Cozonac

Before You Start

The dough should be soft enough to worry you. A stiff cozonac is a dense one.

Cool the filling before spreading. Warm filling and warm dough give a marbled loaf instead of a spiral.

Do not cut it warm. The crumb needs to set or the spiral smears.

How to Make Cozonac

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1. Mix the flour, sugar, salt and yeast, then add the milk, yolks, vanilla and lemon zest and bring to a dough.

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2. Knead 10 minutes, then add the melted butter and oil in stages and knead 10 minutes more. It will be very soft and slightly tacky, which is correct.

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3. Rise 2 hours until doubled.

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4. Whisk the egg whites to soft peaks and fold in the ground walnuts, sugar, cocoa, milk and cinnamon. Leave to cool if it has warmed.

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5. Divide the dough in two, roll each into a 30 by 40 cm rectangle and spread with the filling to within 2 cm of the edges.

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6. Roll each up from the long side, then twist the two ropes around each other and lay in a lined 30 cm loaf tin.

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7. Prove 50 minutes, brush with egg and scatter the sugar.

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8. Bake at 165°C / 330°F fan for 45 to 50 minutes, covering with foil after 25. It should read 94°C / 201°F at the centre.

   Mark done Start 45 min timer

9. Cool in the tin 15 minutes, then on a rack completely before slicing.

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Related guides: Prep, cook and total time · Pan and tin size.

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After You've Cooked It

Keeps 5 days wrapped in a cloth and freezes 3 months. It stales from the outside in, so wrap it the moment it is cool.

Good With

• Strong coffee
• A glass of țuică
• Sliced thick, with nothing on it

Questions and Answers

Cozonac Nutrition

Per serving, calculated from the ingredient list with USDA FoodData Central figures (SR Legacy). A calculation, not a laboratory analysis: brands, cuts and how you measure change the real numbers. How the figures are worked out.