Oma's German Poppy Seed Roll (Mohnrolle / Mohnstrudel)
by: Gerhild Fulson / Oma Gerhild shares German recipes rooted in family tradition.
Updated on December 2, 2025
Oma's poppy seed roll is so easy to make. Use your bread machine to whip up... and ENJOY!
My poppy seed roll, aka Mohnrolle (Mohnstrudel) is so easy to make. Use your bread machine to whip up the dough. (No bread machine? Click here for the instructions and then follow the recipe below.
Then, prepare the filling (or use canned poppy seed filling), roll it all together, and bake! Let cool slightly and eat fresh! WUNDERBAR! Yes, that easy!
Bread machine, Oma? Yes!!!! Oma loves easy German food recipes!
And this is one easy poppy seed cake recipe! You see, yeast recipes don't have to be complicated.
Oma's Poppy Seed Braid
Here, my granddaughter, Lydia, helped me make this easy poppy seed braid. Well, not a real braid. Sort of a beginner version of it.
Here are some steps showing how fun and creative this recipe is to make! Give it a try! The braiding is the best part!
- Roll the dough out into a rectangle.
- Put the filling down the middle third.
- Cut the sides and fold over as shown above.
- Place on baking sheet. Bake as in recipe above.
- Drizzle with a lemon icing. (Mix powdered sugar with a bit of lemon juice).
So yummy for our afternoon kaffeeklatsch with the family.
This method of making the 'easy braid' was something I learned as a teenager at my Mutti's side. I'd put all sorts of fillings in the middle, but poppy seed was (and remains) my favorite.
Does Yeast Dough scare you?
I know the recipe looks long and complicated, but it really isn't.
- Make the yeast dough. Either use your bread machine like I do below or make it by hand the way I do here.
- While it is resting, make your filling and let it cool down.
- Roll out the dough.
- Put the filling on it.
- Roll it up.
- Rest it.
- Bake it.
- Eat it.
- :)
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Cover Top with streusel
A yummy version is to turn this into a Mohnstriezel by covering the top with streusel, just before baking.
Make the streusel by mixing together ⅓ cup butter, ⅓ cup sugar, and ⅔ cup flour until you have crumbles. Scatter the crumbs over the top of the streusel, just before baking.
Drizzle the baked Mohnstriezel with an icing made by mixing ½ cup powdered sugar and about 2½ tablespoons of freshly pressed lemon juice.
Oma says,
This would be great to be included in your holiday baking recipes.
Like all yeast cakes, this one does taste better fresh. So plan to use it the same day. However, since the filling is a bit moist, it will help keep the cake moist for a day or so.
You can freeze it, if you wish, and then thaw to serve (a bit of a reheat would be nice.)
Ready to make this Poppy Seed Roll?
Oma's German Poppy Seed Roll (Mohnrolle / Mohnstrudel)
My poppy seed roll, aka Mohnrolle, is so easy to make. Use your bread machine to whip up the dough. Then, prepare the filling (or use canned), roll it all together, and bake! Let cool slightly and eat fresh! WUNDERBAR! Yes, that easy!
Prep Time:
10 minutes
Rise Time:
2 hours
Bake Time:
20 minutes
Total Time:
2 hours 30 minutes
Servings:
Makes 16 slices
Ingredients:
For The Yeast Dough:
- ¼ cup (50 grams) granulated sugar
- 2¼ cups (293 grams) flour, all-purpose
- 1 teaspoon (6 grams) salt
- ¾ cup (180 milliliters) milk, lukewarm
- 1 egg yolk
- 2 tablespoons (30 grams) butter, room temperature
- 2 teaspoons (7 grams) active dry yeast (1 packet)
For The Poppyseed Filling: (or use prepared canned filling)
- ½ cup (75 g) raisins soaked in rum (optional)
- 2 cups (290 grams) ground poppy seeds
- ½ cup (100 grams) granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons
(28 grams) butter, room
temperature
- 1 tablespoon (15 milliliters) lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon (6 grams)
lemon zest
- 1 tablespoon (8 grams) all-purpose flour
- 1 cup
(240 milliliters) milk
For The Topping:
-
2 tbsp (28 g) butter, melted
- powdered sugar, for dusting
Instructions:
-
Put all the dough ingredients into the pan of the bread
machine. Select dough setting and press start. This
process usually takes about 1½ hours.
-
In the meantime, if you are using raisins, put them into a
small bowl and sprinkle them with rum.
-
Grease a baking sheet and set aside.
-
Place the poppy seeds, sugar, butter, lemon juice, lemon
zest, and flour in a small saucepan and mix together. Add
the milk and stir. Bring the mixture to a simmer and cook
for about a ½ hour until thickened, stirring occasionally.
Let cool before using.
-
When the dough cycle is finished, remove the dough from
the bread machine. Put a bit of flour on the counter and
knead the dough slightly.
-
Divide the dough in half. Roll out one half into a 10x10
inch square. Do this by patting the dough, pulling it, and
then using a rolling pin. Keep lifting the dough from the
counter to make sure it’s not sticking. Try to use as little
extra flour as possible.
-
Drain the raisins and add them to the poppy seed filling.
-
Spread half the poppy seed filling over the surface of the
dough, keeping about 1-inch from the edges.
-
Roll up the dough, jelly-roll style, and place it on the
baking sheet. Repeat with the other half of the dough.
-
Cover the rolls with a clean kitchen towel and let them
rise in a warm, draft-free place for about 30 minutes.
-
Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C).
-
Gently brush the rolls with the melted butter.
-
Bake for about 30 to 35 minutes, or until golden brown.
Let the rolls cool on the baking sheet.
-
Brush with additional melted butter and sprinkle with
powdered sugar. Serve slightly warm.
Hints:
- If you want to make the yeast dough by hand instead of using a bread machine, you can follow the recipe here.
- Instead of making the poppy seed filling from scratch, replace it with a can of prepared poppy seed filling. Find a brand that you like. There are several to choose from, some with raisins, some with nuts, some plain.
- Either roll it or braid it, whichever suits your fancy.
- To cover the top with streusel, mix together ⅓ cup butter, ⅓ cup sugar, and ⅔ cup flour until you have crumbles. Scatter the crumbs over the top of the streusel, just before baking. Drizzle the baked Mohnstriezel with an icing made by mixing ½ cup powdered sugar and about 2½ tablespoons of freshly pressed lemon juice.
* * * * *
Unless otherwise noted recipe, images and content © Just like Oma | www.quick-german-recipes.com
Updated on December 2, 2025
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