Hungarian Walnut Beigli from the Bakehouse
The classic Christmas pastry of Budapest
Over the last 15 years—well, almost—the Bakehouse’s wonderful Walnut Beigli (pronounced “bay-glee”) has become one of our biggest holiday hits. In Hungary, it’s almost impossible to imagine or experience Christmas without beigli. It seems that everyone either makes their own at home or has a favorite bakery that their family has been buying from for generations. Over the years, our beigli has continued to gain more and more loyal fans around here as well. Ann Arbor isn’t Budapest, of course, but seemingly everywhere I go—inside the organization and around our guests—I bump into someone singing its praises. Staffers ooh and aah when beigli first emerges from the Bakehouse ovens for the season, and customers do the same! If you try our beigli, I have a feeling you may be joining us in delicious amazement! Amy Emberling, co-managing partner at the Bakehouse, shares:
I love making and eating Walnut Beigli but I might actually enjoy the way beigli looks more than anything else (you know that expression of eating with our eyes). It has a rich mahogany exterior with distinctive cracking from the particular egg wash method traditionally used. Each beigli has its own unique and captivating pattern.
A long-standing holiday tradition in Hungary, beigli is pretty much a staple in every house in the country at Christmas. A yeasted dough rolled up with a filling of walnuts, the outside of each beigli has a beautiful sheen to it and a unique, slightly mottled, crackly crust. Inside are swirls of a thick walnut-sugar filling that’s so good, I literally had a hard time not eating more of it. The richness of the butter in the dough and the walnuts on the inside are comforting and compelling at the same time. A great host or hostess gift, or just something special to bring home to liven up a dark winter night! Sip some good coffee—I’m high on the 2025 Holiday Blend right now, brewed in an AeroPress or pulled as a shot of espresso at the Coffee Company—and nibble slowly on a bit of beigli. It’s a beautiful way to start or end your day! And, in the spirit of bringing together the complementary flavors of fruit and nuts, and given my focus on apricots as the symbol of dignity and democracy, I like to put some apricot jam alongside the beigli. You can choose any good jam—the point, the enjoyment, will be the same. The walnuts, the buttery crust, and the sweetness of the jam are a wonderful combination!
We’ve got one beigli-loving customer who comes in weekly during December to fill her freezer with multiple rolls and then eats a small bit of beigli regularly throughout the coming year. I understand her drive to have it on hand. Really, the flavor is so compelling that it’s hard not to want a slice! You can buy our beigli at the Bakeshop and on the Zingerman’s Mail Order website as well!
Walnut wonderland
P.S. Want to bake Walnut Beigli at home? The recipe is in Zingerman’s Bakehouse, the marvelous book written by Bakehouse managing partner Amy Emberling and retired managing partner Frank Carollo.
