Here’s a traditional Hungarian bejgli recipe (bejgli)—the classic holiday rolled pastry filled with walnut or poppy seed.
🥐 🇭🇺 Bejgli Recipe (Walnut or Poppy Seed Roll)
🧾 Dough ingredients (makes 2 rolls)
- 500 g all-purpose flour
- 200 g cold butter (or lard for traditional taste)
- 2 egg yolks
- 25 g fresh yeast (or 7 g dry yeast)
- 100 ml milk (lukewarm)
- 50 g sugar
- 1 pinch salt
🌰 Walnut filling (Diós)
- 250 g ground walnuts
- 100 g sugar
- 100 ml milk
- Zest of 1 lemon
- 1 tsp vanilla sugar (optional)
- Handful of raisins (optional)
⚫ Poppy seed filling (Mákos)
- 250 g ground poppy seeds
- 120 g sugar
- 120 ml milk
- Zest of 1 lemon
- 1–2 tbsp honey (optional)
👩🍳 Instructions
1. Make the dough
- Mix flour, sugar, salt
- Add butter and rub into crumbs
- Dissolve yeast in lukewarm milk
- Add egg yolks + yeast mixture
- Knead into smooth dough
- Chill for 30–60 minutes
2. Prepare filling
- Heat milk + sugar
- Add walnuts or poppy seeds
- Stir until thick, spreadable
- Let cool completely
3. Roll it
- Divide dough into 2 parts
- Roll each into a rectangle
- Spread filling evenly (don’t go to edges)
- Roll tightly into logs
4. Egg wash + rest
- Brush with egg yolk
- Let dry
- Brush with egg white (traditional shine effect)
- Rest 20–30 minutes
5. Bake
- Oven: 180°C (350°F)
- Bake for 30–40 minutes until golden brown
🇭🇺 Traditional tips
- Small cracks on top are normal and traditional
- Must be fully cooled before slicing
- Flavor improves after 1 day
🧠 Result
A rich, buttery pastry with sweet nutty filling—especially popular at Christmas in Hungary.
If you want, I can also show:
- a super easy beginner version (no yeast kneading stress)
- or a step-by-step video-style guide in text form
