Nut Roll Recipe
This nut roll recipe hails from an old family friend and is a Christmas staple. It only requires one rise, so it’s easy to churn out a ton of nut roll!
It’s Christmas week and we need to talk nut roll!
I’ve seen this called nut roll, Hungarian nut roll, Slovak nut roll, Polish nut roll, kolache, even Pittsburgh nut roll, which blew my mind when I saw it! I didn’t realize they were so synonymous with this region, but that makes me just plain giddy. Whatever name you go by, traditional nut roll is a soft sweet dough that is filled with a sweet walnut mixture. It basically tastes like Christmas and it wouldn’t be the holidays without devouring an embarrassing amount of nut roll.
I originally shared this nut roll recipe with you nearly six (SIX!) years ago, and SO MANY OF YOU have made it year after year for the holidays, which just makes me so ridiculously happy. In that time, however, I’ve received a lot of questions about two very specific components of this recipe: (1) the use of cake yeast; and (2) some issues with the dough splitting open and filling oozing out during the baking process.
I’ve gone back and re-worked the recipe a couple of times to help troubleshoot those issues, and I’ve got you covered!
My mom gave me the recipe card for nut roll, which hails from her best friend of a gazillion years, Cheryl. I just adore old handwritten recipe cards 💗
Okay let’s dig into the specifics of this recipe. First up, the yeast…
The original recipe calls for cake yeast, which is typically sold in the refrigerated section of the grocery store near the butter. When I first began making this recipe, I bought cake yeast all the time, however, it hasn’t been stocked in my regular grocery store for some time now, and it sounds like the same is the case for many of you.
I recently made a batch of this nut roll substituting active dry yeast and I had no issues whatsoever. One fresh cake yeast is equivalent to three packages of active dry yeast, so you’ll see that substitution option listed in the recipe below. The most important difference to keep in mind is that the temperature of the water needs to be different based on the type of yeast you use. For fresh cake yeast, you’ll want a lower temperature to activate the yeast, while the active dry yeast requires a higher temperature.
Next up is the issue of the dough splitting and the filling oozing out. I think I have this one figured out!
The last time that I made this, instead of adding all of the flour, I added a little at a time and then stopped once the dough was no longer sticky, and I still had quite a bit of flour left. And what do you know? Those rolls had perfectly smooth dough from start to finish on ALL of the rolls – no cracking, splitting or filling spilling out. I’m convinced that the issue had to do with the dough being too dry and, as a result, cracking and splitting, which can cause the filling to come out.
The exact amount that you use will vary wildly depending on the time of year, the ambient air temperature and humidity levels, but definitely go with a little flour at a time, and then stop periodically to feel the dough as you near the end of the flour. It shouldn’t be sticky, but should still be quite soft and supple.
So that’s it! This is my go-to nut roll recipe and has been for years, and I hope I’ve made it a little bit easier for you to tackle it. At first glance it might look like a lot of work (8 nut roll!) but it’s really not a lot of hands-on time and they only require one (long) rise, so totally doable. I made my Christmas batch last week and managed to get them totally mixed and assembled in an hour while Joseph was at preschool and Dominic was napping. I left them to rise and baked later that afternoon. Done!
You can buy nut roll from bakeries and tons of churches in this area around the holidays, but I’m always surprised once I dig in and tackle them at how uncomplicated they are. If you’ve been too intimidated to try nut roll before, have no fear! I’ve also successfully scaled this recipe, so if you don’t need this many nut roll, feel free to cut it in half.
In a word, this nut roll recipe is spectacular. Too often I’ve had nut roll that are doughy and dry and/or don’t have enough filling. The dough for this recipe is very, very soft, and the filling is supremely moist. Plus, the filling-to-dough ratio is very high, which keeps everything from drying out and packs a ton of flavor into even the smallest of slices.
I hope you’ll give these a try and that they become one of your Christmas traditions as well!
