The pastry is made the day prior to baking.  It rises in the refrigerator overnight.  This recipe results in 4 rolls that are more of a pastry-like Hungarian style “kalacs” rather than the bread-like Slovak style.

Pastry:

5 cups pastry flour

6 Tbsp sugar

¾ pound butter, softened

7 egg yolks

3 envelopes traditional dry yeast (= 7 tsp)

1 ½ cups milk

Method:

Heat milk to 100˚F and dissolve yeast in it.  Separate egg whites and yolks.

Sift flour and sugar in a deep bowl.  Add butter and mix by hand as you would for pie crust.  Beat egg yolks, combine with the milk and add to the dry mix.

Mix only until smooth and pastry separates from the sides of the bowl.  Do not knead.  Gather pastry into a ball in the bowl, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.

The next day, preheat oven to 350˚F, grease 2 cookie sheets, make filling and cut pastry into 4 pieces.

While keeping remaining pieces refrigerated until ready to use, one-at-a-time punch down and roll out each piece on a floured board to a rectangle ¼ inch thick.

Spread ¼ of filling on dough (it will not look like very much, but too much filling causes the rolls to crack when baking).  Fold over a 1 ½ to 2 inch flap and gently roll.  Place 2 rolls on each pan, seam side down.  Brush tops with an egg/milk wash and let the rolls rest for 10 minutes.  Bake for 50 to 55 minutes.

Poppy Seed Filling:

½ cup milk

¾ cup sugar

½ pound ground poppy seed

1 Tbsp butter

1 tsp lemon juice

 

Dissolve sugar in milk over medium-low heat.  Add ground poppy seed and stir until well blended.  Add butter and lemon juice.  Cool slightly before spreading on dough.  If it cools too much it will become almost impossible to spread (add a little milk if necessary).  This recipe makes enough for 4 rolls. (Poppy seed grinders are available from Berry Hill, Ltd. (www.berryhilllimited.com )item no. 3657661)

Walnut Filling:

½ cup milk, ½ cup sugar, 1 pound ground walnuts, 1 Tbsp butter, 1 Tbsp lemon juice.  Follow same method as for poppy seed filling above.