Kozunak – Bulgarian Easter bread (with nut filling) – delicious and aromatic sweet bread with gentle nut filling and mahaleb spice. It’s easy do prepare, delicious with a cup of milk or tea as breakfast in the morning. Traditionally enjoyed with the Easter eggs on Easter day.
Easter bread is a firm favourite in the Balkans (think Greece, Bulgaria, Romania) and its neighboring countries. In Bulgaria, for example, it’s often called Kozunak. Every family has its own version – some families even have a few! Some recipes are quite the production. My nana’s, for instance, calls for the dough to be beaten at least 100 times on the table before it proofs again. Today, though, we’re making a much easier version – and it’s just as spectacular.
Fun fact: Mahleb (or mahlab) is a classic spice in Eastern bread-making, typical in Greek Easter breads and Turkish breads too. It’s made from the stones of a special cherry tree. Used sparingly, it gives the bread a truly unique flavour; too much, and it turns a bit bitter. I usually pick mine up at the local Arab store, though it’s also available online. If you can get your hands on some, don’t skip it – it really makes a difference.
More sweet breads? No problem, check out French Brioche Bread (Pain brioché tressé) – it’s a keeper.
INGREDIENTS & SUBSTITUTIONS:
- Eggs, medium size
- Flour (type 00) – or regular unbleached all purpose four
- Milk, lukewarm 1,5% fat
- Butter, melted
- Brown sugar – or white sugar
- Mahaleb spice
- Fresh yeast (10g dry yeast)
- Olive oil for brushing onto dough before baking
- For filling: eggs, hazelnuts and sugar
HOW TO MAKE Bulgarian Kozunak -EASTER BREAD
1st: Mix all ingredients (with activated yeast) in a large bowl until a soft, non-stick dough is formed. Let it sit covered with cloth until it doubles (triples in size).
2nd: While dough rises, make the filling. In a large bowl beat egg whites for filling until white foam is made. Add finely chopped hazelnuts and sugar. Mix gently to preserve as much air as possible. Divide in 4 parts.
3rd: Next, divide the dough in two. Then, each part should be divided in another two smaller pieces. Roll out each piece to fit the size of your pans. Then distribute 1/4 of the filling and roll onto a long-stick shape. Repeat with the other 3 pieces of the remaining dough.
4th: Then, swirl two by two to make two separate breads. Let the breads rise for the second time under a cloth. Bake as per directions.
And that’s how you make my Easter Bread recipe! Watch how to make this bread on YouTube – see video below recipe card below.
Kozunak – Bulgarian Easter bread (with nut filling)
Equipment
- 2 8 1/2-inch pans
Ingredients
Dough
- 2 eggs, medium size
- 600 g flour (type 00)
- 150 ml milk, lukewarm 1,5% fat
- 100 g butter, melted
- 70 g (brown) sugar or more
- 1 tsp mahaleb spice
- 20g fresh yeast (10g dry yeast)
- 4 tbsp. olive oil for brushing onto dough before baking
Filling
- egg whites from 3 medium eggs
- 30 g (brown) sugar
- 100 g hazelnuts (finely chopped)
Instructions
- In a small bowl add fresh yeast, pinch of brown sugar. Cover with milk and let rest until yeast activates and gets bubbly.
- In a large mixing bowl combine all ingredients for the dough plus activated yeast. Using your hands, kitchen robot (or even bread machine) knead a soft non-stick dough.
- Cover dough with a cloth and let rise (until it triples its size) for about an hour and a half. Room temperature should be 20+ degrees Celsius.
- In the meantime, prepare the filling. In a large mixing bowl add egg whites and beat until stiff peaks (white foam) is formed. Add brown sugar and chopped nuts. Mix genetly to preserve the air.
- When the dough rises place onto oiled surface and divide in two large (equal in size) chunks. Then divide each chunk into two smaller pieces.
- Next, use a rolling pin to roll out one piece of the dough into a rectangle that is about ½ inch tick and the width of your loaf pan. With a spoon add 1/4th of the filling and distribute across the dough. Roll into a stick shape and set aside. Repeat for the rest of dough.
- Then place two stick-shaped and swirl around each other. Repeat for the other two. Place into baking pan and cover with a cloth. Let dough rise again to fill the baking pans.
- Then, brush the olive oil over the dough and bake in preheated oven (180C/360F) for about 30 minutes. Check regularly with toothbrush to avoid Easter bread burning out. Let cool on a rack and enjoy.