Five years ago: Ho Ho Cake
Six years ago: Chocolate Bourbon Balls
Nut Roll Recipe
Ingredients
For the Dough:
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- ½ cup (125 ml) warm water
- 2 ounces (56.7 g) cake yeast or 3 packets (6¾ teaspoons) active dry yeast
- 6 eggs
- 16 ounces (453.59 ml) sour cream
- 2 cups (454 g) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
- 1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon (0.5 teaspoon) salt
- 9 to 10 cups (1.13 kg) grams all-purpose flour
For the Filling:
- 3 pounds (1.36 kg) walnuts, finely ground
- 3 cups (600 g) granulated sugar
- ¾ cup (170.25 g) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
- ¾ cup (192 ml) evaporated milk
- ½ cup (122 ml) whole milk
- ½ teaspoon (0.5 teaspoon) vanilla extract
Instructions
- Make the Dough: Dissolve 1 teaspoon sugar into the ½ cup warm water (if using fresh cake yeast, the water temperature should be between 90 to 95 degrees F; if using active dry yeast, the water temperature should be 120 to 130 degrees F). Crumble the fresh yeast or sprinkle the active dry yeast and stir to combine. Let sit for 5 to 10 minutes, or until foaming.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer using the paddle attachment, beat the eggs on medium speed until combined, about 1 minute. Add the sour cream, melted butter, sugar, vanilla, salt and the softened yeast. Mix on medium speed until smooth and well-combined, about 2 to 3 minutes. Switch to the dough hook, reduce the mixer speed to low, and add the flour a little at a time, until the dough does not feel sticky but is still soft and supple. Continue kneading until the dough does not stick to the sides of the bowl. Cover with a damp dish towel while you prepare the filling.
- Make the Filling: In a large bowl, combine all of the ingredients for the filling, stirring well to ensure that it is completely mixed and all of the ingredients are incorporated.
- Assemble the Nut Roll: Line four baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats. Divide the dough into eight pieces. On a clean work surface and one at a time, roll each piece out into a 9x14-inch rectangle, using flour if necessary to keep from sticking. Spread one-eighth of the filling to within ½-inch of the edges. With the long side in front of you, roll up gently and pinch the seams shut. Place on the prepared baking sheets, 2 rolls per sheet. Cover loosely with plastic wrap. Repeat with all eight pieces of dough. Place the baking sheets in a draft-free area and allow to rise for 3 hours (the rolls will puff and swell but will not look huge).
- Bake the Nut Roll: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Bake one pan at a time for 20 to 25 minutes, or until the tops are lightly browned. Cool completely before slicing. Wrap leftovers tightly in plastic wrap and store at room temperature for up to 1 week. The nut roll can be frozen by wrapping in plastic wrap, then again in foil, and stored in the freezer for up to 2 months. Thaw at room temperature.
Notes
- If you do not have a stand mixer, you can mix and knead this dough by hand.
- You can cut this recipe in half to make only four rolls instead of eight.
Did you make this recipe?
Leave a review below, then snap a picture and tag @thebrowneyedbaker on Instagram so I can see it!
This recipe was originally published on January 10, 2011.
Very similar to my Slovak Baba’s recipe. In ours, the liquid in the filling is all milk (not evaporated). Also no vanilla but we do add cinnamon. Highly recommend! I like your tip about the flour – makes sense. I started making my Baba’s recipe the last few years but never had an opportunity to learn from her before she passed. She would make what seemed like hundreds (when I was a child) at Christmas and Easter. There were always nut roll in the freezer!
It would be helpful if there was an option to change the serving size here. I’m not sure how many people will want to make 8 of these. I am only interested in making 1 or 2 at most. Not really sure how to go about adjusting for that.
I felt very confidant for a first timer making nut roll. My confidence has been quickly deflated. Lol
It was a few days process in my experience… but having 4 young children can derail any task that isn’t top priority.
What I learned in my experience:
For 8 loaves, they each weighed 299g. As per the notes, waited until the dough didn’t stick to the bowl or my fingers – leaving a little flour out than called for. After rolling, I eyeballed the filling when spreading. Some leftover as well…(looking forward to mixing it in my oatmeal tomorrow). A measurement for how much filling per roll would’ve been useful in my case. All of my rolls split – insert sadness here. The next time I make these… probably in 6-12 months lol- I will not roll a 9 x14. Perhaps a 9×9 to for a thicker dough Will prevent splitting. Either way, my home smells delicious and I look forward to trying some and sharing with family and friends after they cool.
Best of luck to all!
This sounds similar to my grandmother’s recipe, except we use pecans (I’m in Georgia) and golden raisins in the filling. Yum!
