Walnut Sweet Bread (Cozonac cu Nuca)
 
 
Author:
Serves: 3 loaves
Ingredients
  • 0.6 oz (16 g) Dry Yeast or 2 oz (60 g) Fresh
  • 8.8 oz (250 g) chopped Walnuts or Pecans
  • 2.3 lb (1 kg) All Purpose Flour
  • 10.5 oz (300 g) White Sugar
  • 5 Eggs
  • 2 cups (500 ml) Milk
  • 8.8 oz (250 g) Butter, melted
  • 2 tsp Vanilla Extract
  • 2 tbsp Cocoa Powder
  • ½ cup Raisins
  • ¼ cup Vegetable Oil
  • 1 Zest from one Lemon
Instructions
  1. In a sauce pan pour the milk, sugar, and butter and heat over medium heat. You only need to melt the butter and dissolve the sugar, don't boil. Mix and add the lemon zest as well.
  2. Activate your yeast by adding 2 tbsp of warm milk, 1 tbsp sugar and 2 tbsp flour to a bowl. Mix them well together then add your fresh yeast or 2 packages of dry kind (16 g). Let it sit for about 10 minutes.
  3. Add the egg yolks to the milk mixture and give it a swirl, save the egg whites though, for the filling.
  4. Pour the flour into the bowl of your mixer and add milk mixture, yeast mixture, vanilla powder and raisins. Mix everything for about 5 minutes, dough will be quite sticky.
  5. Let the dough rise for an hour or two until it doubles in size.
  6. In a food processor, add the walnuts or pecans, 5 tbsp of sugar and cocoa powder. Grind them for 30 seconds or so, but not too fine.
  7. Take the egg whites and beat them until stiff. :) Add the pecan/walnut mixture and mix well
  8. Cut the dough into three equal pieces. Roll out each piece into a long rectangle, the width should be your pan size. Use â…“ of the filling over the rolled out dough, and spread it evenly. Roll up the dough starting from the side furthest from you.
  9. Place the roll seam face down into a well oiled or buttered bread pan and let them double in size again.
  10. Brush them with egg wash and sprinkle some sugar over them, if you really want. Preheat the oven to 350° F / 177° C and bake them for 35 to 45 minutes.
Recipe by Baking Glory at http://www.bakingglory.com/recipes/breads/walnut-sweet-bread-cozonac-cu-nuca/