Poppy Seed and Ginger Cake - Makos Koszoru

For the delicious poppy seed bread recipe, we will start by preparing the necessary ingredients. In a container, we heat 250 ml of milk until it becomes lukewarm, then we add fresh yeast, two tablespoons of sugar, a pinch of salt, and vanilla sugar. We mix all the ingredients until the yeast is completely dissolved and the sugar is integrated. This mixture will activate the yeast and help the bread rise.

In another bowl, we put about 1 kg of flour, and in the middle of it, we make a well where we pour the milk and yeast mixture. We mix a little with the surrounding flour, then let it rise in a warm place for 30 minutes. After the dough has risen, we add the 8 egg yolks, melted butter, the remaining sugar, grated lemon peel, and knead well. It is essential that the dough is a little softer, so it is not too hard, but consistent. If we feel that the dough is too dense, we can gradually add a little lukewarm milk until we achieve the desired texture.

After the first air bubbles appear in the dough, we will add a handful of oil and continue kneading for about 10 minutes. Then, we cover the dough and let it rise again in a warm place until it doubles in volume. Meanwhile, we take care of the filling. If we have whole poppy seeds, we will grind them with sugar, and if we have pre-ground poppy seeds, we simply add the granulated sugar. We mix the poppy seeds with 4 tablespoons of milk powder and grated ginger on a fine grater, the ginger bringing a unique note to the filling.

After the dough has risen, we divide it into two and roll each piece on a clean surface, forming rectangles of about 40 cm by 60 cm. We add the filling evenly, leaving about 2 cm of space on each side. We roll the dough, gently tightening it, then we brush the ends with egg white to stick well. We place the loaves in the greased baking tray, and on their surface, we make zig-zag cuts 2 cm deep.

We let the loaves rise for another 20 minutes in the tray. Meanwhile, we preheat the oven. After the rise, we brush the surface with egg yolk and place the loaves in the preheated oven. We bake initially for 5 minutes at high heat, then reducing the temperature, we continue baking. We check the consistency with a toothpick after about an hour.

After the loaves are ready, we let them sit for a few minutes in the tray, then transfer them to a clean towel, cover them with another towel and a bag, leaving them to cool well. This method helps maintain moisture and a fluffy texture. For an extra flavor, we can prepare a simple glaze from 2-3 tablespoons of lemon juice mixed with 5 tablespoons of powdered sugar, which we apply over the loaves after they have completely cooled. Thus, our loaves become not only a delicacy but also a true culinary work of art!