Cozonac (Romanian Easter Bread)

By Digital Groupe SEB

Filled with nuts, cocoa and a zesty citrus scent, a slice of Cozonac brings a delicious sweetness to your Easter feast.

Serves

4

Prep Time

25 min

Cook Time

50 min

Ingredients

80 g caster sugar
130 ml milk
150 g finely chopped walnuts
15 g bitter cocoa powder
1 orange zest
60 ml milk
3 g dried baker's yeast
30 g caster sugar
260 g special pastry flour
3 g salt
2 eggs
1 orange zest
1 lemon zest
80 g soft butter
1 egg yolk
1 tbsp milk

Method

Pour all the ingredients for the filling into a saucepan. Stir and cook over a low heat for about 8 minutes, or until the mixture forms a sticky paste. Leave to cool completely to room temperature: the mixture will firm up further.
Warm the milk in the microwave (38° to 40°C, take care not to let it get too hot as this may deactivate the yeast). Place the yeast to be rehydrated in a small bowl with the milk and sugar. Mix well. Leave to rest for 5 minutes.
Pour the flour, salt, zest, eggs and milk/yeast/sugar mixture into a large recipient. Knead by hand for 3 minutes.
Make the butter soft: take it out of the fridge 1 hour before or put it in the microwave for 20 seconds. Add the butter and knead the dough to incorporate it well for about 2 minutes. Cover the dough with a clean cloth and leave to rest for 2 hours at room temperature.
Remove the dough from the recipient. On a lightly floured table, fold the dough over, taking the ends and pulling them towards the centre to form a ball (make 10 flaps in all).
Flour your work surface and rolling pin. Roll out the pastry into a large 35x25 cm rectangle. Spread the walnut filling on top, up to about 0.5 cm from the edge. Roll the rectangle widthways into a large sausage. Extend the roll to 50 cm then cut it in half. Take the two strands and seal them at one end. Twist them together, then carefully place the twists in a round shape in a non-stick cake tin measuring 17 cm in diameter x 7 cm high.
Cover the pastry with a clean cloth and leave to rest for 1.5 hours at room temperature. The pastry should double in size.
Brush the cozonac with egg yolk mixed with milk. Place the mould in the appliance fitted with the plate. Start the cooking process.
Turn out while hot and leave to cool on a wire rack.