Cozonac at Dry Coker

Name: Cozonac at Dry Coker - Minodora O.
Ingredients: 1kg flour (I used Boromir for the cake) 0.500ml milk 300g sugar 2 packets of vanilla sugar 50g yeast 1/3 butter 50g oil 4 eggs lemon zest poppy seeds Turkish delight walnuts raisins cocoa

Dessert - Cozonac at Dry Coker by Minodora O. - Recipia

I have made sweet bread several times in the Dry Cooker, especially when I didn't want to turn on the big oven or when I didn't feel like heating up the entire kitchen. I like it because I can work directly on the counter and because it's easy to monitor the process. For Easter, I always prefer to make two loaves, even if it sometimes seems like more work – this way, I ensure there's enough for everyone. Quick Info Total time: about 3-4 hours, including rising and baking Actual preparation time: about 1 hour Rising time: 1.5-2 hours (in total, both stages) Baking time: 50-55 minutes per loaf Servings: 2 large loaves Difficulty: medium Occasion: holidays (Easter, Christmas) or when you want a classic sweet bread Ingredients 1 kg flour (Boromir sweet bread flour or any sweet bread flour) 500 ml milk 300 g sugar 2 packets of vanilla sugar 50 g fresh yeast approximately 100-120 g butter (about one-third of a regular package) 50 g oil 4 eggs (separate the yolks from the whites) grated zest of 1 lemon poppy seeds (for decoration) turkish delight (cut into cubes) walnuts (ideally ground, but you can crush them with a rolling pin if you prefer larger pieces) raisins 2-3 tablespoons cocoa powder 2 tablespoons sugar for the filling Preparation Method 1. Sift the flour into a large bowl. Make a small well in the center. 2. Pour about 100 ml of warm milk into the well, add the yeast and warm butter (not hot). Gently mix with a bit of flour, just enough to combine the ingredients, then cover the bowl with a cloth and let the yeast rise for 15-20 minutes until it bubbles. 3. In the meantime, separate the eggs. Beat the yolks with the sugar (300 g) and vanilla sugar until you get a thick, glossy cream. 4. Whip the egg whites with a pinch of salt until you achieve a stiff meringue. 5. Once the yeast has risen, incorporate the yolk cream into the flour. Add the remaining milk and half of the whipped egg whites. Mix well and start kneading. 6. Add the lemon zest and start adding a little flour if the dough is too soft, but don't let it become too stiff. Pour in the warm oil gradually and continue kneading until the dough easily detaches from your hands and becomes elastic. Cover the bowl and let it rise in a warm place, free from drafts, for about an hour or until it doubles in volume. 7. Meanwhile, prepare the filling. Mix the remaining egg whites with crushed or ground walnuts (enough to fill two loaves, about 200-250 g is fine), cocoa powder, and two tablespoons of sugar. You can adjust the quantities to your liking to make a cohesive paste. If the walnuts are not very fine, that’s okay – it adds some texture. 8. When the dough has risen, grease the counter with oil. Divide the dough into two pieces. Take the first piece and stretch it out with your hands, not too thin. Spread the walnut and cocoa cream on top, sprinkle with raisins and cubed turkish delight. 9. Roll it up tightly, seal the edges, and place it in a greased loaf pan. Do the same with the second loaf. 10. Brush the tops of the loaves with beaten egg. Sprinkle poppy seeds on top. Let them rise for another 30-40 minutes directly in the pans. 11. Bake the loaves in the preheated oven. Start at a high temperature for 15 minutes, then reduce to a moderate heat and bake for another 35-40 minutes. If using a Dry Cooker, be careful not to burn the bottom. Check with a toothpick – if it comes out clean, they're done. 12. After baking, remove them from the pans and place them on a wooden board. Cover them with a cloth and let them cool slowly. Why I Make This Recipe Often It’s a classic sweet bread, uncomplicated. I like that I don’t need special appliances and that I don’t have to mix too much by hand. It keeps well for a few days, and the dough is suitable for any filling. Tips and Variations Tips Don’t pour hot milk over the yeast, just warm. Don’t add too much flour after you start kneading; the dough should be soft but not overly sticky. If it’s not warm enough in the kitchen, place the bowl with the dough near the preheated oven. Substitutions You can use brown sugar instead of white sugar, but it will slightly change the color. If you don’t have turkish delight or don’t like it, you can skip it – just walnuts and raisins are enough. You can substitute walnuts with hazelnuts, although the texture will be different. Variations You can add orange zest or cinnamon to the filling. For a more intense flavor, you can soak the raisins in a bit of rum or vanilla extract. Serving Ideas It goes well with coffee or tea, sliced thick. You can use it for breakfast with butter and honey or as a simple dessert. Frequently Asked Questions 1. Can the sweet bread be made only in the Dry Cooker? Yes, but be careful with the baking time and flame. The Dry Cooker browns the bottom quickly, so use low to medium heat after the first 15 minutes. 2. What can I do if the dough doesn’t rise enough? Check the room temperature and don’t rush the rising. If it’s not warm enough, let it rise longer. 3. Can the sweet bread be frozen? Yes, but I recommend letting it cool completely before wrapping it. The texture is slightly more moist after thawing, but it’s fine. 4. My dough turned out too soft. What should I do? Add flour gradually while kneading well. It shouldn’t be too stiff, otherwise the sweet bread will be dry. 5. What if I don’t have fresh yeast? You can use dry yeast. 50 g of fresh yeast can be replaced with about 14-15 g of dry yeast, but check the instructions on the packet. Nutritional Values Approximately, a slice of sweet bread (about 60 g) contains around 220-240 kcal, 7-8 g fat, 36-38 g carbohydrates, and 5-6 g protein. The values vary depending on the filling and how large the slice is. Storage and Reheating The sweet bread keeps well for 3-4 days at room temperature, wrapped in a clean cloth or in a paper bag. If you want to keep it longer, you can freeze slices. For reheating, use the oven or a grill on low heat, just enough to warm it up – do not use a microwave, as it will become rubbery.

Preparation

We sift the flour into a larger bowl, then make a nest in the middle where we add a little milk, warm butter, and yeast. We mix with a bit of flour, then cover and let it rise. Meanwhile, we beat the egg yolks with sugar until it melts and forms a cream, while we add a pinch of salt to the egg whites and beat them with a mixer until they do not detach from the bowl. Once the dough has risen, we add the cream made from sugar and yolks, the rest of the milk, and half of the egg whites foam. We knead well, adding lemon zest, vanilla sugar, and more flour if needed. We also add warm oil and knead very well, then cover and let it rise. The room where we have the dough should be warm. We mix the remaining egg whites with walnuts, cocoa, and 2 tablespoons of sugar. I did not grind my walnuts with a machine; I preferred to crush them with a rolling pin in a stainless steel cup, as I like to have larger pieces of walnut. When the dough has risen, we grease the countertop with oil and start to stretch the dough by hand, then add the cocoa cream, raisins, and Turkish delight (the Turkish delight should be cut; I had it pre-cut). After filling the dough with the cream, we place it in molds, brush them with egg, sprinkle with poppy seeds, and let them rise again. When they have risen in the tray, we put them in the oven (the oven should be preheated). In the oven, we first bake them for 15 minutes on high heat, then for another 35-40 minutes on medium heat. Once the dough has browned well, we take them out and place them on a cutting board, then cover them. I hope you enjoy it, bon appétit!

Cozonac at Dry Coker

Preparation

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