Fluffy Cozonac

To prepare a delicious and fluffy cozonac, it is essential that the ingredients are at room temperature, so ideally you should prepare them a few hours in advance or even the night before. We start by activating the yeast: we mix a tablespoon of sugar with the yeast and 2-3 tablespoons of warm milk, letting the mixture sit for 20 minutes until it becomes frothy and aromatic. In a bowl, we put 4-5 tablespoons of flour from the total amount of 1 kg and pour 150 ml of boiling milk over them. We mix vigorously to obtain a homogeneous paste, which we let cool.

In the food processor, we add the remaining flour and make a well in the middle. Here, we will add the rest of the ingredients, including the activated sourdough and the cooled scalded flour paste. We gradually pour in the milk during kneading. We activate the processor and knead the dough until it becomes smooth and elastic. Once we have achieved the desired consistency, we transfer the dough to a large oiled bowl, covering it with a clean towel, letting it rise in a warm place for 1-1.5 hours, until it doubles in volume.

In the meantime, we can take care of the filling. We bring the milk to a boil, adding butter, sugar, and vanilla sugar, stirring until they are completely melted. Once the mixture has boiled, we add the ground walnuts and a tablespoon of cocoa, mixing the composition well. If the filling seems too liquid, do not hesitate to add a little breadcrumbs to achieve a thicker texture.

After the dough has risen nicely, we divide half of it into two equal parts. On a lightly oiled work surface, we flatten each piece into a not too thin rectangular sheet. Over each sheet, we place a generous layer of walnut filling and, if desired, pieces of Turkish delight or a chocolate cream like Nutella. We carefully roll each sheet, then braid the two rolls and tuck the ends underneath to form the cozonac.

We place the cozonac in a baking tray lined with parchment paper or greased with oil/butter and let it rise in the tray for 20-30 minutes. Before putting it in the oven, we brush it with a yolk diluted with a little milk to achieve a golden crust. We preheat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius and bake the cozonaci for 40-45 minutes or until they pass the toothpick test and become golden brown. The result will be a soft and fluffy cozonac that stays fresh longer due to the scalding technique of the dough. Enjoy it with pleasure!

 Ingredients: Dough: 1 kg flour (it would be good if you have Manitoba flour) 8 egg yolks + 1 yolk for brushing 300-350 g sugar 200 g soft, fatty butter, cut into cubes 2 packets of dry yeast or 50 g fresh yeast 500 ml milk 1 pinch of salt 2 packets of vanilla sugar lemon and orange zest Filling: 1/2 cup of milk 50 g butter 1 packet of vanilla sugar 150-200 g sugar 250 g ground walnuts cocoa 1-2 tablespoons of breadcrumbs (optional) Turkish delight Nutella

 Tags:  eggs milk unt flour sugar lemon cocoa oranges nut sweet bread