Alternative names | Many – see text |
---|---|
Type | Pastry |
Place of origin | Central Europe |
Main ingredients | Sweet yeast dough, ground nuts |
A nut roll is a pastry consisting of a sweet yeast dough (usually using milk) that is rolled out very thin, spread with a nut paste made from ground nuts and a sweetener like honey, then rolled up into a log shape. [1] This 'log' is either left long and straight or is often bent into a horseshoe shape, egg washed, baked, and then sliced crosswise. Nut rolls resemble a jelly roll (Swiss roll) but usually with more layers of dough and filling, and resemble strudels but with fewer and less delicate dough layers. Fillings commonly have as their main ingredient ground walnuts or poppy seeds.
Nut rolls can be found in the United States and in Central European cuisines. In the United States, "nut roll" is a more or less generic name for pastries of this type, no matter where they originate. [2] Nut rolls are known also by many specific regional names, including: orechovník in Slovak; makowiec in Polish; potica, povitica, gibanica, orahnjača/orehnjača in Slovenian and Serbo-Croatian (walnut variant, makovnjača for variant with poppy seed, in Croatia can also be made with carob ); kalács and bejgli in Hungarian; and pastiç (pastiche) or nokul in Turkish.
Regional variations on nut rolls are part of weddings, for Easter and Christmas, as well as other celebrations and holidays.
A sweet yeast dough is rolled flat, about 0.2 inches (5 millimeters) thick, and a filling is spread on it. The filled dough is rolled up, forming a log or loaf shape, then baked. When sliced, the cross-section shows a swirl of filling.
Types or forms of nut roll are: rolled log, loaf made via a bread pan, and a "crazy loaf" style with a unique texture. [3] Similar ground walnut filling is used in Buchteln, a bun-shaped pastry, also with yeast dough.
Traditional nut rolls in Central and Eastern Europe, like makowiec and bejgli, are a special type of rolled log shape. These are generally made with either of two types of filling: walnut [4] and poppy seed. In addition to ground nut fillings, cinnamon, raisins or currants, different types of chopped nuts, carob, bread crumbs, lemon or orange zest, rum, butter and heavy cream or sour cream are used. [3]
The povitica, [5] a traditional Croatian and partly Slovenian pastry, is made from buttery pastry dough rolled into very thin layers and covered with a layer of brown sugar, spices, and walnuts. The log-shaped loaf is then baked. [6] Povitica was featured as the technical challenge recipe on the "Advanced Dough" episode of The Great British Baking Show in 2014. [7] Other roll-shaped European pastries are filled with thick jam (called lekvar, usually apricot or cherry) called lekvarostekercs or Swiss roll.
Slovenian potica is traditional walnut roll cake in Slovenia.
Nut roll is also typical for northern Serbia (Vojvodina), where it is named "štrudla/штрудла" or "savijača/савијача". Serbian nut roll is usually covered with a layer of poppy, walnut or cherry, but sometimes can be with a layer of carob or cocoa.
Nut rolls are popular across the United States, often made with some combination of walnut, poppy seed, apricot, and coffee, [8] with more traditional varieties and preparations made in areas with large Central European settlements. They were introduced there by Central European immigrants and widely adopted by other ethnic groups in those regions. Nut rolls are an essential part of Christmas celebrations and popular other times in Pittsburgh and southwestern Pennsylvania, Austin, Texas, Joliet, Illinois, Cleveland, Ohio, Sheboygan, Wisconsin, Youngstown, Ohio, northeastern Ohio (where it is known as kolachi), the Iron Range of Minnesota, Kansas City and Butte, Montana. [9] As such, povitica, as well as Cornish pasties, are considered one of the traditional state foods of Montana, regardless of ethnic group.[ citation needed ]
A croissant is a French pastry made from puff pastry in a crescent shape.
Hungarian or Magyar cuisine is the cuisine characteristic of the nation of Hungary, and its primary ethnic group, the Magyars. Hungarian cuisine has been described as being the spiciest cuisine in Europe. This can largely be attributed to the use of their piquant native spice, Hungarian paprika, in many of their dishes. A mild version of the spice, Hungarian sweet paprika, is commonly used as an alternative. Traditional Hungarian dishes are primarily based on meats, seasonal vegetables, fruits, bread, and dairy products.
A Gugelhupf (also Kugelhupf, Guglhupf, Gugelhopf, pronounced[ˈɡuːɡl̩.hʊp͡f,-hɔp͡f,ˈkuːɡl̩-], and, in France, kouglof, kougelhof, or kougelhopf, is a cake traditionally baked in a distinctive ring pan, similar to Bundt cake, but leavened with baker's yeast.
