A tender sweet bread with a deep golden crust and a flavorful, nutty filling. Perfect with a hot cup of coffee. Before you begin, keep in mind that the dough needs to be refrigerated overnight.
Ingredients
FOR THE DOUGH:
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tbsp sugar
1 tsp salt
2 egg yolks, beaten (set aside the egg whites)
½ cup butter (1 stick)
½ cup cold milk
½ tsp vanilla
1 package dry yeast
FOR THE NUT FILLING:
¾ lb ground walnuts (about 3 cups whole walnuts)
¾ cup sugar
¼ cup brown sugar
FOR ASSEMBLY:
2 egg whites (saved from dough)
2-3 drops vanilla, divided
½ cup applesauce
¼ cup milk
Instructions
In a small bowl, mix the vanilla and milk together then dissolve yeast in the mixture. Sift the flour, sugar and salt into a large bowl. Cut the butter into the dry ingredients (like you would for a pie crust) until the dough resembles a course meal. Add the beaten egg yolks (setting aside the egg whites, covered, in the refrigerator) and the yeast mixture. Mix together briefly with a wooden spoon, then knead with your hands against the sides of the bowl until everything is blended together and the dough is no longer very sticky. Alternatively, you can use an electric mixer with a dough hook. Form the dough into a ball, cover in plastic wrap, and refrigerate overnight.
When you are ready to put together the nut rolls, prepare the filling: mix together the ground walnuts, sugar, and brown sugar. Divide evenly into two bowls and set aside.
Remove your dough from the refrigerator; divide in half and place on a floured work surface. One at a time, roll out each piece of dough to a 14” x 13” rectangle. Turn the dough so that one of the longer edges is facing you. Mix your reserved egg whites with a drop of vanilla. Using a pastry brush or your fingers, brush some of the egg white mixture over the top of the dough. Then smear about ¼ cup applesauce (or a little less) over the dough to keep the nut roll moist. Sprinkle one of the bowls of nut filling over the dough, leaving about a 1-inch margin on each side of the rectangle but the far end, where you can leave a little less room (about ½-inch margin).
Start rolling the dough away from you, into a spiral, keeping the spiral firm and tight. When you’ve made several turns, fold the 1-inch side margins inward, and then continue to roll all the way up, pinching the seam once rolled. Place the nut roll, seam down, on a parchment-lined or lightly greased baking sheet. Using a pastry brush or your fingers, use just enough milk combined with a drop or two of vanilla to brush the top of the rolls (this will make the rolls nice and shiny). Repeat the process with remaining dough.
Preheat oven to 350 F. Let the rolls rise for 30 minutes, then bake for 30-35 minutes until the rolls are a deep tan color. To serve, cut the nut rolls crosswise into slices.
Recipe by dramatic pancake at https://www.dramaticpancake.com/janet-orechovnik-slovak-nut-roll/