Poppy Spas (aka Makovey’s Holiday or Honey Spas ) is celebrated on August 14. It opens the iconic trinity of holidays with which our ancestors marked the transition from summer to autumn. Next, Apple Spas (August 19) and Nut Spas (August 29) will await us.
According to tradition, honey, fruits, and vegetables of the new harvest are consecrated on Makovey, and fragrant homemade pastries with poppy seeds are baked. It is about her in more detail and we will talk in this article!
How to prepare Makovey?
You should start by choosing a quality poppy. If more than a year has passed since the packing date, it is better not to take such a package, because it is highly likely that the poppy will be bitter or have an unpleasant odor.
Take a look at its cleanliness. Poppy should be free of litter and impurities. And then you can proceed to the preparation of the filling for baking.
For pancakes or pastry recipes from the ready-made dough, it is better to boil the filling well beforehand, but for buns or rolls, you can use a faster option, because poppy seeds will cook during baking.
Why Poppy Seeds are used in Baked Goods?
In this version, your task is only to grind and soften the poppy a little:
- Rinse poppy seeds with cold water to remove impurities.
- Fill with boiling water. So the oil will come out of the poppy, which tends to taste bitter after long-term storage. After you see an oil film on the surface of the water, drain it.
- Let the water drain and grind the poppy seeds in a blender.
- It is better to add sugar after crushing the grains in a blender so that the filling is not too liquid.
Poppy filling with boiling
This option can be used both for recipes without long baking and as a preparation. Make such a poppy seed filling, put it in the freezer – and next time you can quickly create a masterpiece of home baking, not only on Poppy Spas but also when guests suddenly come.
- Rinse poppy. To do this, fill it with cold water, let it stand in it for a few minutes (about 5), and then mix well so that all impurities emerge and do not spoil the taste of the filling in the future.
- Drain on a very fine sieve or thick cloth.
- Then boil the poppy seeds like regular cereals. This will allow him to swell well and be soft.
- If in the process you notice that the water is very dirty, drain it and replace it with clean water.
- While boiling, you can see that little white things have started to rise to the surface of the water. Don’t worry, these are small poppy sprouts, not worms, how could you be scared?
- After an hour of boiling (maybe less, look at the degree of softness), rinse the poppy seeds twice with cold water.
- Drain the water by straining the poppy seeds through a nylon bag. Since not only poppy seeds but also water does not pass through it too quickly, to speed up the process, wring it out a little with your hands. Another option is to place the bag on a towel (preferably cotton) to absorb the water. If you skip this stage, there is a risk that the filling will turn out to be too rare.
- Grind poppy seeds (in a mortar or blender, depending on how small you like the filling).
- When grinding, add sugar (1:1 amount of dry poppy seeds) and mix well. You can use honey instead.
If you are not fasting and want an even more interesting taste, add 50 grams of butter or cream.
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For those who like interesting accents, you can add raisins, dried cherries, prunes, dried fruits, candied fruits, nuts, and citrus zest to the mixture.
Roll with poppy seeds
Since Assumption Fast begins on Poppy Spas, I will be the first to tell you a lean recipe for fragrant homemade baking with poppy seeds. It is she who is traditional for this holiday. The recipe used a variant with yeast dough.
Dough Ingredients (for 2 rolls):
- Flour – 500 gr;
- Sugar – 2 tbsp. l.;
- Water -250 ml.;
- Vegetable oil – 100 ml;
- Yeast – dry 1 tsp or fresh 50 gr.;
- Salt – ⅓ tbsp;
- Vanilla – 1 tsp (taste).
Cooking:
- Sift the flour so that the pastries are airy and soft.
- Pre-mix fresh yeast with sugar, salt, and warm water, and you can simply pour dry yeast into flour.
- Add vegetable oil and water to the mixture. Mix thoroughly so that there are no lumps. If you like a more yellow dough, you can add some turmeric.
- Knead the dough until it is elastic enough to stop sticking to your hands. Sprinkle the table with a little flour for this.
- Place the dough in a bowl or container, cover it with a towel, and wait until it rises.
- Rinse the dough again, and let it come up again.
- Divide the mass into two parts and roll each into a rectangle.
- Apply the filling and wrap the roll.
- Bake at 180 degrees. You can check the readiness with a toothpick or a match by piercing the dough. When the roll is ready, the dough should not stick to the tree.
Homemade buns with poppy seeds in milk
Another homemade baking recipe for Poppy Spas, but for those who do not fast.
Dough Ingredients:
- Flour – 500 gr.;
- Milk – 200 ml;
- Sugar – 5 tbsp. l.;
- Dry yeast – 1 tbsp. l.;
- Eggs – 2 pcs.;
- Butter – 60 g;
- A pinch of salt;
- Vanilla sugar (to taste).
