BEIGLI
INGREDIENTS:
DOUGH (FOR TWO BEIGLIS):
- 500g Pernerka Fine White Spelt flour
- 7g quick/easy bake dried yeast (or 20g fresh yeast)
- 600ml lukewarm milk
- 8g vanilla sugar (1 sachet)
- 55g icing sugar
- 100g softened butter
- 80g lard
- 2 eggs
- Zest from ½ a lemon
- A pinch of salt
- 1 egg for egg wash (yolk and egg white separately)
WALNUT FILLING:
- 500g ground walnuts
- Zest of 1 lemon
- 150g icing sugar
- 200ml milk
- 2 tbsp honey
- 16g vanilla sugar (2 sachets)
- 2 tsp cinnamon
TIPS AND TRICKS:
Traditional beigli fillings are walnut or poppy seed, but you can experiment and use plum jam or conserve.
INSTRUCTIONS:
1) Prepare the dough. Sift the flour into a bowl and make a well in the centre. Crumble the fresh yeast into it (or add the dried yeast), add the vanilla sugar and pour in lukewarm milk. Cover the bowl with a cloth and wait for the yeast to start working, about 10 – 15 minutes.
2) Add the remaining ingredients, the icing sugar, butter, lard, eggs, lemon zest and a pinch of salt. Knead into a dough. Split the dough in half, wrap individually in cling film and refrigerate for at least one hour.
3) In the meantime, prepare the walnut filling. In a saucepan, heat up the milk with the sugar and honey over a low heat. Once the milk starts boiling, remove it from the heat and add the ground walnuts, the lemon zest and the cinnamon. Mix well into a smooth paste.
4) Take the dough out of the fridge, unwrap both halves and roll each one out on a clean flat surface into a rectangle, about 35cm x 25cm. Use half of the walnut filling on the first dough sheet, and the second half on the second dough sheet. Spread the filling evenly and approximately 1.5cm – 2cm away from the edge. Brush the edges with a whisked egg yolk, and fold them inwards (towards the filling), then roll the dough into a roll/log.
5) Transfer both beiglis onto a baking tray/sheet lined with parchment paper and brush with the remaining whisked egg yolk. Wait until the egg yolk wash ‘dries up’, then brush the beiglis again but this time with a whisked egg white. Let it dry up again, then dock (prick) both of the beiglis with a fork. This will prevent the dough from tearing when being baked. The swap from the egg yolk wash to the egg white wash will create a beautiful marbling, typical for Hungarian Beigli, after baking.
6) Bake at 170C / 150C fan for about 40 – 45 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from the oven, let cool down, cut into portions and serve. Enjoy!