Love it can’t wait to try it.
This nut bread recipe brings back many wonderful memories of learning to make it from my M-I-L. I somehow lost my recipe and was thrilled to find yours! We also made it with poppy seed filling. Your recipe is easy to follow and very yummy! Thanks for sharing!
I’ve tried this recipe twice and both times my nut roll splits on top. I don’t know what I’m doing wrong.
This is similar to my Mom’s Slovak Kolache recipe. Ours is a little simpler regarding the ingredients, but close. Our rolls tend to brown more and we watch for that, and your dough looks very soft and delicious! We do not use sour cream or evaporated milk. So nice to see this recipe getting out in the world!
Hi Jim. Will you please share your recipe. I don’t remember my grandma’s using sour cream and condensed milk either. Been trying to find this recipe for years. Thank you.
Fan favorite. It is very similar to the recipe I made with my Mom for years. I now make these rolls for my family in my Mom’s honor. I do add a 1/2 cup of honey to the nut mixture and as if that’s not enough sweetness I ice the rolls with butter cream frosting.
What would cause all of mine to blow apart while cooking? I love the ease and taste of this recipe but disappointed in that they blew apart.
My Great Grandmother and family was from Wales. They passed this recipe down thru the family. Since we were moving and all my things are packed, I wondered how I was going to get this recipe for Cmas baking.
Thank you SO VERY Much for posting this. When I saw it, I couldn’t believe my eyes!!
Thank you so so much.
Merry Christmas! KJR
Never ever have I used sour cream the rest sounds close, made for 45 years on Christmas and Easter, old recipe given to me by an older woman that was passed down to her, they were Slovenian , it’s the best ! Haven’t tried yours so can not compare! Sound good! Joan
can you halve this recipe?
Yes absolutely!!
This is one of the best recipes for Povitica that I’ve ever made. Christmas and Easter are both times I usually make this recipe! I usually double it. My family and friends look forward to it. Thank you for this recipe. Love it!
Michelle,
When you’re making the dough, is it better that the ingredients are room temperature or cold?
Love this nut roll. Thanks
I used this nut roll recipe. All the rolls split open while rising, before I baked them! you cautioned about using too much flour. I really don’t think the cause was too much flour. The dough was very soft but not sticky. What else could have caused the splitting. I went ahead and baked them. They were delicious but I couldn’t get nice slices, they broke apart when trying to slice them.
I have been trying to solve this problem for many years. I’ve had the best experience so far by using 50% All Purpose bleached (Gold Medal) flour and 50% King Arthur Bread flour. The bread flour has more gluten and strengthens the dough. I still have to poke holes in both sides with a fork to vent the dough and sometimes I have to repeat the poking during the bake but my loaves don’t blow out, so I’m happy. My recipe doesn’t call for sour cream so I would probably try it with 100% bread flour. Good luck, it’s so annoying to so much work into a recipe then have it explode. But they taste great anyway.
Best recipe I have ever found a nut roll
I need some help! I am not good with yeast. I made this 4 times and only once did it come out perfect. The first time I killed the yeast with water that was too hot. I researched and found the perfect temp so I take the temp of the water before adding the yeast. Now my yeast foams nicely. I can roll out the dough and add filling and roll up the nut roll nicely – looks just like your pics. But when I bake them, only once did it expand in the oven like your pic. The other times it stays the same size. I even researched the perfect temp for letting the dough rise and mine don’t! I know you commented that they will swell a little – can you show a pic of what they look like before baking? How do you get them to expand out and soften in oven. Only one time mine did that?? Don’t know why, the other times the dough gets more crunchy than soft in oven and it doesn’t expand like your final pic, the nut roll stays long and thin
It sounds like you aren’t getting a good rise before you put them in the oven. She says to let rise for 3 hrs, and that time made mine nice and puffy. If the room is too cool, they will take even longer to rise. Good luck! Yeast DOES require water that is not too hot (around 110degrees), and if you don’t cool the butter before putting it in, you could kill the yeast then. Also, if the other ingredients are really cold, you can slow the yeast process. But it isn’t as fussy as it sometimes sounds! Keep trying!
Tastes just like my family recipe that’s been lost. My go-to since 2010.