Prekmurska gibanica is a type of Slovenian gibanica or layered pastry. It contains poppy seeds, walnuts, apples, raisins and quark fillings. Although native to Prekmurje, it has achieved the status of a national specialty of Slovenia. The unique sweetmeat shows the variety of agriculture in this region. The name gibanica comes from the dialect expression güba and in this case refers to a fold.
Ukrainian cuisine is the collection of the various cooking traditions of the people of Ukraine, one of the largest and most populous European countries. It is heavily influenced by the rich dark soil (chornozem) from which its ingredients come, and often involves many components. Traditional Ukrainian dishes often experience a complex heating process – "at first they are fried or boiled, and then stewed or baked. This is the most distinctive feature of Ukrainian cuisine".
A strudel is a type of layered pastry with a filling that is usually sweet, but savoury fillings are also common. It became popular in the 18th century throughout the Habsburg Empire. Strudel is part of Austrian cuisine and German cuisine but is also common in other Central European cuisines. In Italy it is recognized as a traditional agri-food product (PAT) of South Tyrol.
Kifli, kiflice, kifle, or kipferl is a traditional yeast bread roll that is rolled and formed into a crescent before baking.
Slovak cuisine varies slightly from region to region across Slovakia. It was influenced by the traditional cuisine of its neighbours and it influenced them as well. The origins of traditional Slovak cuisine can be traced to times when the majority of the population lived self-sufficiently in villages, with very limited food imports and exports and with no modern means of food preservation or processing.
Potica is a traditional festive pastry from Slovenia.
Cozonac or Kozunak is a sweet yeast dough that can be used to make different traditional holiday breads and cakes. Often mixed with raisins, it can be baked as a loaf or rolled out with fillings like poppy seed or walnuts. It is common throughout Southeastern Europe in countries such as Romania, Moldova, Bulgaria, Serbia, North Macedonia and Greece. Rich in eggs, milk and butter, it is usually prepared for Easter in Romania, Serbia, Bulgaria, and in Romania and Moldova it is also traditional for Good Friday, in a simplified version with vegan ingredients, without eggs or milk - named Cozonac de post - to be eaten by Christians during lent. The name comes from the Bulgarian word for hair-коса/kosa, or Greek: κοσωνάκι, romanized: kosōnáki, a diminutive form of κοσώνα, kosṓna.
Belokranjska povitica is a Slovenian national dish. It was supposedly brought to the White Carniola region by the Uskoks, who were Croatian Habsburg soldiers that inhabited the areas of the eastern Adriatic area. The name itself, povitica, explains the preparation. The term povitica derived from the verb poviti 'to roll'.
Cardamom breads, including the Finnish pulla and Swedish kardemummabröd and kardemummabullar, are a group of enriched breads or pastry flavored with cardamom. They are eaten throughout the year, typically with coffee or tea.
The poppy seed roll is a pastry consisting of a roll of sweet yeast bread with a dense, rich, bittersweet filling of poppy seed. An alternative filling is a paste of minced walnuts, or minced chestnuts.
Pirog is a baked case of dough with either sweet or savory filling. The dish is common in Eastern European cuisines.
Međimurska gibanica(pronounced[mɛdʑǐmuːrska'ɡibaŋitsa]; Međimurian layer cake) is a type of gibanica or layer cake originating from Međimurje County, Croatia. It is made of puff pastry and four fillings: nuts, fresh cheese, poppy seeds and apples, as well as of many additional ingredients. It is a traditional dish, especially popular in Northern Croatia, rich in flavour and full of calories, a delicacy which is an integral component of Croatian cuisine.
Štruklji is a traditional Slovene dish, composed of dough and various types of filling. The dish comes in the form of rolled dumplings, which can be steamed, boiled, or baked, and can have a wide range of fillings. Štruklji has been traditionally reserved for special occasions, but is now one of the most characteristic everyday dishes in households all across Slovenia. It is closely related to Zagorski štrukli, a traditional Croatian dish.
A babka is a sweet braided bread which originated in the Jewish communities of Poland and Ukraine. It is popular in Israel and in the Jewish diaspora. It is prepared with a yeast-leavened dough that is rolled out and spread with a filling such as chocolate, cinnamon, fruit, or cheese, then rolled up and braided before baking.
Poppy seed paste, also known as mohn, is a common ingredient in Ashkenazi Jewish pastries and desserts. It is made from ground poppy seeds and additional sweeteners. Examples of pastries featuring the filling include mohn kichel, babka, and, most famously, hamantashen. In Jewish cuisine, the filling is traditionally referred to as mohn, the word for poppy in both Yiddish and German. Poppy seed-filled pastries are particularly associated with the holiday of Purim.