Hungarian Poppy Seed Swirl Rolls (Mákos Csiga)

These beautiful Hungarian Poppy Seed Swirl Rolls, known as Mákos Csiga, are a delightful traditional-style pastry with a soft, lightly sweet yeast dough wrapped around a rich poppy seed filling. 🇭🇺✨

Their distinctive spiral shape gives them their name—csiga means “snail” in Hungarian. Golden and tender on the outside with a fragrant, slightly sweet poppy seed center, these rolls are wonderful for breakfast, afternoon coffee, or a holiday pastry table.

Ingredients

For the Dough

• 3½ cups all-purpose flour
• 2¼ teaspoons active dry yeast
• ½ cup lukewarm milk
• ¼ cup granulated sugar
• 2 large eggs
• ½ cup unsalted butter, melted
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

For the Poppy Seed Filling

• 1½ cups finely ground poppy seeds
• ¾ cup granulated sugar
• ½ cup milk
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ¼ cup raisins, optional

For Brushing

• 1 egg yolk
• 1 tablespoon milk