Cozonac Recipe - Romanian Walnut Roll

romanian cozonac sweet bread wrapped in a kitchen towel and a slice before it.

4.67 from 3 votes

Cozonac Recipe - Romanian Walnut Roll

Cozonac – this delicious sweet bread with walnut or dried fruit filling is the most popular sweet thing to eat at Easter and Christmas in Romania.

Prep Time1

Cook Time1

Additional Time3

Total Time5

Course: Romanian Cakes and Desserts

Cuisine: Romanian

Servings: loaves

Calories: 150kcal

Author: Adina

Ingredients

Dough:

500 g all-purpose flour 1.1 lb/ 4 cups + 2 tablespoon, Note 1
2 ¼ teaspoons active dry yeast 7 g/ 0.2 oz, Note 2
200 ml lukewarm milk 6.5 fl.oz/ ¾ cup + 2 tablespoons
4 egg yolks keep 3 egg whites to make the filling
½ teaspoon fine sea salt
1 tablespoon rum or a few drops rum aroma optional
125 g icing sugar 4.5 oz/ 1 cup
100 ml vegetable oil canola, 3.5 fl.oz/ ⅓ cup + 2 tablespoons

Filling for 2 loaves of bread:

3 egg whites
100 g granulated sugar 3.5 oz/ ½ cup
1 tablespoon rum or rum aroma optional, Note 3
120 g ground walnuts 1 cup

Dried fruit filling for 2 loaves of bread:

300 g dried fruit 10.5 oz, Note 4

Egg wash:

1 egg
2 tablespoons milk

Instructions

Yeast dough:

Proof yeast: Mix the active dry yeast with 1 tablespoon granulated sugar and add about 50 ml/ 2 fl. oz/ ¼ cup of the lukewarm milk. Stir well and let stand for about 10-15 minutes until frothy. If using fresh or instant yeast, please read the notes.
2 ¼ teaspoons active dry yeast + 1 tablespoon granulated sugar + 50 ml lukewarm milk/ ¼ cup from 200 ml lukewarm milk/ ¾ cup + 2 Tbsp
Mix the egg yolks and salt using a fork. Add the remaining lukewarm milk and the rum or rum aroma (if using) and set aside.
4 egg yolks + remaining milk +1 tablespoon rum or a few drops rum aroma
Knead: Mix the flour and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer or kitchen machine. Add the egg-milk mixture and the activated yeast. Knead for 5 minutes. The dough will be stiff at this point.
500 g all-purpose flour/ 4 cups + 2 tablespoon + ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
Add icing sugar: Slowly add the icing sugar, one tablespoon at a time, while the mixer is kneading. Knead for another 4-5 minutes. The dough will become softer after adding the sugar.
125 g icing sugar/ 1 cup
Add oil: Slowly start adding the oil as well. Knead for another 5 minutes or so until the dough is elastic.
100 ml vegetable oil/ ⅓ cup + 2 tablespoons
Let rise: Place the dough in a lightly oiled bowl, cover with cling film/plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place for about 1 hour and 30 minutes or until doubled in size.

Filling:

Walnut filling: Whisk 3 egg whites until stiff. Slowly add the sugar and the rum (if using) and continue whisking until the mixture is stiff again. Very carefully fold the ground walnuts into the egg white mixture; do not over-mix.
3 egg whites + 100 g granulated sugar/ ½ cup + 1 tablespoon rum or rum aroma + 120 g ground walnuts/ 1 cup
Alternative filling: Chop and mix dried fruit, like raisins, currants, cherries, cranberries, lemon, or orange peel (not too much of those two). This amount will be enough for both loaves of bread. If you only want to fill one piece of bread with dried fruit, halve the amount of fruit.
300 g dried fruit/ 10.5 oz
Fill: Spread the filling on the rolled dough and form the loaves of bread, either rolled or braided.
Form loaves:
Butter two loaf pans, about 24 cm/ 9.5 inches long and 11 cm/ 4.5 inches wide (a little more or less is fine).
Rolled loaves: Divide the dough in two. Roll one piece on a lightly oiled surface, about 30 cm/ 12 inches long, 40 cm/ 16 inches wide and 3-4 mm/ 0.13 inch thick.
Spread half of the filling on top and carefully roll the dough into a thick sausage starting from the shorter side closer to you. Place in one of the loaf pans and repeat with the second piece of dough.
Braided loaves: Divide the dough into four equal parts. Roll one piece on a lightly oiled surface about 30 cm/ 12 inches long, 20 cm/ 8 inches wide and 3-4 mm/ 0.13 inch thick.
Spread ¼ of the filling on top and roll carefully, starting from the longer left side. Repeat with a second dough piece.
Braid the two sausages together and place them in the prepared loaf pan. Repeat with the remaining dough portions.
Let rise: Cover the loaves of bread with kitchen towels and let rise in a warm place for about 1 hour and 15 minutes or until nicely risen.
Preheat: During the last 15 minutes of the rising time, preheat the oven to 160°C/ 320°F. Place a small pan with water on the bottom of the oven.
Egg wash: Mix the egg and the milk. Brush the bread with this mixture and place it in the oven immediately after brushing.
1 egg + 2 tablespoons milk
Bake: After 15 minutes, remove the small pan with the water. Continue baking the bread for 45 minutes or until cooked through.
Check after 20-30 minutes and lightly cover the bread with aluminum foil. If they are already brown, they probably will be.
Cool: Remove from the oven and let stand in the pans for 15 minutes. Remove and let cool entirely on wire racks, turning them on another side every 15 minutes or so, so that they retain a nice form.

Notes

Measurements: Always use a digital kitchen scale in baking; it ensures the best results (Amazon affiliate link opens in a new tab).
Yeast: You can use the same amount of instant dry yeast. Just mix it with the flour without activating it and proceed with the recipe. You can use 30 g/ 1 oz fresh yeast. Stir it with 1 tablespoon granulated sugar until liquid. Add about 50 ml/ 2 fl. oz/ ¼ cup of the lukewarm milk and stir well. Let stand for 10-15 minutes until frothy. Add it to the flour together with the egg mixture.
Rum or rum aroma is optional; add it if you like it.
Dried fruit like raisins, currants, cherries, cranberries, lemon or orange peel (not too much of those two), etc.

Nutrition