Sunday, December 8, 2024

Christmas Walnut Roll


A nut roll is a sweet pastry made from yeast dough, typically enriched with milk, that is rolled thin and filled with a nut paste sweetened with ingredients like honey. The dough is rolled into a log shape, which can be baked straight, bent into a horseshoe, or shaped in various ways. After baking, the nut roll is sliced to reveal a spiral of filling. 

Nut rolls resemble jelly rolls or strudels but usually feature more layers of dough and filling. Common fillings include ground walnuts or poppy seeds. The pastry is popular in the United States and Central Europe, with regional names like orechovník (Slovak), makowiec (Polish), potica (Slovenian), and bejgli (Hungarian). These pastries are often prepared for celebrations, weddings, and holidays such as Easter and Christmas.

The original recipe called for butter, but I replaced it with oil and adjusted the milk amount accordingly. The dough turned out fine. However, I encountered another issue: the original recipe instructed brushing the roll with egg yolk and egg white separately, which I followed. Unfortunately, I didn’t like the appearance after baking, as it looked uneven and not as beautifully browned as the walnut rolls I’ve seen in pictures. 
The uneven browning didn’t affect the taste, though, so apart from the appearance, everything was fine. To hide the unevenness, I dusted the roll with icing sugar. The result was super tasty in my opinion, and both my husband and son loved it. So, despite the minor flaw, I’d call it a success!

Ingredients:

Dough

- 100g milk, warm
- 5g instant yeast  
- 330g cake flour  
- 90ml oil
- 60g sugar  
- 3g salt  

Egg Wash

- 1 large egg (separated into white and yolk)  

Filling

- 320g walnuts (two-thirds finely chopped, one-third roughly chopped)  (220 ground, 100chopped)
- 80g breadcrumbs  
- 1g cinnamon 
- 100g honey  
- 60g sugar
- 90g vegetable oil  
- 75g water  
- 50g raisins  

Instructions:

1. Prepare the dough:
- Mix the dough ingredients and knead until a smooth dough forms, about 10 minutes.
- Cover the dough with plastic wrap and refrigerate for an hour.
2. Prepare the filling:
- In a bowl, mix the chopped walnuts with the bread crumbs.
- In a cooking pot, combine honey, sugar water, oil, cinnamon, and raisins.
- Bring the mixture to a boil.
- Pour the hot syrup over the walnut and breadcrumb mixture and stir well.
- Let the filling cool completely.
3. Assemble the rolls:
- Once the dough is chilled, divide it into two portions.
- Roll each portion into a rectangle, approximately 25 cm x 30 cm.
- Spread the cooled filling evenly over the dough, leaving about a 2-3 cm gap on one long side.
- Starting from the short edge nearest you, roll the dough tightly into a cylinder.
- Place each roll seam-side down on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
4. Prepare for baking:
- Beat the egg yolk and brush it over each roll.
- Cover the rolls loosely with greased plastic wrap and let them rest for 40 minutes.
- Brush the rolls with egg white and chill uncovered for an additional 30 minutes for a crackled finish.
5. Bake:
- Preheat the oven to 175°C (350°F).
- Pierce each roll deeply with a fork (about 15 holes per roll) to release steam.
- Bake for 20 minutes, then reduce the heat to 165°C (330°F) and bake for another 35-40 minutes, or until the rolls are mahogany brown.
6. Cool and store:
- Let the rolls cool completely before slicing.
- Store at room temperature for a few days or freeze for longer storage.

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