Authentic Polish Nut Roll Recipe - Rolada Orzechowa - Polish Foodies (2024)

If you have spent time in Poland during the Christmas season, you probably have come across the Polish nut roll. This pastry, while easy to make, tends to be quite popular during wintertime. One might even call it a Polish Christmas specialty. In Poland, this nut roll is called rolada orzechowa. Another similar cake that is made during this time of the year is the makowiec poppy seed roll.

For most people, the authentic Polish nut roll recipe is handed down through the generations, and making it is a part of the Christmas fun and tradition. You will find that this pastry is packed with flavor. The light bread texture is complemented by the dense taste of nuts and sweet sugar glaze. It pairs really well with a hot cup of tea or coffee which is why it is often served as a tea-time snack.

Authentic Polish Nut Roll Recipe – Rolada Orzechowa

Making The Dough

Part I – Melt The Butter

Melt 1 stick of butter in 1 cup of milk. Do not make this very hot. This is because extremely hot milk and butter will kill the yeast that will be used in the next steps. We need the milk to be warm enough to touch. This will encourage the yeast action to take place which will in turn help our bread rise.

Part II – Add The Remaining Ingredients

Add in 5 cups of all-purpose flour, 1 tbsp. of instant yeast, 4 egg yolks, ½ cup of sugar and ½ tsp of salt. Use a food processor to knead the dough. You can also knead the dough using your own hands. Note that the dough will feel very sticky and that is absolutely okay. It is the texture that we are aiming for in this recipe.

Part III – Place The Dough In A Big Bowl And Cover It

Once you are done kneading the dough, bring it all together into one bowl and place it in the center of a big bowl. Use a clean kitchen towel to cover it. This will keep the dough from drying out.

Part IV – Leave The Bowl In A Warm Place

This is another important aspect of the authentic Polish nut roll recipe. In order for the bread to have the nice light and fluffy texture that you associate with Polish nut roll, the yeast needs both time and a warm environment. Leave the dough in a warm place for around 90 minutes. The rule of thumb is that the dough should double in size. Note that if you stay in a cooler climate, this may take longer than anticipated.

Make The Nut Filling

Part I – In A Pot Melt The Butter And Sugar

Combine 5 tbsps. of butter with ½ cup sugar. Melt it in a pot. Make sure to do it at a low flame otherwise it will caramelize.

Part II – Add 11 Oz Ground Walnuts And ¾ Cup Milk

Part III – Cook For 5-10 Minutes

Cook the mixture for 5-10 minutes stirring constantly. The filling will start to thicken over time. When the filling has thickened nicely, switch off the stove and allow it to cool.

Assemble And Bake The Cake

Part I – Preheat The Oven To 356F

Preheating the oven is a very important step. It allows the oven to be at exactly the right temperature required for the authentic Polish nut roll recipe. Too cold and the dough will not rise well. This will give you a thick and rather chewy cake.

Too hot on the other hand will burn the Polish nut roll without letting it cook through.

Part II – Divide The Dough Into 2 Parts

Part III – Roll The Dough Out

Take both the pieces of dough and roll them out on a floured surface. While doing so make sure that the thickness of the dough is ½ inch. Too thin and the cake will crack. This will cause the filling to spill out. Too thick and it will not taste as good.

Part IV – Spread The Filling On The Dough Avoiding The Edges

Part V – Roll The Pastries

Once the filling has been layered, it is time to roll the authentic Polish nut rolls. Start at one of the long ends of the dough and gently roll them over. Make sure to tuck the ends of the dough underneath it. This will prevent any of the excess filling from spilling out.

Part VI – Brush The Rolls With Egg Whites

Part VII – Place The Nut Rolls On A Pan Lined With Baking Paper.

Part VIII – Bake For 35 Minutes

Decorating The Polish Nut Rolls

Part I – Make The Sugar Glaze

Making the sugar glaze is really easy. Combine 1 cup of icing sugar with 4 tbsps. of warm water. Stir it well. This will give you a thick-ish consistency.

Part II – Cover The Polish Nut Rolls With Sugar Glaze

When the Polish nut rolls have cooled, generously cover them with the sugar glaze. Sprinkle dried fruits and nuts on top. Slice and serve.

FAQ About Authentic Polish Nut Rolls

1. Can I Substitute Walnuts With Other Nuts?

Authentic Polish nut rolls traditionally use walnuts in the recipe. You can however substitute walnuts with other nuts like almonds and cashews. You can also get creative and use a mix of nuts.

2. My Dough Didn’t Rise. Can I Still Go Ahead With The Recipe?

For this recipe, it is essential that the dough rises. If you go ahead with the recipe, the Polish nut roll will not rise and it will give you a hard and chewy pastry. If your dough has not risen, there are two things that could have gone wrong. You could have used expired yeast or yeast that isn’t good. You could also have heated the milk and butter too much which could have killed the yeast.

The other reason may be that you just need more time for the dough to grow. If your home is cold, you may even wait for 3 hours until the dough doubles its size.

3. What Causes The Nut Roll To Crack?

The nut roll will crack if the dough has been rolled too thin. This is because the filling is a little wet in texture and a very thin dough will not provide it a barrier. In order to avoid this, make sure that the dough is rolled out at ½ inch thickness.

The other reason is that you didn’t roll it out correctly and there was a free space in the cake. Don’t worry about it! The taste will still be awesome.