Spring Celebrations

Cozonac Holiday Bread This walnut-filled bread is served at Easter and many other religious holidays across the Balkans. Delicious as-is or toasted and smeared with salted butter.

Dough

Filling

¾ cup warm Milk (about 110°F) ½ cup Granulated Sugar, divided 2 ¼ tsp Active Dry Yeast (7 g packet) 3–3 ½ cups Bob’s Red Mill ® Unbleached White All-Purpose Flour 2 Egg Yolks Zest from 1 Lemon (about 1 Tbsp) 1 tsp Vanilla Extract

1 cup Walnut halves or pieces 2 Tbsp Brown Sugar 2 Egg Whites 1 Tbsp Cocoa Powder (optional) 1 Tbsp Brandy (optional)

Topping Egg Wash

Sparkling Sugar

½ tsp Kosher Salt ¼ cup soft Butter

Place warm milk and 1 tablespoon sugar in a large mixing bowl. Sprinkle yeast over the milk and let sit for 5 minutes while the yeast activates. Add remaining sugar, 2 ½ cups flour, egg yolks, lemon zest, vanilla extract and salt to the yeast mixture and mix until a shaggy dough forms. Add soft butter by the tablespoon and continue to mix until it creates a smooth and glossy dough, adding more flour if needed. You should be able stretch a small portion of the dough into a thin membrane. If kneading by hand, this will take 10–15 minutes after adding the butter. If using an electric mixer, mix with a dough hook for 7–10 minutes on medium speed. Place dough in a clean, oiled bowl, cover and allow to rise until doubled in size, 60–90 minutes. Meanwhile, lightly oil an 8 x 4-inch loaf pan and make the filling. For the filling, chop or process walnuts into very small pieces like a coarse meal. Add brown sugar, egg whites, and cocoa powder and brandy (if using) and mix into a loose paste; set aside. Divide dough into two equal pieces. Place one piece of dough on a lightly floured counter and roll out into an approximately 10 x 16-inch rectangle. Spread half of the filling evenly over the sheet of dough. Roll up the dough into a 16-inch cylinder from the long end and set aside. Repeat with the second piece of dough and the remaining filling. Twist both pieces of dough around each other, keeping the seams on the bottom. Fit twisted loaf into the prepared pan. Cover and let rise until doubled in size, about 1 hour; preheat the oven to 350°F. Whisk an egg with 2 tablespoons water to create egg wash; brush the top of the dough and sprinkle with sparkling sugar. Bake until golden-brown, about 1 hour, tenting with foil if the top begins to get too dark. The internal temperature should be between 180–200°F. Let cool slightly in pan, then remove to cool completely before slicing. Makes 10 servings.

BOB’S RED MILL E-BOOK | SPRING CELEBRATIONS