Cooking:
- Warm the milk (but do not boil), and add a spoonful of sugar and yeast. Pour about half of the flour into a bowl.
- Stir the mixture thoroughly, and set it to “come up” for about an hour and a half.
- In the meantime, melt the butter (it should be thin but not hot) and beat the eggs with the remaining sugar.
- When the dough has about doubled in size, add the mixture from step three and the rest of the flour. The rash gradually and thoroughly kneads. The dough should be flexible enough, but not sticky to your hands or bowl.
- Cover with cling film and refrigerate for 2 hours. You can keep him there longer. For example, prepare everything in the evening, and bake buns in the morning for breakfast.
- Roll out the dough into a rectangle, apply poppy seed filling, and add raisins, nuts, or dried fruits if desired.
- Cut the roll into portioned square buns and send it to the oven (preheat it) for about half an hour at a temperature of 180 degrees or 15-20 minutes at 200 degrees (depending on your oven).
- Don’t forget to brush your pastries with eggs if you like a delicious crust.
Baking with poppy seeds: a simple recipe for kefir
What a selection of baking recipes with poppy seeds, if you don’t remember pies. So catch a simple and delicious kefir recipe. Especially for those who are not very friendly with yeast dough.
Dough Ingredients:
- Flour – 2 cups;
- Sugar – 1 cup;
- Eggs – 3 pcs.;
- Kefir (2.5%) – 1 cup;
- Soda – 1 tsp;
- Vanillin (to taste).
Cooking:
- Remove kefir from the refrigerator in advance, it should be at room temperature.
- Pour it into a bowl, add soda, and wait for the reaction.
- In the meantime, beat the eggs, and add sugar and vanilla to them gradually. You should get an air mass, so don’t be too lazy to work with a mixer.
- Add the mixture with kefir to the beaten eggs, and mix.
- The next ingredient to add is sifted flour (do not neglect sifting, this will make the pastries softer).
- Knead the dough. The thickness should be like sour cream.
- Add poppy. Pre-prepare it for a quick recipe (but don’t get too carried away with sugar).
- Pour the dough into a silicone mold and place it in a preheated oven. The required time is 30 minutes at 180 degrees, but to be sure of readiness, check the dough with a wooden toothpick. If the dough is not sticky, you can take it out.
Homemade cakes with poppy seeds for the lazy
If you are not enthusiastic about making the dough yourself, but you want to try homemade cakes, ready-made puff pastry is in a hurry to help, like Chip and Dale in the famous cartoon.
Ingredients:
- Puff pastry – 500 gr.;
- Honey – 7 tablespoons;
- Raisins – 200 gr.;
- Poppy – 150 gr.
Cooking:
- The process is as simple as possible, even a novice baker can handle it. First, roll out the dough thinly.
- Put the filling of honey, poppy seeds, and raisins on the dough.
- Roll into a roll. You can dream up the shape and finish of baking: make curly cuts, add candied fruit on top, and cut into pieces like buns. In a word, experiment!
- Send in the oven for 15-20 minutes at a temperature of 180 degrees.
- Five minutes before the end of cooking, brush the pastries with a beaten egg for a beautiful crust.
Of course, you can enjoy pastries with poppy seeds on Makovey just by visiting the nearest bakery. But it will never replace ruddy and fragrant homemade cakes that fill the house with a sense of comfort and security.
FAQs
What is Makovey?
Makovey is a type of sweet bread or pastry that originated in Eastern Europe, particularly in countries like Ukraine, Russia, and Poland. It is typically made with poppy seeds, honey, and other sweet ingredients.
What are some simple recipes for Makovey?
A basic recipe for Makovey involves mixing flour, yeast, sugar, and warm milk to make the dough. Once the dough has risen, it is filled with a mixture of poppy seeds, honey, and butter. The dough is then rolled into buns or rolls, baked in the oven, and sprinkled with powdered sugar or additional poppy seeds.
Can I substitute other ingredients for poppy seeds in Makovey?
While poppy seeds are a traditional ingredient in Makovey, you can substitute other fillings if you prefer. Some options include nuts, dried fruit, chocolate chips, or jam.
How long does Makovey take to bake?
The baking time for Makovey will depend on the size of the buns or rolls you are making, as well as your oven temperature. Generally, Makovey takes between 15 and 25 minutes to bake.
How should I store Makovey?
Makovey can be stored at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 3 days. You can also freeze Makovey for up to 3 months by wrapping it tightly in plastic wrap or foil and placing it in a freezer-safe container.
