The classic filling for these yeast dough crescents is poppy seeds cooked in milk and honey.

The yeast in the dough is meant to give it a bit of elasticity; it does not actually rise.

Hungarian poppy seed crescents (kifli)

Recipe by Vered GuttmanCourse: Cakes and cookiesCuisine: Hungarian, JewishDifficulty: Medium

Yields

Prep time

minutes

Baking time

minutes

Total time

hour

minutes

Poppy seeds are available in bulk online, and at most Eastern European and Middle Eastern supermarkets. Alternately, you can buy a few jars of poppy seeds from the spice rack at any chain supermarket.

Poppy seed pastries are very popular in Eastern Europe and Israel. To achieve the rich texture of the cooked poppy seed, the seeds need to be ground. The way to do it is with either an electric coffee grinder or with a blender, preferably a powerful one, such as Vitamix. As you grind the poppy seed they will become darker in color and will resemble almond flour in texture. Grind the poppy seed close to when you’re ready to cook with it, as it becomes rancid pretty quickly, especially when grounded. If you have to grind in advance, keep it in a sealed container in the freezer until you’re ready to use.

I highly recommend using SAF Instant yeast (it’s available online and can keep for months in the fridge.)
When using instant yeast, you should skip the process of proofing the yeast.
If you’re using active dry yeast, start the recipe by proofing the yeast and continue as usual.

INGREDIENTS

2 cups flour
1 tablespoons instant yeast (or active dry yeast, see note above)
⅓ cup powdered sugar
½ cup warm milk
2 eggs, divided
1 stick (8 tablespoons) soft butter
½ teaspoon kosher salt
For the filling
8 oz. poppy seeds, finely ground (see note above)
1 cup milk
4 tablespoons butter
⅓ cup sugar
4 tablespoons honey
Grated zest of one lemon
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
¼ cup vanilla cookie crumbs or tea biscuit crumbs
¼ cup golden raisins

DIRECTIONS

If you’re using DRY ACTIVE YEAST, skip to instruction number 2.
If you’re using INSTANT YEAST, put flour, dry yeast and powdered sugar into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook and mix for a minute. With mixer on medium-low speed, add milk and then one egg, and mix until incorporated, about 2 minutes. Stop mixer and use a spatula to scrape the sides of the bowl as needed. With the mixer running, add butter spoon by spoon, and then add salt and mix the dough for 6 minutes on medium-low speed. Transfer dough to a lightly floured bowl, cover with plastic wrap and put in the fridge for 3 hours or up to a night.
Skip to instruction number 3.
If you’re using DRY ACTIVE YEAST you need to proof it first. Put ½ cup warm milk, the yeast and a teaspoon of powdered sugar in a glass and stir briefly. Let the mixture sit for 5-10 minutes until it visibly foams.
Put flour, yeast mixture and the rest of the powdered sugar into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook and mix for a minute. With mixer on medium-low speed, add one egg, and mix until incorporated, about 2 minutes. Stop mixer and use a spatula to scrape the sides of the bowl as needed. With the mixer running, add butter spoon by spoon, and then add salt and mix the dough for 6 minutes on medium-low speed. Transfer dough to a lightly floured bowl, cover with plastic wrap and put in the fridge for 3 hours or up to a night.
To make the filling, put milk, butter, sugar, honey, lemon zest and vanilla extract in a small pot over medium heat and bring to a boil. Add ground poppy seeds, mix and cook for about 5 minutes. Add cookie crumbs and raisins, mix again and remove from heat. Keep aside until cool.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit (190 degrees Celsius). Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
Lightly flour a small working surface and a rolling pin. Divide dough into 1 1/2-inch balls. Roll each ball into an ellipse, about 7 inches long and 4 inches wide. Arrange a spoonful of the filling along the length of the ellipse, leaving half an inch on each side. Cover the filling with one side of the dough, then with the other, rolling it to a long, 7 inch snake with pointy ends. Bend roll into a crescent shape, and put on the baking sheet. Continue with the rest of the dough, leaving 1 inch between the crescents on the baking sheet.
Beat remaining egg in a small cup and brush crescents. Bake for 20-22 minutes, until top is golden. Let cool for 15 minutes before serving.