Recipe Index

Ingredients

• ¼ cup all-purpose flour
• ¼ cup tepid milk
• 1 tsp sugar
• 2 tsp active dry yeast
• 1½ Tbsp active dry yeast
• ½ cup tepid milk
• 6 egg yolks
• ½ tsp salt
• ½ cup sugar
• 2 Tbsp rum
• 3½ cups all-purpose flour
• zest of 1 orange
• zest of 1 lemon
• 1 Tbsp vanilla extract
• 7 Tbsp butter, melted
• vegetable oil or sunflower oil, for greasing
• 2 egg whites, whisked to very soft peaks
• 2 cups walnuts, ground
• 3 Tbsp instant coffee
• ¼ cup cocoa powder
• 2 Tbsp rum
• ¾ cup sugar
• 1 egg yolk, whisked with 1 Tbsp milk

Method

1. Make the starter: stir the ¼ cup of flour, ¼ cup of tepid milk, 1 teaspoon of sugar and 2 teaspoons of yeast together in a bowl, cover it, and leave it in a warm place for about 25 minutes, until doubled.
2. Dissolve the 1½ tablespoons of yeast in the ½ cup of tepid milk. In a separate bowl, combine the 6 egg yolks with the salt, then stir in the ½ cup of sugar and 2 tablespoons of rum.
3. Pour the yolk mixture and the milky yeast over the starter, then gradually work in the 3½ cups of flour, the orange and lemon zests and the vanilla. Knead for about 10 minutes, until the dough is soft and pulls away from the sides of the bowl.
4. Knead the melted butter into the dough a little at a time, letting each addition absorb before adding more, then cover the dough and leave it to rise in a warm place (over 70°F) for 1½ to 2 hours.
5. For the filling, fold the ground walnuts, instant coffee, cocoa powder, second 2 tablespoons of rum and ¾ cup of sugar into the whisked egg whites and set the mixture aside.
6. Oil a work surface, turn the dough out, and divide it into four pieces. Stretch one piece into a rectangle about 16 by 12 inches, spread a quarter of the filling over it, and roll it into a log; repeat with the other three pieces.
7. Grease two 9x5-inch loaf pans. Cross two logs over each other in an X, twist them together from one side and then the other, and set the twist into a pan, doubling it over to fit; repeat with the remaining logs. Cover the loaves with a damp towel and proof them in a warm place for at least 1 hour.
8. Heat the oven to 375°F, brush the loaves very gently with the egg yolk and milk wash, and bake for 25 minutes. Lower the heat to 350°F and bake for 20 minutes more, covering the tops with foil if they brown too quickly.
9. Cool the cozonac upside-down on a wire rack so the bottoms stay dry, then slice and serve.

Nutrition not computed — the source recipe data produced an implausible result and is flagged for review.