Romanian cozonac with yogurt, walnuts and rahat

Ingredients

For the dough

• 50 g fresh yeast
• 1 kg flour
• 150 g flour for kneading
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon salt for the eggs
• 150 ml milk
• 420 g yogurt
• 75 g butter with 82% fat
• 2 eggs
• 4 egg yolks
• 250 g sugar
• 1 packet vanilla sugar (8 g)
• 1 teaspoon rum extract

For the filling

• 500 g rahat (Turkish delight)
• 450 g ground walnuts
• 250 g sugar
• 2 packets vanilla sugar (8 g/packet)
• 1 teaspoon rum extract
• 30 g cocoa
• 100 g raisins
• 6 egg whites
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 100 ml milk

For shaping and pans

• 60 ml oil

For brushing

• 2 egg yolks
• 45 ml milk
• 2 tablespoons sugar

Preparation

1. Take the eggs and yogurt out of the fridge an hour ahead. Rub the yeast with 1 tablespoon of the 250 g sugar and leave it for 15 minutes, until foamy. 2. Sift the flour into a large bowl and make a well. Add the salt for the dough and pour in the hot milk, stirring with a little flour; mix in the yeast and leave the sponge for 25 minutes, until risen. 3. Warm the yogurt over low heat for 3 minutes, until lukewarm, and melt the butter over low heat for 2 minutes. Beat the 2 eggs with the 4 egg yolks and the salt for the eggs. 4. Add the beaten eggs, the remaining sugar, the vanilla sugar and the rum extract for the dough to the sponge. Mix, work in the yogurt, then knead for 5-10 minutes on a floured worktop, gradually adding the 150 g flour and the melted butter. The dough becomes elastic and comes away from the worktop more easily. 5. Put the dough in the bowl, cover it with plastic wrap and a towel, and leave it somewhere warm for 90 minutes, until doubled in size. Meanwhile, cut the rahat into small cubes. Mix the ground walnuts with the 250 g sugar, the 2 packets of vanilla sugar, the rum extract for the filling, the cocoa and the rinsed, well-drained raisins. 6. Beat the egg whites with the salt for the filling until stiff, then fold them into the walnut mixture. Heat the milk for 2 minutes, until hot, then stir it into the filling. 7. Oil the worktop and rolling pin before rolling out each sheet. Turn the dough out onto the oiled worktop and divide it for one three-strand braid and one two-strand braid. For the three-strand braid, roll out three sheets: spread walnut filling on the first and third, leaving a border of about 1 cm, then roll them up. Scatter half the rahat over the second sheet and roll it up. Braid the three rolls and place the loaf in a baking pan greased with oil and lined with baking paper. 8. For the two-strand braid, roll out two sheets, spread walnut filling on one and rahat on the other, then roll them up and braid them. Transfer it to a second baking pan greased with oil and lined with baking paper. 9. Cover the loaves with plastic wrap and a towel and leave them somewhere warm for 45 minutes. Heat the oven to 180°C. Beat the 2 egg yolks for brushing with the milk, brush the loaves and sprinkle with the sugar. 10. Bake the loaves for 50 minutes at 180°C, until nicely browned on top.