Bulgarian Sweet Easter Bread Kozunak
The practice of creating festive sweet bread for religious holidays dates back centuries. Traditionally, these types of bread are rich in fats and sugar and often symbolise a blessing for good fortune and a rich harvest. This recipe for the festive Kozunak comes from Bulgarian cuisine and is prepared traditionally for Easter.
Equipment
- 1-2 rectangular baking tin/s
Ingredients
- 500 g plain flour plus another 100-150g for kneading the bread
- 3 medium eggs
- 90 g sugar, plus sweetener equal to 50g sugar
- 200 ml full fat or semi skimmed milk
- 500 g butter, or 250g butter and 250g lard melted
- 7 g dry yeast
- 1 teaspoon vanilla essence
- 1 teaspoon orange essence (or orange juice)
- 14 nuts walnuts or almonds, soaked in water
- 20 rasins soaked in congac or rum
Instructions
- Warm half of the milk in the microwave for a few seconds. Stir 100ml of lukewarm milk with the yeast, two tablespoons of sugar and three tablespoons of sieved flour. Leave the yeast mixture aside for 10-15 minutes for the yeast to get active and starts frothing.Sieve the flour in a separate bowl and place it in a warm (but turned off )oven for 10 minutes. Heat the rest of the milk, sugar and sweetener in a saucepan on your hob. Stir the mixture until the sugar crystals are dissolved completely. In a small bowl, whisk the eggs for a couple of minutes until foam is formed on top. Melt the butter and lard in a saucepan on your hob or in the microwave.
- Transfer the yeast to the mixer bowl. Add the eggs with the active yeast. Whisk the mixture for a few seconds to blend well. Pour the milk and sugar mixture next and whisk to combine. Add the vanilla and orange essences and continue whisking until all the wet ingredients are integrated. Gradually add small quantities of the warm flour and stir it with the wet ingredients until a soft dough is formed.
- Start kneading the dough at a low speed. Add splashes of melted butter and lard while kneading the dough as soon as the fats are absorbed. Mix all the fats with the dough gradually.Take the dough out of the mixer and knead it on your working surface with oiled hands by pulling and pressing for 5-10 minutes. Place the dough back in your dough mixer and knead for 15 minutes or until air bubbles start forming on the surface and the dough becomes soft, elastic and airy. Take the dough out of the mixer and pull, press and twist the dough with oiled hands for 5 minutes. Shape the dough into a ball and let it rest in a warm place for 60 minutes or until it doubles in size.
- When the dough has doubled in size, punch it with your fist to make it flat. Make three equal balls of dough. Pull, roll and shape each dough ball into an even rope. Plait the dough ropes into a loaf, then place it in the lined baking tin. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 220°C/420°F. Line your baking tin with baking paper and brush it with oil lightly.
- Place the nuts in a small bowl with water for 15 minutes, then roll them in crystal sugar. Soak the raisins in a small bowl with rum or coinage for 15 minutes. Push the raisins into the dough carefully with the tip of your finger. Pin the nuts on top of the plaited dough. Do not press the dough too much. Let the shaped dough rest for 30 to 60 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 220°C/420°F. Line your baking tin with baking paper and brush it with oil lightly.
- Whisk one yolk with one tablespoon of water and one tablespoon of sugar until the sugar dissolves. Brush the plaited dough with the sugar mixture and place it in the lower part of the hot oven. You can cover the baking tin with cooking foil to prevent the bread from burning on top.Reduce the oven temperature to 170°C/338°F as soon as you have placed the baking tins with dough inside. Bake for 60 minutes. If you want to brown the bread on the top, remove the foil 5-10 minutes before taking the bread out.When the bread is cooked, take it out of the oven. Sprinkle with water on top and cover with a clean tea towel. Let the bread rest for 10-15 minutes.
Notes
Nutrition Facts
Serving 100 gram: Calories: 318 | Carbs: 57g | Fat: 10g | Sugar: 6g | Protein: 8g