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sourdough poppy seed roll

5 from 1 vote
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.
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Prep Time 30 minutes
Servings: 2 rolls
Course: Breakfast, Dessert, sourdough
Cuisine: european, Slavic
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Sweet Stiff Levain

  • 28 g active sourdough starter
  • 55 g  flou
  • 28 g water
  • 1 tsp honey

Dough (this recipe makes 2 rolls)

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

Poppy Seed Filling

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

Egg wash

  • 1 egg
  • 1 tbl milk

Equipment

  • KitchenAid  with a hook attachment
  • fine-mesh sieve. 
  • NutriBullet (mixer)

Method
 

Build the Sweet Stiff Levain
  1. 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

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

First Rise

  1. 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

  1. ​The next day:
    This becomes the classic Slavic-style poppy seed filling we all grew up with.
    Add the poppy seeds to a saucepan with 3 cups of milk.Cook over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until the mixture thickens and the seeds soften.Cool completely, then strain it through a fine-mesh sieve. Transfer the poopy seeds into a blender (I used my NutriBullet), then add the condensed milk. Pulse a few times to combine. 

Shape the sourdough poppy seed roll.

  1. 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

  1. 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

  1. 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!

Notes

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 it's losing structure, you can do 1-2 sets of coil folds to help build tension.