Cozonac is the Romanian sweet yeast bread, braided or rolled around walnut, cocoa or Turkish delight filling, baked for Easter and Christmas.

The earliest known written cozonac recipe is in an 1841 cookbook from Iași by Costache Negruzzi and Mihail Kogălniceanu. Later Romanian cookbooks added butter, eggs, sugar and raisins, then rum, rose water and lemon zest, and Romanian recipes added cocoa, walnuts and lokum. In Romania and Moldova it is traditionally baked in Holy Week, and for centuries it was not missing from an Easter or Christmas table. Bulgarian kozunak is the same family of bread.

Where to eat Cozonac in Bucharest

The editor picks for Cozonac in Bucharest are still in research. Meanwhile, see the Bucharest signature-dishes index or the Bucharest food guide.

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Make it at home

Serves 25 hrIntermediate

Ingredients

  • 1kg strong white bread flour
  • 200g caster sugar
  • 10g fine sea salt
  • 14g instant yeast
  • 6 egg yolks
  • 400ml whole milk, lukewarm
  • 200g unsalted butter, melted
  • Zest of 1 lemon and 1 orange
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 300g walnuts, finely ground
  • 100g caster sugar (for filling)
  • 60g cocoa powder
  • 100ml milk (for filling)
  • 1 egg, beaten (for glaze)

Method

  1. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, salt and yeast. Make a well in the centre.
  2. Whisk the egg yolks, lukewarm milk, sugar, melted butter, citrus zest and vanilla in a separate bowl, then pour into the well.
  3. Knead for 12-15 minutes until the dough becomes smooth, soft and elastic. Cover and prove in a warm place for 2 hours, until doubled.
  4. While the dough proves, combine the ground walnuts, sugar, cocoa and milk to make a thick paste.
  5. Divide the dough into 4 portions. Roll each into a rectangle about 25 by 40cm, spread a quarter of the filling on each, and roll up tightly along the long edge.
  6. Twist two ropes together and lay into a buttered loaf tin (each loaf takes two ropes). Repeat for the second loaf.
  7. Cover and prove for another hour, until the dough rises just above the edge of the tin.
  8. Heat oven to 170°C. Brush with beaten egg, then bake for 50-55 minutes, covering with foil if browning too fast.
  9. Cool in the tin for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a rack. Cozonac keeps 4-5 days wrapped.

Editor tip. Don't rush the proves: the long second rise gives the layered braid its open crumb. Walnut filling oxidises fast; mix it just before rolling.

Common allergens: Wheat, Walnut, Egg, Dairy.