Nut roll has always been my favorite treat since I was a kid. Everyone in our family made their's a little differently. I been trying for years to duplicate my favorite properties, flaky bread, sweetly balanced filling and lots of nuts. It's taken years but I think I finally have it perfected. It is quite time consuming but totally worth it.
DOUGH
- 1/2 cup milk
- 1 cup butter (2 sticks) softened
- 1/2 cup Sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 3 eggs beaten
- 1 cup sour cream
- 1 pkg yeast (proofed in 1/4 cup warm water @ 105F)
- 6 cups all purpose flour
FILLING
- 2 lb nuts (walnuts, pecans or almonds)
- 2 cup brown sugar
- 1/4 tsp cinnamon
- 1/2 cup butter softened
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 1/2 cup milk
- 2 egg yolks
- 1 Tablespoon lemon juice
- Proof one package of rapid rise yeast in 1/4 cup water at 105F.
- Soften two sticks of butter (1 cup), add 1/2 cup milk, 1/2 cup Sugar, 1/4 teaspoon salt.
- Place in mixer bowl with wisk tool or mixer blades.
- Mix well.
- Add - 3 eggs beaten, 1 cup sour cream.
- Mix
- Add yeast and mix until blended.
- Switch to dough hooks.
- Add 6 cups all purpose flour.
- Make dough as with bread dough, until it does not stick. It will be greasier that typical bread dough because to all the butter and sour cream.
- Set aside in a warm, draft free place to rise until double in size. (Approx 1 hr.)
- While the dough rises, mix the filling ingredients in a large bowl and set aside.
- Kneed the dough.
- Divide into 6 balls.
- Roll out the balls on a floured board. (You can add a little confectioners sugar just for fun if you like.)
- Roll all balls out into a rectangle about 1/4 inch thick (approx 10 x 12 inches) and set aside in a warm place to rise until about 50% thicker (approx 15-30 min.). This will make the bottom a little fluffier than otherwise.
- After rising, lay out the first roll on a floured board, add filling leaving a little space around the edges to seal. Roll tightly, wet the seam slightly to seal. Place on a greased baking pan, seam side down. Allow to rise in warm, draft free place until doubled, (approx 1 hour).
- Bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown.
You can split the filling recipe to make rolls with different types of nuts. I typically use Walnuts and Pecans. I most especially love poppy seed filling. Currently, I use the canned type available in the grocery store. Raw poppy seeds are outragiously expensive. I am working on my own poppy seed filling but it is not yet ready for prime time. When it is, you'll be the first to know.