Cozonac
Romanian braided Easter and Christmas sweet bread with walnut, cocoa and rahat
Cozonac is the festive loaf every Romanian family bakes for Easter and Christmas, filling kitchens from Craiova to Suceava with the smell of butter, rum, lemon and orange zest. The rich yeast dough is rolled around a walnut and cocoa filling studded with pieces of rahat (Turkish delight), then braided and baked in a tall loaf tin so each slice shows a dark swirl. Unlike Slovenian potica, which is rolled into a thin spiral ring, cozonac is a braided loaf. It is eaten in thick slices with coffee on the feast mornings. Chef's tip: knead until the dough is silky and comes away from the bowl, then be patient with the rises; under-proving is the classic mistake and gives a dense, heavy loaf.
- Total time
- 110 min
- Difficulty
- hard
- Serves
- 12
Ingredients
For the dough
For the filling
For the top
Method
0/9 doneStep 1: Mix ¾ cup whole milk, ⅓ oz dried active yeast and 1 tbsp of the 4 oz caster sugar and leave for 10 minutes until frothy.
10 minStep 2: Put 1 ⅓ lb strong white bread flour and ½ tsp salt in a large bowl. Whisk the rest of the sugar with 4 egg yolks, 1 egg, 2 tsp lemon and orange zest, 2 tsp vanilla extract and 2 tbsp rum, then add to the flour with the yeast mixture.
5 minStep 3: Knead by hand or with a dough hook for 15 minutes, adding 4 oz butter and 2 tbsp sunflower oil a spoonful at a time, until the dough is soft, glossy and pulls cleanly from the bowl.
15 minStep 4: Cover and leave somewhere warm until doubled, about 1½–2 hours.
100 minStep 5: For the filling, whisk 3 egg whites to soft peaks, then fold in 9 oz walnuts, 2 tbsp cocoa powder and 3 ½ oz caster sugar to make a thick paste.
5 minStep 6: Grease two 25 cm loaf tins and line with baking paper. Divide the dough into 4. Roll each piece into a 25 x 35 cm rectangle, spread with a quarter of the filling, scatter with 5 ½ oz rahat (Turkish delight) and 1 ¾ oz raisins and roll up tightly from the long side.
15 minStep 7: Twist two rolls around each other into a rope and lay in a tin; repeat. Cover and leave to rise until the dough reaches the top of the tins, about 1 hour.
60 minStep 8: Heat the oven to 350°F (325°F fan). Brush the tops with 1 egg and bake for 15 minutes, then lower to 350°F (300°F fan) and bake 30–35 minutes more, covering with foil if the top darkens too fast. They are done when a skewer comes out clean and the base sounds hollow.
50 minStep 9: Cool in the tins for 15 minutes, then on a rack, lying on their sides so they don't sink. Slice only when fully cold.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 480 kcal
- Protein
- 12 g
- Carbs
- 58 g
- Fat
- 23 g
- Fibre
- 3 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does cozonac take?
- About 110 minutes in total: 60 minutes to prepare and 50 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 12 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- Can I make it ahead?
- Yes. It keeps well, so you can cook it earlier in the day or the day before and reheat it.
- What can I use instead of whole milk?
- Semi-skimmed milk with 1 tbsp cream per 240ml (1 cup).
- What can I use instead of caster sugar?
- Caster sugar, same amount.
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