Poppy Seed Snails (Mohnschnecken)
Poppy seeds have a particular nutty depth of flavour to them, which I find terribly hard to describe because there isn’t anything else like it. They are used in baking year round in many Northern European countries, but it’s during Advent and Christmas that they really come into their own, as they are an integral ingredient to many enriched yeast dough bakes such as Mohnstollen (poppy seed Stollen) and these delicious little buns.
MAKES 10 SMALL SNAILS
300g (2 cups plus 2 tbsp) strong white bread flour, plus extra for dusting
20g (4 tsp) caster (superfine) sugar
½ tsp fine sea salt
50g (3½ tbsp) unsalted butter, at room temp
15g (½oz) fresh yeast, or 7g (¼oz) dried
170ml (²⁄₃ cup) tepid milk
for the filling
80g (3oz) poppy seeds, ground (I use a coffee grinder)
80g (3oz) raisins
50g (¼ cup) dark brown sugar
85ml (6 tbsp) hot milk
for the top
Milk, for brushing
Poppy seeds, for sprinkling
for the glaze
80g (generous ½ cup) icing (confectioners’) sugar, sifted
4 tsp water
To make the filling, put the poppyseeds, raisins and sugar into a bowl and pour over the hot milk. Set aside until cool, then stir. Mix the flour, sugar and salt in a large bowl. Using your fingertips, work the butter into the flour until it resembles fine breadcrumbs. Crumble the yeast (or sprinkle if using dried) into the tepid milk and stir to dissolve. Pour the yeasted milk into the flour mixture and, using your hands, bring everything together into a rough dough. Tip out onto a floured surface and knead for 5 minutes until it becomes elastic. Form it into a ball and nestle it into the bowl. Cover the bowl with a tea towel and set aside in a warm spot to rise for 1 hour, or until doubled in size. (Alternatively, mix the flour, sugar and salt in the bowl of a free-standing electric mixer fitted with a dough hook, then add the butter and yeasted milk. Knead for 5 minutes until elastic. Cover the bowl and set aside, as above.)
Line a medium baking sheet with non-stick baking parchment. Knock the dough back, then roll it out on a floured surface into a rectangle 30cm/12in long by 20cm/8in wide. Spread the poppy seed filling over the dough, leaving a 1cm/3/8in border. Dip your finger in water and run it around the edges. With the long side closest to you, roll the dough up into a log. Cut the dough into 10 rounds, about 3cm/1¼in thick. Place 3cm/1¼in apart on the prepared baking sheet. If baking now, heat the oven to 180°C/160°C fan/350°F. Let them rest until risen to half their size again – this should take 30 minutes. If baking in the morning, place the sheet, covered, in the fridge to rest overnight, making sure you take them out of the fridge 30 minutes before baking. Brush the snails with milk, sprinkle with poppy seeds, and bake for about 15 minutes until golden.
While they are baking, make the glaze by mixing the icing sugar and water together until smooth. Transfer the baked snails to a wire rack and spoon the glaze over the top of them while still warm.
Anja Dunk
Recipe from Anja’s book ADVENT: Festive German Bakes to Celebrate the Coming of Christmas (Quadrille, £25). You can buy the book here.