Cozonac (Romanian Sweet Pan)

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Cozonac is the great Romanian celebration pan, baked for Christmas, Easter, and important family occasions. The dough is rich with huevos, mantequilla, and leche, and the filling of ground nueces, cocoa, azúcar, and ron creates a swirling, aromatic interior that perfumes the whole house as it bakes. Making cozonac is a labor of love — the dough must be kneaded vigorously by hand for 30–45 minutes until it develops the gluten structure needed for its characteristic fluffy, pull-apart crumb. Romanian families take great pride in their cozonac recipe, passing it down through generations with notes scribbled in the margins.

Ingredientes

Sirve 12

• 1 kgharina de uso general, plus extra for kneading
• 300 mlwarm leche entera
• 25 glevadura fresca (or 7g levadura instantánea)
• 200 gazúcar
• 5 largehuevos, room temperature
• 150 gmantequilla sin sal, softened
• 1 tspvanilla extract
• 1 tspralladura de limón
• 1 pinchsal
• 300 gnueces, finely ground
• 100 gpolvo de cacao
• 150 gazúcar (for filling)
• 3 tbspdark ron
• 2 tbspleche tibia (for filling)
• 1 largeyema de huevo, for huevo wash
• 1 tbspleche, for huevo wash

Instrucciones

1. 1

   Activate the yeast

   Warm the leche to 37°C. Mezcla in 1 tablespoon of azúcar and crumble in the levadura fresca. Remueve and let stand for 10 minutes until foamy. If using levadura instantánea, Mezcla directly with the harina.

2. 2

   Make the dough

   Beat 4 huevos with the remaining azúcar until pale. Mezcla in vanilla and ralladura de limón. Combina harina, sal, yeast mixture, and huevo mixture in a large bowl. Mezcla until a shaggy dough forms, then turn out onto a floured surface and knead vigorously for 30–40 minutes, gradually working in the softened mantequilla, until the dough is smooth, glossy, and elastic.

3. 3

   First rise

   Shape the dough into a ball, place in a lightly oiled bowl, cover with a clean kitchen towel, and let rise in a warm spot for 1.5–2 hours until doubled in size.

4. 4

   Prepara the filling

   Combina ground nueces, polvo de cacao, filling azúcar, ron, and leche tibia in a bowl. Mezcla until a spreadable paste forms. Taste and adjust sweetness or ron as desired.

5. 5

   Shape the cozonac

   Divide the dough in half (for two loaves). Roll each half into a thin rectangle on a lightly floured surface. Spread filling evenly, leaving a 2 cm border. Roll up tightly like a Swiss roll, then twist the roll on itself and place in a greased loaf pan. Repeat for the second loaf. Cover and let rise for 30–45 minutes.

6. 6

   Hornea

   Preheat oven to 175°C. Brush the tops with huevo wash (yema de huevo + leche). Hornea for 45–55 minutes until deep golden brown. Cover loosely with foil if the top browns too quickly. A skewer inserted in the center should come out clean.

7. 7

   Enfría

   Retira from oven and let Enfría in the pan for 15 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack. Enfría completely before slicing — this allows the crumb to set properly.

Variaciones

• •

  Turkish delight and crushed pistachios as filling instead of nuez-cocoa.

• •

  Poppy seed filling with ralladura de limón and honey.

• •

  Mini cozonac rolls for individual servings at Easter brunch.

• •

  Vegetarian: swap the protein for roasted king oyster hongos, smoked tofu or cooked chickpeas — adjust seasoning slightly upward to compensate.

Almacenamiento

Wrap in a clean kitchen towel and store at room temperature for up to 4 days. Freeze sliced for up to 2 months.

Preguntas frecuentes