This post is also available in german/deutsch.This moist and fluffy poppy seed babka or poppy seed striezel is a traditional Easter pastry and everybody loves it. The yeast dough is fluffy and the poppy seed filling is super moist.
All the ingredients you use should be at room temperature, because the yeast dough doesn’t like cold ingredients at all.


Roll out & cut dough
The dough is ready when it has doubled in volume. Then knead the dough again briefly on a floured surface and then let it rest for 10 minutes. Roll out into a rectangle and brush with the poppy seed filling.
Then the dough is rolled up from the long side. Cut lengthways with a sharp knife, don´t cut through at one end. Then carefully let the interfaces point upwards and twist the stands inside. Lift the end of the braid a little under the dough so that everything holds together. Place in the loaf pan, cover and let rise for 60 minutes.
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Poppy seed babka
Yeast dough
20 g fresh yeast or 1 packet dry yeast
250 ml lukewarm oat milk (possibly a little more)
30 g of sugar
500g flour
100 g soft butter
1 tsp salt
Poppy seed filling
250 ml milk
Zest of ½ organic lemon
50 g of sugar
1 pinch of salt
50 g soft wheat semolina
75 g ground poppy seeds
glaze
100 g powdered sugar
1 tbsp lemon juice
Loaf pan 23 cm
Yeast dough
Dissolve the yeast in lukewarm milk and knead with the remaining ingredients in the food processor to a smooth dough. If the dough is too dry, pour in a little more milk. (Spoonful)
Cover and leave in a warm place for 1 hour.
filling
Boil the milk with lemon zest, sugar and salt, first stir in the semolina, then the poppy seeds. Pull off the stove and let it cool.
Preheat the oven to 200 ° C. Grease the loaf pan or line it with baking paper.
Place the yeast dough on a floured work surface and roll out into a rectangle. Spread the poppy seed mixture evenly on top and roll up the dough from the long side.
Halve the dough roll lengthways with a sharp knife. But don’t cut all the way through. Carefully fold the two dough sticks over each other and place them in the baking pan. Cover and let rest in a warm place for 30 minutes.
Brush the poppy seed braid with egg wash or (soy) cream and bake in a hot oven for about 45 minutes until golden brown.
Let the braid cool down and if you like, brush the cake with a lemon glaze.
Mix the icing sugar with lemon juice until smooth and brush the poppy seeds evenly.


If you try this poppy seed babka or one of our other recipes, please leave us a comment how you liked it. Tag us @KLARASLIFEon Instagram and hashtag it #KLARASLIFE so we can see them and share with the community! Thank you!

Poppy seed babka
Ingredients
Yeast dough
- 20 g fresh yeast or 1 packet dry yeast
- 250 ml lukewarm oat milk possibly a little more
- 30 g of sugar
- 500 g flour
- 100 g soft butter
- 1 tsp salt
Poppy seed filling
- 250 ml milk
- Zest of ½ organic lemon
- 50 g of sugar
- 1 pinch of salt
- 50 g soft wheat semolina
- 75 g ground poppy seeds
Icing
- 100 g powdered sugar
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
Loaf pan 23 cm
Instructions
Yeast dough
- Dissolve the yeast in lukewarm milk and knead with the remaining ingredients in the food processor to a smooth dough. If the dough is too dry, pour in a little more milk. (Spoonful)
- Cover and leave in a warm place for 1 hour.
filling
- Boil the milk with lemon zest, sugar and salt, first stir in the semolina, then the poppy seeds. Pull off the stove and let it cool.
- Preheat the oven to 200 ° C. Grease the loaf pan or line it with baking paper.
- Place the yeast dough on a floured work surface and roll out into a rectangle. Spread the poppy seed mixture evenly on top and roll up the dough from the long side.
- Halve the dough roll lengthways with a sharp knife. But don't cut all the way through. Carefully fold the two dough sticks over each other and place them in the baking pan. Cover and let rest in a warm place for 30 minutes.
- Brush the poppy seed braid with egg wash or (soy) cream and bake in a hot oven for about 45 minutes until golden brown.
- Let the braid cool down and if you like, brush the cake with a lemon glaze.
Icing
- Mix the icing sugar with lemon juice until smooth and brush the poppy seeds evenly.
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6 comments
Can you change to ounces
What temperature do you define as “hot oven”.
Hi Susan,
you can find it in the recipe. 200 °C it´s 400 Fahrenheit.
Greetings
Kathrin
This was so delicious I will definitely be making again. I halved the recipe and used a 1lb tin, it took 30 minutes to bake
Awe Karen, so nice to hear your great feedback.
Thank you so much.
Baked my first poppy seed bread today! Turned out absolutely delicious! (and yes, I am sure it is possible to twist two dough halves without getting all covered in poppy seed mix but that I will practice next time 🙂 )Thank you so much!