Kozunak
Bulgarian Easter bread
Servings: 8
Ingredients
- 1 1/4 cups whole milk
- 2 packets yeast
- 2 1/4 cups sugar
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 2.2 pounds flour
- 2 sticks butter
- 5 whole eggs
- 1 divided egg
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- zest of 1 lemon
Instructions
- Gather all ingredients and bring to room temperature an hour or so before starting.
- Warm or scald the milk in a saucepan; let cool to about 110 degrees. Dissolve yeast in 2-3 tablespoons of the milk with a pinch of the sugar and a pinch of the salt. Add a little more milk if needed. Leave it aside to activate.
- Sift the flour and salt into a bowl or onto a piece of parchment; set aside.
- Melt the butter and set aside to cool.
- Add the 5 whole eggs and one egg white to the cooled milk. Add the remaining sugar, vanilla and lemon zest. Beat well by hand or with a mixer until sugar is dissolved.
- Add the yeast mixture, which should now be bubbly, to the egg mixture and stir to incorporate.
- Set aside two cups of flour and pile the rest onto a clean counter. Form a large well in the center of the flour.
- Gently pour some of the egg mixture in to the center of the well and gather flour from the edges into the center with your hands, a little at a time. Make another well and repeat with more liquid. Add the remaning 2 cups of flour gradually with each addition of egg mixture.
- Knead the dough until it is soft and pliable. Resist the temptation to wash your hands; if the dough is sticking, dust your hands with flour and try to work with the palm of your hands and not your fingers.
- Knead for several minutes and then dip your hands in the melted butter. Knead and repeat until all the butter is incorporated into the dough.
- Knead vigorously for about 10 minutes or until you form a smooth dough ball that bounces back when you press a finger into it.
- Spray or grease a large bowl. Place the dough into the bowl and spray it or turn it to coat with oil. Lightly cover it with a piece of plastic wrap that has been sprayed with nonstick cooking spray. Cover the bowl with a kitchen towel and leave in a warm place to rest.
- After about 90 minutes your dough should have doubled in size. Gently de-gas the dough, reshape into a ball and let rest again.
- After another hour, remove the dough to your work surface and cut it into three equal pieces. Roll each piece into a strand for braiding. Lay the strands side by side and pinch together at the top end, furtherst away from you. Braid the strands being careful not to pull or stretch them too much. Pinch them together at the bottom and curve the entire braid into a circular shape. Pinch the ends together and tuck any joints underneath. Place the formed loaf on a parchment-covered baking sheet and lightly cover with greased plastic wrap. Let rise until doubled, up to 2 hours.
- Heat oven to 300°F.
- Make an egg wash from remaining egg yolk and a tablespoon of water or milk. Gently brush the surface of the kozunak loaf. Sprinkle with any desired toppings (slivered almonds, poppyseeds, sparkling sugar) and place decorated eggs gently in the braids.
- Bake for 50-60 minutes. Remove from oven when golden brown and cool completely on a rack. Store at room temperature tightly covered.
Notes
An alternate method is to add the melted butter to the egg mixture before pouring it into the flour well. This makes for a lot more liquid and is a little tricky at first but it's also a lot quicker in the end and keeps you from having to get your hands in the butter.
You can also add rum-soaked raisins (2-3 tablespoons), nutmeg or other spices to this dough.