Bobalky with Poppyseeds and Honey

¼ cup of lukewarm milk – about 90 to 100°F (preheat in a microwave)
¼ cup of bread flour (or all-purpose)
2 TSP of confectioners’ sugar
2 TSP of active dry yeasts

Thoroughly stir with a whisk until fully combined (about 1 – 2 minutes).

Cover with plastic wrap, and using a knife, create 1 small hole to let the leaven breathe.

Set aside until it doubles in volume (about 15 – 30 minutes).

2 cups of bread flour
2 TBSP of granulated sugar
½ TSP of salt

Shortly hand stir with the whisk.

1 egg
½ stick of very soft butter
½ cup of lukewarm milk
Leaven from step 1

Knead on slow speed until all ingredients are partially combined.

Note:

• Use a bowl scraper to release it from the hook and the bottom of the bowl.
• The final dough could be slightly sticky and partially stick to the bottom of the bowl.

Remove the mixing bowl from the mixer and cover it with plastic wrap.

Let it rise in a warm place until it has doubled in size (about 1 hour).

Separate the dough into a few large pieces

Roll each piece into ½ – ¾” strings.

Cut stings into ½ to ¾” long segments.

Important:
Ensure they are not touching each other and have at least ½ “ space between each other and the edges of the baking sheet.

Repeat the same with all remaining segments.

Note:
The focus is to let the dough recover from being formed. There are no specific requirements as to how much it should increase.

Bake in a preheated oven until they turn golden (about 10 minutes).

Note:
When baked, you can let it rest for the next step on the baking sheet or use it immediately in step 9.

1 ½ cups of milk
½ cup of poppyseeds

Briefly stir and cover with a lid. Bring to a simmer (about 195°F) with occasional stirring.

Notes:

• If the milk evaporates too much during this step, add some extra milk.
• If you have a too-powerful burner, you may want to lower the heat to medium-low.

Then remove the lid, increase heat to medium-high, and cook until the milk gets absorbed and evaporated (some liquid could still be present for further steps).

¼ cup of granulated sugar

Cook with constant stirring until the sugar gets fully incorporated (usually about 1 minute).

Set aside for a later step.

2 cups of whole milk

Preheat in the microwave until hot.

Soak the bobalky in the medium mixing bowl with milk while gently stirring with a spatula (for about 30 seconds to 1 minute to ensure they absorb part of the milk but do not get too soggy).

Note:
Try to eliminate the amount of the milk that gets into the large mixing bowl, but some milk residue is okay.

Poppyseed topping
½ stick of butter – melted
¼ cup of honey – adjust if needed

Gently stir using a silicone spatula until all bobalky are evenly coated.

Serve on a plate or in a bowl (about 15 – 20 for a serving) and drizzle with honey right before serving.