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This Braided Poppy-Seed Roll Is a Delightful German Breakfast

The dough for this absolutely stunning poppy-seed braid (faux-braid, to be precise, but more on that in a minute) is actually quite unusual, as it’s a mix of yeasted dough and short-crust dough kneaded together. In Germany, it’s called Zwillingsteig (meaning “twin dough”) and was popular in bygone times for cakes made with fresh fruit, but the style has fallen by the wayside in recent decades. It is making a bit of a comeback, though, as all good things do. Zwillingsteig is a richer, moister dough than regular yeasted doughs, and keeps for a little while longer, too.Here, the dough is rolled out and spread with a creamy, vanilla-scented poppy-seed filling, then rolled up into a big log. For this poppy-seed roll, also known as Mohnzopf, you use a pair of sharp shears to snip the log crosswise at regular intervals. The snipped pieces of the roll are then peeled back, alternating to the left and the right, creating a gorgeous braided loaf that will impress absolutely everyone who sees it.The poppy-seed bread recipe makes two relatively large loaves, which is great if you’re baking for a larger group or if you have a particularly lovely neighbor you’d like to share one with. Otherwise, you can freeze one of the loaves in a large plastic freezer bag. Defrost by setting the loaf out at room temperature for three to four hours before serving, and then warming it slightly in a 200°F oven. Don’t leave it in the oven for more than few minutes or it will dry out. This works best with an unglazed loaf.Poppy-Seed Braid (Mohnzopf)IngredientsExcerpted from Classic German Baking: The Very Best Recipes for Traditional Favorites, from Pfeffernüsse to Streuselkuchen by Luisa Weiss. Copyright 2016. Published by Ten Speed Press, an imprint of Penguin Random House LLC.