Hungarian Beigli Recipe – A Perfect Hungarian Walnut & Poppy Seed Roll

Freshly baked homemade beigli with a golden, crackled crust.

Today I’m sharing my perfect Hungarian beigli recipe — with a soft, tender dough and rich, flavorful walnut and poppy seed fillings.

In our family, we don’t like dry beigli. I always aim for a dough that is soft and crumbly at the same time, and fillings that are moist and juicy, never dry. This version turned out incredibly delicious — my husband couldn’t stop praising it (and me along with it 😊).

I have several beigli recipes on my blog, and honestly, all of them are wonderful — so you can confidently choose any of them. But I love experimenting and playing with recipes. This beigli had been living in my head for days. The idea was inspired by my Pozsonyi kifli, and I knew I had to make it. I went to bed thinking about it and woke up thinking about it — and now I can finally sleep peacefully, because I truly feel this is a perfect Hungarian beigli recipe 😊

Soft, tender beigli slices with rich walnut and poppy seed fillings.

Ingredients of the Hungarian Beigli Recipe

For 2 rolls (the dough)

• 500 g all-purpose flour

• 40 g powdered sugar

• A pinch of salt

• 100 g lard

• 100 g butter, at room temperature

• 20 g fresh yeast

• 200 ml lukewarm milk

• 2 egg yolks

• Zest of 1 untreated lemon

Walnut filling (for 1 roll)

• 150 g ground walnuts

• 80 ml milk

• 80 g granulated sugar

• 1 packet vanilla sugar

• Zest of 1 untreated lemon

• 50 g raisins (optional)

• 1 tbsp rum (optional)

Poppy seed filling (for 1 roll)

• 150 g ground poppy seeds

• 80 ml milk

• 80 g granulated sugar

• 1 apple, peeled and grated

For brushing

• 1 egg (yolk and white separated)

Instructions - How to make the perfect Hungarian Beigli

Prepare the fillings first

Walnut filling:Heat the milk in a saucepan and stir in the sugar until dissolved. Remove from heat, then add the vanilla sugar, raisins (pre-soaked in rum if using), lemon zest, and ground walnuts. Mix well and set aside to cool.

Poppy seed filling:Heat the milk with the sugar until dissolved. Remove from heat, then stir in the ground poppy seeds and the grated apple. Mix well and set aside.

Make the dough

Dissolve the yeast in the lukewarm milk.

In a large bowl, mix the flour, powdered sugar, salt, and lemon zest. Rub in the lard and butter until crumbly. Add the egg yolks, then the yeast mixture, and knead until you get a slightly fatty but not sticky dough. It should be easy to handle and roll out.

👉 If it feels too firm, add a little milk.👉 If it feels sticky, add a little flour.

Important: This dough does not need resting or rising.

Assemble the beigli

Divide the dough into two equal portions.

Roll out one portion into a rectangle about 30 × 40 cm. Do not flour the surface. Spread the walnut filling evenly over the dough, leaving about 2 cm at the top edge free of filling to help seal the roll.

Fold the two short sides slightly inward, then roll up tightly. Place seam-side down on a baking tray lined with parchment paper.

Repeat the same process with the poppy seed filling. Place the rolls slightly apart, as they will expand during baking.

Egg wash & chilling (this step is key)

Brush the rolls with egg yolk only, then place the tray in the fridge for 40–45 minutes, until the yolk dries.

Once dry, brush with egg white, then return to the fridge for another 30 minutes, until the surface dries again.

Docking & baking

When the egg white has dried, pierce the rolls deeply with a skewer or toothpick:

• 4–5 holes on top

• 4–5 holes on each side

This allows steam to escape and prevents cracking.

Bake in a preheated 180°C (fan-assisted / convection) oven for 25–30 minutes.

⚠️ Do not overbake — baking time may vary depending on your oven.

Walnut and poppy seed beigli served side by side — a classic Hungarian Christmas dessert.

Final thoughts

This beigli has:

• a soft, tender dough

• rich, moist fillings

• a beautiful shiny crust

• and that classic Hungarian flavor we all love

If you try it, I’d love to hear which one you prefer — walnut or poppy seed 🤍

If you enjoyed this Hungarian beigli recipe, you might also like some of my other traditional and family-tested recipes here on the blog. I share several variations of beigli, as well as other homemade pastries and from-scratch dishes that actually work in a real home kitchen.

🎥 Watch my baking and cooking videos: You’ll find step-by-step videos on my YouTube channel, where I show the full process, textures, and little details that make a big difference.

📖 Explore more recipes on the blog: From classic Hungarian favourites to everyday family meals, all my recipes are written clearly and tested in my own kitchen.

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Thank you for being here and baking along with me. If you try this beigli, I’d love to hear whether you prefer the walnut or poppy seed version.