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A soft, naturally fermented Slavic poppy seed roll inspired by my Ukrainian grandma’s vertuta. Rich dough, creamy poppy seed filling, and that nostalgic golden swirl we all grew up loving.

If you grew up in a Slavic or Eastern European household, then you already know the kind of comfort this bake brings. In my house, we called it vertuta, and it was the kind of pastry that made everyone stop what they were doing the moment my Ukrainian grandma pulled it from the oven. She made vertuta constantly — sometimes with poppy seed filling, sometimes with apple, pumpkin, or chocolate spread. Basically, if she could roll it up into a swirl, Grandma turned it into vertuta.

Now that I bake mostly sourdough and lean toward more gut-friendly bakes, I wanted to take grandma’s original recipe and turn it into a naturally fermented version — a little modern twist on a very old Slavic tradition. 

Instead of commercial yeast, we’re using natural yeast, meaning the dough gets lifted by your ripe sourdough starter and its own microbiomes. This adds flavor, tenderness, easy digestion, and honestly… it tastes even better than the version I remember from last year’s holidays.

If you love sweet rolls, cinnamon rolls, or soft sourdough kolaches, this one is going straight into your “make again” list. We’re creating a buttery swirl and baking it until beautifully golden brown on a parchment-lined baking sheet. It’s the kind of recipe you’ll want to tuck into your family collection or pin to your recipe card folder for next time.

Pin it for later!

Let’s make vertuta — sourdough style.

 Ingredients

Sweet Stiff Levain

This gives your dough a massive head start and makes shaping the swirl easier.

• 28g active sourdough starter
• 55g flour (purpose flour)
• 28g water
• 1 teaspoon honey

Mix everything until thick, knead into a firm little ball, cover with plastic wrap, and let it ferment at room temperature for 8–10 hours. You’ll use 100g of this stiff starter in the dough. Store the rest in an airtight container for the next day if needed.

Dough

This recipe makes two servings! I usually like to make one with poppy seeds and one with either apple or a chocolate babka!

• 340g flour (all-purpose or a mix with white whole wheat flour)
• 120g warm milk
• 2 eggs + 1 extra egg yolk
• 100g stiff levain
• 50g sugar
• 80g unsalted butter, very soft or slightly melted
• 6g salt
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 30g yogurt

Poppy Seed Filling

• 2 cups poppy seeds
• 3 cups milk
• 7 oz sweetened condensed milk

This makes a generous amount of filling; any remaining poppy seed mixture can be spooned over the roll before baking!

Egg wash

• 1 egg
• 1 tablespoon milk

Instructions

Build the Sweet Stiff Levain

Combine flour, water, honey, and active sourdough starter. Knead briefly, cover slightly, and let it sit at room temperature until puffy. This thick levain creates structure in enriched doughs — something instant yeast usually handles, but sourdough can absolutely do on its own with a little patience.

Mix the Dough

IMPORTANT: I do NOT recommend mixing this dough by hand.
This is a rich dough full of butter, eggs, yogurt, and sugar. Even in a KitchenAid stand mixer, it takes 15–25 minutes to come together. Yes… really. And I can’t imagine doing this by hand.

Your mixer will struggle. It will look like nothing is happening. It will test your faith as a baker.
But hang in there — you have to be patient.

Here’s the method:

1. In a stand mixer bowl, whisk together warm milk, eggs, egg yolk, yogurt, vanilla, sugar, and 100g stiff starter.
2. In another bowl, combine flour and salt (your dry ingredients). Then, add to the wet mixture.
3. Mix until a shaggy dough forms.
4. Begin adding the soft butter slowly, one tablespoon at a time. I mix in my KitchenAid using a dough hook attachment on speed 3. 

At first, the dough looks ruined — slippery, streaky, messy — but keep going. After enough kneading, it transforms into a beautiful, smooth dough that pulls from the bowl.

Place the dough into an oiled bowl and cover with a wet kitchen towel or a shower cap

First Rise

Let the dough rest for several hours in a warm, draft-free place until it rises about 40–50%. It won’t double like commercial yeast dough — that’s normal. Sourdough-enriched doughs always take longer, especially the first time you make them. Then put it into the fridge for at least 4 hours or overnight!

Make the Poppy Seed Filling

​The next day:

1. Add the poppy seeds to a saucepan with 3 cups of milk.
2. Cook over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until the mixture thickens and the seeds soften.
3. Cool completely, then strain it through a fine-mesh sieve. 
4. Transfer the poopy seeds into a blender (I used my NutriBullet), then add the condensed milk. Pulse a few times to combine. 

This becomes the classic Slavic-style poppy seed filling we all grew up with.

Shape the sourdough poppy seed roll.

Dust a well-floured counter or floured work surface.

Turn out the dough and use your hands to press it into a rectangle. Then gently roll it into a rectangle, similar to preparing cinnamon rolls but without slicing.

Spread the poppy seed filling evenly; don’t leave a border. 

Roll it tightly into a roll, keeping even tension. Place the roll seam-side down on a parchment-lined baking sheet or in a parchment-lined loaf pan.

You can also cut into small rolls if you want a sweet-roll version.

Final Proof

Cover with plastic wrap or a clean towel and let rise until noticeably puffy (about 2 hours). If you want to bake the next day, refrigerate the shaped dough in a plastic bag or covered pan, then do the final proof before baking.

Bake

Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and keep the temperature steady.

Brush the top with egg wash or milk wash using a pastry brush.

Bake until beautifully golden brown, usually 35–45 minutes depending on your oven and pan.

Cool slightly, slice, and enjoy!

Storage

Store in a plastic bag or an airtight container at room temperature. It stays soft for several days, and leftovers reheat beautifully.

Tips for Best Results

• Your stiff levain gives the dough structure — don’t skip it.
• This dough should NOT be mixed by hand.
• Bread flour or a blend with white whole wheat flour adds strength.
• A warm place speeds fermentation, but avoid boiling water or too much heat.
• Give it enough time to mix in the stand mixer.
• If the dough looks like its loosing sturcture, you can do 1-2 sets of coil folds to help build tension. 

This sourdough vertuta brings together everything I love about Slavic baking: simple ingredients, nostalgic flavors, and that cozy swirl of tradition. It’s the kind of recipe that connects generations — my grandma’s hands rolling dough in her kitchen, and now mine… and maybe one day my kids will make it too.