Perfect Cozonac Recipe (Romanian Holiday Sweet Bread)

🧂 Ingredients

• 200 grams flour
• 200 ml milk
• 14 grams dry yeast

  or 40 grams fresh yeast
• 800 grams flour
• 200 ml milk
• 200 grams sugar
• 200 grams butter

  softened to room temperature
• 2 eggs
• 4 egg yolks
• zest of one lemon
• zest of one orange
• 1.5 teaspoons vanilla bean paste

  or substitute vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon rum essence
• 20 ml spiced rum

  about 2 tablespoons
• 12 grams salt
• 500 grams walnuts
• 100 grams sugar
• 80 ml milk
• 60 grams egg white

  about 2 egg whites
• 30 grams butter
• 12 grams cocoa powder
• 20 ml spiced rum
• 0.5 teaspoon rum essence
• 3 grams salt
• 2 teaspoons vegetable oil

  to grease the bowl when resting the dough (optional)
• 1 tablespoon butter

  for preparing the loaf pans
• 1 tablespoon flour

  for preparing the loaf pans
• 1 egg

  beaten well for eggwash

Instructions

• 1 Make the sponge by mixing the sponge ingredients and letting it rise in a warm
  oven (50C / 120 F) for 15-20 minutes until bubbly.
• 2 Add the sponge to the bowl of the stand mixer with the rest of the dough
  ingredients except the butter.
• 3 Start the mixer on low and set a timer for 10 minutes.
• 4 After 10 minutes, set a timer for 20 minutes and begin adding the butter slowly.
• 5 After a total of 30 minutes of mixing the dough is ready for the first proof.
• 6 Put the dough back in the warm oven (50 C / 120 F) for 20 minutes.
• 7 After 20 minutes, do 3-4 stretch and folds. Then put back in warm oven for 20
  more minutes.
• 8 Repeat once more (for a total of 60 minutes in the oven) then take the dough out
  of the oven and do your final stretch and fold then leave it to cool and rest at
  room temperature for 15-20 minutes.
• 9 While the dough is proofing you can prepare the loaf pans and parchment paper
  (if using). If using parchment paper, cut two sheet to less than the width of
  your loaf pans. Prepare the loaf pans by rubbing with a layer of butter and then
  flour on all the surfaces that will be in contact with the dough.
• 10 If you want some bigger nut pieces in the cozonac, set aside 100 grams. These
  can be either quickly pulsed in a food processor to desired consistency or rough
  chopped with a knife. Set them aside until ready to use.
• 11 Add the walnuts and all the other dry ingredients for the filling to the bowl of
  the food processor and pulse until the mixture is fine and smooth.
• 12 Add all the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and pulse until a smooth
  paste forms.
• 13 Cut the dough into two equal pieces. Cover one of them while you roll out the
  other.
• 14 Cut the dough again into either 2 pieces (to make a twist shape) or 3 pieces (to
  make a braid shape) and roll out each of the pieces 10 cm / 4 inches longer than
  your loaf pan on either side and wide enough that they can be rolled into a
  carpet with 2-3 rotations.
• 15 Distribute the filling equally for all the pieces of dough and spread on in a
  thin layer.
• 16 Roll the pieces of dough into carpet-like rolls.
• 17 Gently slide the parchment paper underneath the rolls positioned exactly in the
  middle (so you can use it to lift the shaped loaf).
• 18 Bring together the ends of the rolls and either twist (if two pieces) or braid
  (if 3 pieces).
• 19 Gently lift the loaf with the parchment paper or your hands and place it into
  the prepared loaf pans.
• 20 Cover the prepared loaf with a clean kitchen cloth, and repeat this process on
  the remaining piece of dough.
• 21 Once both loaves and ready and in the loaf pans, put them back in the warm (50 C
  / 120 F) oven. Proof in the warm oven for 30-40 minutes or until significantly
  puffed up.
• 22 Take the loaves out of the oven, and heat the oven up to 175 C / 350 F.
• 23 Apply eggwash to the loaves.
• 24 Put the loaves in the preheated oven. Set two timers: one for the total baking
  time of 45 minutes and another for 15 minutes.
• 25 After 15 minutes, check on the loaves. If they are very dark brown on top
  already, then gently cover them with aluminum foil (like a tent) and reduce the
  oven temperature to 160 C / 320 F. If they are not very dark, then wait another
  5 minutes before you tent them and reduce the oven temperature.
• 26 After 45 minutes the cozonaci should be ready. Allow the cozonaci to cool for
  15-20 minutes before slicing.

Nutrition Info