180 min
Eastern European Walnut Roll
Recipe GLPRa1eb437f8b2711
A rich, tender yeast bread enriched with eggs and sour cream, swirled with a sweet walnut filling and finished with a light lemon-cinnamon syrup. This traditional Eastern European treat is perfect for special occasions and yields 20 servings.
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Ingredients
1 small cake Active dry yeast cake
2¾ cups Whole milk, divided
1 teaspoon Sugar (for proofing yeast)
5 cups All-purpose flour
½ cup Unsalted butter
½ cup Shortening
5 Eggs, separated
3 tablespoons Sour cream
1¼ tablespoons Lemon rind, finely grated
1 teaspoon Lemon juice
1 teaspoon Vanilla extract
½ teaspoon Ground cinnamon, divided
4 cups Ground walnuts
1¾ cups Sugar (for filling)
1 tablespoon Lemon rind for filling
squeeze Fresh lemon juice, to taste
1 cup Water (for syrup)
¼ teaspoon Ground cinnamon (for syrup)
Directions
Proof the yeast: In a small bowl, combine the yeast cake, 1 teaspoon sugar, and ½ cup of the warm milk. Let sit until foamy, about 10 minutes, indicating the yeast is active.
Prepare the dough: In a large mixing bowl, combine the remaining 2¼ cups of milk, all-purpose flour, softened butter, and shortening. Add the egg yolks and sour cream to the mixture.
Combine wet and dry: Add the proofed yeast mixture to the flour mixture. Stir in the grated lemon rind, lemon juice, vanilla extract, and ¼ teaspoon cinnamon. Mix until a shaggy dough forms.
Whip the egg whites: In a separate, clean bowl, whip the 5 egg whites to medium-stiff peaks. This will lighten and enrich the dough.
Fold in egg whites: Gently fold the whipped egg whites into the dough in two additions, being careful not to deflate them. The dough will be soft and slightly sticky.
First rise: Cover the bowl with a damp cloth and let the dough rise in a warm place for 1 to 2 hours, or until nearly doubled in volume.
Prepare the filling: While the dough rises, combine the ground walnuts, 1¾ cups sugar, 1 tablespoon lemon rind, a squeeze of fresh lemon juice, and ¼ teaspoon cinnamon in a bowl. Mix well.
Shape the rolls: Punch down the dough. On a floured surface, divide the dough into two portions. Roll each portion into a thin rectangle, approximately 16 x 12 inches.
Fill and roll: Spread half of the walnut filling evenly over each dough rectangle. Starting from a long edge, tightly roll up the dough like a jelly roll. Seal the seams by pinching gently.
Place in pans: Coil each rolled log into a spiral or place in a greased 9 x 13-inch baking pan. Cover with a damp cloth and let rise for 1 to 1½ hours, until puffy.
Bake: Preheat the oven to 350°F. Bake the rolls for 35 to 45 minutes, until golden brown and a skewer inserted in the center comes out clean.
Prepare the syrup: While the rolls bake, combine 1 cup water and any remaining filling syrup ingredients (additional sugar and cinnamon if desired) in a saucepan. Bring to a simmer and cook for 5 minutes until slightly thickened.
Finish: Remove the baked rolls from the oven. While still warm, brush or drizzle the warm lemon-cinnamon syrup over the top. Allow to cool before slicing into 20 pieces.
