Mohnstriezel (braided poppy seed cake)

Method

1. Whisk the flour, sugar, salt and yeast together, then add the lukewarm milk, melted butter and egg. Knead by hand or with a dough hook for 8 minutes, until smooth and elastic.
2. Cover and prove in a warm spot for 60 minutes, until roughly doubled.
3. Grind the poppy seeds finely in a food processor or spice grinder, in short bursts; whole poppy seeds do not release their flavour or bind into a filling.
4. Combine the ground poppy seeds, milk, sugar and butter in a pot. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, for 5 minutes, until thickened. Stir in the raisins, breadcrumbs and lemon zest. Cool completely.
5. Roll the risen dough out into a rectangle, about 40 by 30 cm. Spread the cooled poppy seed filling evenly over it, leaving a small border.
6. Roll up tightly from the long edge into a log. Cut in half lengthwise and twist the two halves around each other, cut sides facing up, then form into a braid or a simple loose spiral on a lined baking sheet.
7. Cover and let rest for 20 minutes. Brush with the beaten egg.
8. Bake at 180°C for 30 to 35 minutes, until deep golden brown and hollow-sounding when tapped.
9. Whisk the icing sugar and water together and drizzle over the braid once it has cooled slightly.

Method in the Thermomix

Written for a TM5 or TM6, 2.2 litre bowl. This covers milling and cooking the poppy seed filling; the dough, braiding and baking are the same as the hand method.

1. Poppy seeds into the dry bowl. Grind 1 min / speed 9, until finely ground.
2. Add the milk, sugar and butter. Cook 5 min / 90 °C / speed 2, until thickened.
3. Add the raisins, breadcrumbs and lemon zest. Mix 10 sec / reverse / speed 2. Pour out and cool completely, then continue as in the hand method.

Notes

• Grinding the poppy seeds is not optional. Whole seeds sit gritty in the mouth and taste of almost nothing; ground and cooked, they turn dark, rich and genuinely poppy-flavoured.
• Cool the filling fully before it goes onto the dough. Warm filling softens the dough and makes it harder to roll tightly without tearing.
• Cutting the log in half and twisting is what gives the classic marbled cross-section when sliced; a single uncut roll bakes fine but looks plainer inside.
• It keeps for 3 days at room temperature, wrapped, and freezes well unglazed for up to 2 months.

Ingredient substitutions

• Raisins can be sultanas, or left out entirely for a plainer filling.
• A splash of rum in the poppy seed filling, added with the raisins, is a traditional variation.
• Breadcrumbs help the filling hold together when sliced; ground almonds work in the same quantity for a richer result.
• For a nut version, swap the poppy seed filling for the walnut filling used in Nuss-Striezel, following the same technique.