Warm the milk slightly. Dissolve the yeast and 1 tsp sugar in the milk and let it activate for 5–10 minutes.
In a large bowl, mix flour, sugar, and salt. Add butter, egg, vanilla, lemon zest, and the yeast mixture.
Knead until smooth and elastic. Cover with a towel and let rise for 1–1.5 hours, until doubled in size.
Prepare the filling:
For walnuts: heat milk with sugar and cinnamon slightly, then mix with ground walnuts and vanilla.
For poppy seeds: do the same with milk, sugar, and vanilla, then mix with ground poppy seeds.
The filling should be moist but not runny.
Shape the Beigli:
Preheat oven to 180°C (350°F).
Divide dough into 2–3 portions. Roll each portion into a rectangle, about 3–5 mm thick.
Spread the filling evenly, leaving ~1 cm border at edges.
Roll tightly from the long side into a log. Pinch ends to seal.
Bake:
Place rolls on a parchment-lined baking sheet, seam side down.
Brush with beaten egg for a shiny finish.
Optional: lightly score the tops to prevent cracking.
Bake 30–40 minutes until golden brown.
Cool and slice:
Let Beigli cool completely before slicing to see the beautiful spiral.
Tips for the perfect Beigli
Make sure dough is not too sticky; a little extra flour while rolling helps.
Let the filling absorb some milk so it’s moist but not runny; otherwise, the roll may crack.
Some bakers refrigerate the rolled Beigli for 30 minutes before baking—this helps maintain the shape.
If you want, I can also give you a step-by-step photo guide showing how to roll and shape the Beigli so it looks perfect like in Hungarian bakeries. Do you want me to do that?
