Perfect Cozonac Recipe (Romanian Holiday Sweet Bread)

close up of a loaf of cozonac behind a few slices with christmas ornaments

Perfect Cozonac Recipe (Romanian Holiday Sweet Bread)

This recipe makes two big, fluffy and beautiful cozonaci. The nutritional information is calculated on the basis of a slice, if each cozonac is cut into 15 slices (so 30 slices total).

Course Breakfast, Dessert

Cuisine Romanian

Keyword chocolate, Christmas, Easter, walnuts

Prep Time 3 15

Cook Time 45

Total Time 4

Servings slices

Calories 362kcal

Equipment

2 loaf pans see recipe post for size details
stand mixer with dough hook attachment
food processor for making the filling (optional)
parchment paper for lining the pans (optional)
aluminum foil for covering the loaves while baking
pastry brush for eggwash

Ingredients

sponge (preferment)

200 grams flour
200 ml milk
14 grams dry yeast or 40 grams fresh yeast

dough

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 1 tablespoon and 1 tsp
12 grams salt

filling

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 1 tablespoon and 1 tsp
0.5 teaspoon rum essence
3 grams salt

extras

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

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

make the sponge (20 minutes)

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.

mix the dough (30 minutes)

Add the sponge to the bowl of the stand mixer with the rest of the dough ingredients except the butter.
Start the mixer on low and set a timer for 10 minutes.
After 10 minutes, set a timer for 20 minutes and begin adding the butter slowly.
After a total of 30 minutes of mixing the dough is ready for the first proof.

proof the dough (80 minutes)

Put the dough back in the warm oven (50 C / 120 F) for 20 minutes.
After 20 minutes, do 3-4 stretch and folds. Then put back in warm oven for 20 more minutes.
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.

prepare the loaf pans and make the filling* (5 minutes)

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.
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.
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.
Add all the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and pulse until a smooth paste forms.

shape (20 minutes)

Cut the dough into two equal pieces. Cover one of them while you roll out the other.
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.
Distribute the filling equally for all the pieces of dough and spread on in a thin layer.
Roll the pieces of dough into carpet-like rolls.
Gently slide the parchment paper underneath the rolls positioned exactly in the middle (so you can use it to lift the shaped loaf).
Bring together the ends of the rolls and either twist (if two pieces) or braid (if 3 pieces).
Gently lift the loaf with the parchment paper or your hands and place it into the prepared loaf pans.
Cover the prepared loaf with a clean kitchen cloth, and repeat this process on the remaining piece of dough.

final proof (30-40 minutes)

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.
Take the loaves out of the oven, and heat the oven up to 175 C / 350 F.
Apply eggwash to the loaves.

bake (45 minutes)

Put the loaves in the preheated oven. Set two timers: one for the total baking time of 45 minutes and another for 15 minutes.
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.
After 45 minutes the cozonaci should be ready. Allow the cozonaci to cool for 15-20 minutes before slicing.

Notes

Note on filling:

If you are using pre-ground walnuts, you can just mix all the ingredients together in a bowl until evenly mixed.

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.

Nutrition