Hungarian Christmas Makos Patko Poppy Seed Horseshoe - yeast

Method

• FOR THE DOUGH: Sprinkle yeast into lukewarm water, add 2 tablespoons sugar and 1/4 cup flour, stir and set aside in a draft-free corner for 5 to 10 minutes or until mixture foams.
• Make sure your yeast is fresh or it won't foam.
• Scald milk and to it add butter, remaining sugar and salt.
• Stir until butter melts.
• Cool until lukewarm and add lemon rind and flavoring of your choice, beat in the eggs, yolks and milk.
• Combine 2 cups flour, yeast, and beat thoroughly.
• Gradually add enough remaining flour to make a smooth but pliable dough.
• Turn out on a floured board and knead for about 10 minutes, adding flour if needed, until dough is smooth and elastic and blisters form on the surface.
• Gather dough into a ball, place in a floured bowl, dust top with flour and cover lightly with a towel.
• Set to rise in a draft-free corner until doubled in bulk--about 1 to 1 1/2 hours.
• Punch dough down, knead for 2 or 3 minutes.
• Prepare dough, and when it has risen, punch down and roll out to a rectangle a little less than 1/4 inch thick.
• Spread filling over dough and roll up jelly-roll fashion.
• Bend roll gently into a horseshoe shape and slide onto a buttered baking sheet.
• OR cut in half and place each half in a buttered 9-inch loaf pan or on a baking sheet.
• Let rise until almost doubled in bulk.
• If you want to ice the roll, brush it with lukewarm water before baking.
• Otherwise, brush it with egg glaze.
• Bake in preheated 350 degrees F. oven for about 45 minutes, or until golden brown.
• Cool thoroughly before icing.
• Makes 1 large or 2 smaller coffeecakes.
• FOR THE POPPY SEED FILLING: The night before, cover poppy seeds with boiling water and let them soak until the following morning, or wash and parboil for 30 minutes just before grinding.
• Drain thoroughly and grind in a poppy-seed grinder, or put them through the finest blade of your meat chopper 3 or 4 times.
• I use a coffee grinder for this.
• (or buy ground poppy seeds if there is a store near you that prepares them, but be sure they are not rancid.)
• Cream butter with honey.
• When well blended, combine with cream, poppy seeds and remaining filling ingredients.
• (Some people prefer to omit the butter and to cook the ground poppy seeds with 2 cups milk and the honey until the mixture is thick.
• The other ingredients are then stirred in.)
• EGG GLAZE: 1 egg beaten with 1 tablespoon water.
• WHITE SUGAR GLAZE: For cookies and cakes, and especially for Lebkuchen.
• 1/3 cup confectioners' sugar 1 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch 1/2 teaspoon vanilla or almond extract 1 teaspoon rum or brandy (optional) 1/2 to 1 1/4 tablespoons hot water, or as needed Combine sugar, cornstarch, flavorings and rum or brandy.
• Gradually stir in hot water, a tablespoonful at a time, until you have a smooth thick paste.
• Spread on warm cookies, or cooled poppy seed cake.
• If mixture cools and thickens as you work, thin with additional hot water.
• Sugar sprinkles can be scattered on the glaze before it hardens if you wish.
• Visions of SugarPlums