Cozonac is a traditional Romanian dish, and the recipe above gives us the perfect opportunity to create a fragrant and fluffy delicacy. To prepare two delicious cozonaci in the classic tray, we will start by preparing the leaven. In a bowl of about 3 liters, we rub the yeast with 50 g of sugar until it completely liquefies. Then, we dilute the obtained yeast with 150 ml of warm milk, mixing in about 200 g of flour. It is important that this mixture is homogeneous. The resulting leaven is left warm, covered with a kitchen towel, for about 20 minutes, to double in volume.
To check the rise of the leaven, a tablespoon of flour is sprinkled on top. After the fermentation time has elapsed, we add the remaining warm milk, egg yolks, oil, 50 g of melted butter, rum, salt, grated lemon peel, and the rest of the sugar. We mix all the ingredients well, and then we incorporate the sifted flour, leaving aside about 100 g for later adjustments.
At first, we mix the dough with a spoon or use a mixer with hooks, then we knead by hand for 15 minutes until the dough becomes elastic and comes off our hands. The clarified and cooled butter is gradually added, mixing until incorporated. Afterwards, we clean the dough from our hands and, with our palms, push the dough from the sides to the center, gently tapping it with the back of our hands to help absorb the butter. This operation is repeated until the dough becomes smooth and shiny.
Once the dough has been kneaded and has reached the desired consistency, we let it rise, covered with a towel, in a warm place for about an hour or an hour and a half, until it doubles in volume. While the dough is rising, we can prepare the filling. The nuts can be finely chopped or coarsely crushed, and the biscuits can be crumbled into a less uniform consistency. We mix the nuts with the biscuits, sugar, and cocoa, adjusting the quantities to taste. If desired, add a little rum essence for extra flavor.
We gradually add milk, mixing until we obtain a thick cream that does not run. If desired, you can also add raisins. Once the dough has risen, we grease the work surface with a little oil, divide the dough into two, and roll each piece into a thick sheet about two fingers thick. We distribute the filling evenly and roll carefully. We place the cozonaci in trays, brush them with a mixture of beaten egg yolk and milk, and let them rise for another 20 minutes.
The cozonaci are baked in a preheated oven at 210ºC, and after 10 minutes, the temperature is reduced to 170-180ºC, baking lasts between 50 and 60 minutes. When they are ready, we take them out and let them cool on a rack or on a wooden board, lying on their side. Thus, in the end, we enjoy two fluffy and fragrant cozonaci that will bring a touch of tradition and warmth to any home.
To check the rise of the leaven, a tablespoon of flour is sprinkled on top. After the fermentation time has elapsed, we add the remaining warm milk, egg yolks, oil, 50 g of melted butter, rum, salt, grated lemon peel, and the rest of the sugar. We mix all the ingredients well, and then we incorporate the sifted flour, leaving aside about 100 g for later adjustments.
At first, we mix the dough with a spoon or use a mixer with hooks, then we knead by hand for 15 minutes until the dough becomes elastic and comes off our hands. The clarified and cooled butter is gradually added, mixing until incorporated. Afterwards, we clean the dough from our hands and, with our palms, push the dough from the sides to the center, gently tapping it with the back of our hands to help absorb the butter. This operation is repeated until the dough becomes smooth and shiny.
Once the dough has been kneaded and has reached the desired consistency, we let it rise, covered with a towel, in a warm place for about an hour or an hour and a half, until it doubles in volume. While the dough is rising, we can prepare the filling. The nuts can be finely chopped or coarsely crushed, and the biscuits can be crumbled into a less uniform consistency. We mix the nuts with the biscuits, sugar, and cocoa, adjusting the quantities to taste. If desired, add a little rum essence for extra flavor.
We gradually add milk, mixing until we obtain a thick cream that does not run. If desired, you can also add raisins. Once the dough has risen, we grease the work surface with a little oil, divide the dough into two, and roll each piece into a thick sheet about two fingers thick. We distribute the filling evenly and roll carefully. We place the cozonaci in trays, brush them with a mixture of beaten egg yolk and milk, and let them rise for another 20 minutes.
The cozonaci are baked in a preheated oven at 210ºC, and after 10 minutes, the temperature is reduced to 170-180ºC, baking lasts between 50 and 60 minutes. When they are ready, we take them out and let them cool on a rack or on a wooden board, lying on their side. Thus, in the end, we enjoy two fluffy and fragrant cozonaci that will bring a touch of tradition and warmth to any home.
Ingredients
1 kg of flour 000 150 g sugar 3-4 egg yolks - depending on the size of the egg 150 g butter 50 ml oil 15 ml rum essence 550-600 ml unskimmed milk - or from whole milk 40-50 g fresh yeast a teaspoon of salt - about 10 g grated zest of one lemon and one orange For the filling walnuts cookies sugar cocoa milk raisins, Turkish delight