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Bratislavské rožky
Bratislavské rožky: Bratislava butter-yeast crescents with walnut or poppy seed and a crackled egg glaze
CzechBakers in old Pressburg, today's Bratislava, have shaped these little horns for nearly three centuries, and the city still treats them as its own Christmas and wedding pastry. The walnut ones are bent into a horseshoe and the poppy seed ones into a crescent, so you can tell them apart on the plate. The dough is rich and short, almost like a pastry, and the shiny brown top is crazed with fine cracks from a double egg glaze. A common mistake is glazing the second time before the first coat is dry, which leaves a dull, smooth top instead of the famous marbling. Patience is the whole trick: a cool rest after the yolk, then a warm rest after the white. Old recipes add a splash of rum to the walnut filling; this version uses lemon and cinnamon instead. Chef's tip: keep the dough cold and work quickly, so the butter stays in tiny flakes.
- Total time
- 150 min
- Difficulty
- hard
- Serves
- 12
Ingredients
For the dough
- 10 ½ oz plain flour
- 5 ½ oz cold butterdiced
- 1 oz icing sugar
- 1 pinch salt
- ¼ cup lukewarm milk
- 1 egg yolk
- 1 tsp lemon zest
For the walnut filling
- 5 ½ oz ground walnuts
- 2 ½ oz sugar
- ¼ cup water
- ⅔ oz fine breadcrumbs
- ½ tsp ground cinnamon
For the poppy filling
- 5 ½ oz ground poppy seed
- ½ cup milk
- 2 ½ oz sugar
- ½ oz butter
- 1 tsp lemon zest
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Method
0/9 doneStep 1: Rub 5 ½ oz cold butter into 10 ½ oz plain flour, 1 oz icing sugar and 1 pinch salt with your fingertips until it looks like coarse breadcrumbs. Stir ⅛ oz fast-action dried yeast into ¼ cup lukewarm milk, then add it with 1 egg yolk and 1 tsp lemon zest and knead briefly, just until the dough comes together. Wrap and chill for 60 minutes.
70 minStep 2: For the walnut filling, bring 2 ½ oz sugar and ¼ cup water to the boil, stir in 5 ½ oz ground walnuts, ⅔ oz fine breadcrumbs and ½ tsp ground cinnamon and cook for 1 minute until thick. Cool.
5 minStep 3: For the poppy filling, simmer ½ cup milk, 2 ½ oz sugar and ½ oz butter, stir in 5 ½ oz ground poppy seed and 1 tsp lemon zest and cook for 2–3 minutes, stirring, until thick and spreadable. Cool.
5 minStep 4: Divide the dough into 24 pieces of about 22 g. Roll each into a thin oval about 10 x 7 cm.
15 minStep 5: Put a teaspoon of filling along the middle of each oval: walnut on 12, poppy on 12. Fold the sides over, pinch the seams and roll gently into a log.
15 minStep 6: Bend the walnut logs into horseshoes and the poppy logs into gentle crescents. Space them seam side down on two lined trays.
5 minStep 7: Brush with 1 egg yolk and leave in a cool place for 20–30 minutes, until the glaze looks dry and matt.
25 minStep 8: Brush with 1 egg white and leave in a warm place for 30–40 minutes, until the surface dries and fine cracks appear when you tilt the tray. Heat the oven to 350°F (325°F fan).
35 minStep 9: Bake one tray at a time for 12–15 minutes, until deep golden brown and glossy with a marbled crackle. Cool on the tray.
30 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 310 kcal
- Protein
- 6 g
- Carbs
- 30 g
- Fat
- 19 g
- Fibre
- 2 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does bratislavské rožky take?
- About 150 minutes in total: 120 minutes to prepare and 30 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 12 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- What can I use instead of plain flour?
- Self-raising flour, same amount (then leave out the baking powder).
- What can I use instead of cold butter?
- The same weight of ghee or coconut oil (for frying and most baking).
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