Bobalky

Sauerkraut soup, fried fish and potato salad are certainly a symbol of typical Slovakian Christmas and they belong on the Christmas Eve table. However, in many places in Slovakia, or especially in eastern part of Slovakia, bobaľky are on the menu as well.

Bobaľky, bobalki, opekance, púčky or pupáky are baked balls made of leavened dough (steamed over hot water) and mixed with hot milk, poppy seeds and sugar (or honey).

Bobalky can be also served with quark or cabbage. Sauce for bobaľky, depends on region you come from or on your family’s preference. In our family, bobaľky are always served with poppy seeds sauce.

In the past, the poppy seeds were a symbol of abundance and prosperity. Maybe that’s the reason poppy seeds found their way to the Christmas dinner table as well.

 

One of the traditions is to eat bobaľky from one bowl so that the family will stay together following year.

 

Very basic recipe for bobalky can vary from family to family. We have the recipe from our mother, who got it from her mother 😊

Ingredients

500g all purpose flour

20g fresh yeast

½ teaspoon salt

1 tbsp granulated sugar

20g melted, cooled butter

200 ml milk

Poppy seeds sauce - for half bobaľky

400 ml milk

2 tablespoons powdered sugar (if you like sweet bobalky, you can add more)

3 tbsp ground poppy seeds

½ tsp cinnamon

100g melted butter

Directions

1. Heat up milk for a few seconds in the microwave and add crushed yeast and 1tbsp of sugar. Let it rest for 5 minutes.

2. We mix 500g of flour with 20g butter, ½ tsp of salt and yeast mixture.

3. Stir with a wooden spoon.

4. Knead the dough for a good 5 minutes (until it is not sticky anymore). Add flour if necessary.

5. Cover the bowl with a clean tea towel and let it rise for an hour in a warm place.

6. Turn the dough out onto a floured work surface and roll it out. Cut the dough into strips.

7. Roll the dough and cut each roll into small pieces.

8. Grease baking tray with vegetable oil and put bobaľky next to each other - keep a small distance between bobalky.

Bake for 16-18 minutes at 200 degrees.

9. We do not break apart bobaľky right after taking them out from the oven. Let them dry for 2 days on a tray, without covering. Store in a plastic bag. Dried bobaľky will last for a couple of weeks.

Poppy seed sauce

10. Steam bobalky over hot water bath - keep them in the steam until they soften.

11. Grind the poppy seeds in a grinder or crush them in a mortar. Boil the milk in a saucepan, add 2 tablespoons of powdered sugar and 3 tablespoons of poppy seeds. Mix well.

12. Mix bobaľky with poppy seed sauce and let them rest for approximately 20 minutes in a covered pot – at this point bobalky should be soft. If they are still hard after 20 minutes, let them rest longer.