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Shulyky
Shulyky (шулики): honey flatbread soaked in sweet poppy-seed milk for the August honey feast
On 14 August, Makovei, the first of the summer Saviour feasts, Ukrainian families bless poppy heads, honey and herbs in church and come home to a bowl of shulyky. Thin honey flatbreads are baked until crisp, broken into pieces and drowned in 'poppy milk': scalded poppy seeds ground with water and honey until they turn grey-white and creamy. The bread drinks it up and becomes soft and cakey while keeping a little chew, and the whole dish tastes of nuts, honey and late summer. It is naturally dairy-free and served cold or at room temperature as a dessert. The common pitfall is grinding the seeds dry: they need to be soaked in boiling water first, otherwise they stay gritty and never release their milk. Chef's tip: a pestle and mortar gives the creamiest poppy milk, but a powerful blender with a splash of hot water works if you blend in short bursts.
- Total time
- 60 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 6
Ingredients
For the flatbreads
- 10 ½ oz plain flour
- ½ tsp bicarbonate of soda
- 1 pinch salt
- 2 tbsp honey
- 2 tbsp sunflower oil
- ½ cup warm water
For the poppy milk
- 7 oz poppy seeds
- 1 ¾ cups boiling water
- 5 tbsp honey
- ¾ cup hot water
To serve
- 1 ⅜ oz walnuts (optional)chopped
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Method
0/6 doneStep 1: Cover 7 oz poppy seeds with 1 ¾ cups boiling water and leave to soak for 20 minutes, until the seeds swell and sink.
20 minStep 2: Meanwhile, mix 10 ½ oz plain flour, ½ tsp bicarbonate of soda and 1 pinch salt, add 2 tbsp honey, 2 tbsp sunflower oil and ½ cup warm water and knead into a smooth, soft dough. Rest for 10 minutes. Heat the oven to 400°F (350°F fan).
15 minStep 3: Divide the dough into 3, roll each piece on baking paper into a 3 mm round and prick all over. Bake one or two at a time for 8–10 minutes, until golden and crisp at the edges. Cool on a rack.
25 minStep 5: Stir in 5 tbsp honey until dissolved; the poppy milk should be sweet and pourable like thin cream.
2 minStep 6: Break the flatbreads into bite-sized pieces into a deep dish, pour over the poppy milk, toss and leave for 15–20 minutes until they soften but still hold their shape. Scatter over 1 ⅜ oz walnuts to serve.
20 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 470 kcal
- Protein
- 11 g
- Carbs
- 63 g
- Fat
- 20 g
- Fibre
- 6 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does shulyky take?
- About 60 minutes in total: 30 minutes to prepare and 30 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 6 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 bicarbonate of soda?
- Baking powder, three times the amount (the bake may taste slightly different).
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