pictures with my phone just for myself  as I was making them so excuse the picture quality. If you make them please let me know how they turned out!

Dios Beigli (walnut beigels)

Ingredients:

For dough (4 rolls)

1 tsp sugar

½ cup milk

15 g fresh yeast

1/3 cup sugar

¾ cup flour

1 stick and 5 tbsp butter softened

2 eggs + 1 egg yolk for glazing

1 tsp grated lemon zest

pinch of salt

1 pack of vanilla sugar

For nut filling (4 rolls):

Scant 1 cup milk

1 cup superfine sugar

2 envelopes vanilla sugar

1 tsp grated lemon zest

6 tbsp raisins

pinch of cinnamon

6 cups ground walnuts

4-5 tbsp apricot jam or 6-8 tbsp honey

Yeast dough:

Activating yeast:

Dissolve 1 tsp sugar in a large cup of warm milk (blood hot). There should be no sugar left on the base of the cup. Crumble the fresh compressed yeast into the milk. Cover and leave it to work in a moderately warm place. After 8-10 minutes, the yeast should have frothed up to the rim of the cup.

Starter dough:

In a bowl, mix together the activated yeast and 1 heaping Tbsp flour to make a runny porridge. Cover with a dish towel and leave to rise in a warm place until bubbles form (about 15 minutes). It can then be worked.

Mixing the dough:

All the ingredients should be at room temperature. Sift the flour into a deep bowl and make a well in the center, then add the starter as well as the sugar, salt, butter and egg, vanilla sugar, and lemon zest. Knead until a smooth, moderately firm dough forms and comes away from the sides of the bowl. Sprinkle flour over the dough, then cover and leave to raise in a warm, but not hot place (max. 95 F) that is protected from drafts, until in has doubled in size (about 30 minutes-1 hr). While the dough is proofing you can make the filling.

Walnut filling:

Put the milk in a pan with the sugar and bring to a boil. Take it off the heat and add the vanilla sugar, lemon zest, raisins, cinnamon, walnuts and apricot jam. If your  raisins are a little dry you can put them in with the milk in the beginning to make them softer.

Preheat oven to 350F.

Divide the dough into four (this is only the last quarter)

 and roll out each piece into a floured surface, shaping a rectangle measuring about 12x14 inches. Spread the dough with the nut filling

and roll up lengthwise, ensuring that the rolls remain firm. Close ends by pushing the dough together. 

Grease a baking sheet and carefully transfer the rolls onto the sheet and brush with egg yolk. (You can also use parchment paper, in that case no greasing is necessary.)

Bake in a preheated oven until golden brown for about 35 minutes.

 Only remove from the oven when completely cool. If kept covered and stored in a cool, dry place the beigels will stay fresh for a long time. (I packed them  in saran wrap and then into aluminum foil)  Do not slice until just before serving, arranging the slices like roof tiles on a plate.

'Til we blog  again! :)