Romanian walnut cozonac

Ingredients

• 1500 g flour
• 63 g fresh yeast
• 250 g sugar
• 5 egg yolks
• 250 ml mineral water
• 1 lemon (zest)
• 1 orange (zest)
• 1½ teaspoons salt
• 250 ml mineral water for the yeast
• up to 250 ml extra mineral water
• 250 ml oil for the dough
• 10 ml oil for your hands

For the filling

• 5 egg whites
• 500 g ground walnuts
• 200 g sugar
• 2 vials vanilla essence
• 30 g cocoa
• up to 50 ml mineral water
• 150 g raisins
• 20 g sugar for sprinkling
• 30 ml oil for the pans
• 1 egg
• 1 egg yolk

Preparation

1. Sift the flour into a large bowl and make a well in the center. 2. Beat the egg yolks with the sugar, 250 ml mineral water, lemon and orange zest, and salt. Put the bowl over low heat for 3 minutes, stirring, until the mixture is warm, not hot. 3. Warm 250 ml mineral water for 1 minute, until lukewarm, then dissolve the yeast in it. Pour the mixture into the well in the flour and start kneading. 4. Work in the egg yolk mixture and knead for 15 minutes. Gradually add up to 250 ml extra mineral water, if the dough needs it, then add the 250 ml oil a little at a time. The dough should be glossy and elastic. 5. Cover the bowl and let the dough rise for 1 hour, until it has visibly increased in volume. 6. Oil your hands with 10 ml oil and knead the dough for another 10 minutes. Let it rise again for 1 hour. 7. Beat the egg whites until foamy. Mix in the ground walnuts, sugar, vanilla essence and cocoa. Add up to 50 ml mineral water a little at a time, only if the filling is too stiff. 8. Divide the dough into 4 pieces and roll them out into sheets, one at a time. Spread the filling over each sheet, sprinkle with the raisins and sugar for sprinkling, then roll each sheet from both ends toward the middle, making two rolls. Braid the rolls together in pairs. 9. Grease the large pans with 20 ml oil and place the loaves in them. Leave them to rise for 30 minutes. 10. Beat the egg with the egg yolk, brush the loaves, and bake at 180°C for 70 minutes, until golden.