Cozonac with Turkish Delight

Cozonac is a Romanian yeasted sweetbread, which is traditionally made for special occasions like Easter and Christmas. Due to the added egg and butter the bread has a beautiful fluffy and soft texture. This recipe only takes a little effort, but in the end it will be worth it.

I personally prefer eating it warm, since the Turkish Delight will be slightly melted. My mother-in-law likes to eat it with sour cream. Some like to add butter to it, but taste it first without anything on top.

Cozonac Ingredients

Flour: In Romania you can buy flour specifically for this, which is type ‘000’, but you can use all-purpose flour for this.

Sugar: Use just plain white sugar for recipe.

Milk: Please use full-fat milk for the this bread, since you want to taste a rich dough.

Butter: Unsalted Butter is the the best choice for this sweetbread.

Rum Essence: In my time in Romania I can say with a surety that this is the flavor number one in Romania.

Turkish Delight: You can buy them for cheap in Lidl, but also online. They don’t have to be of high quality, but I do suggest tasting them to see if you enjoy the flavor.

Eggs: Use medium to large eggs and keep them at room temperature

Cozonac with Turkish Delight

Print Recipe

Fluffy yeasted sweetbread called Cozonac! A delicious and flavorful bread that gives you a taste of Romanian traditional cuisine. Made during Easter and other holiday seasons.

• Author: Jessica
• Prep Time: 20 minutes
• Proof Time: 90 minutes
• Cook Time: 60 minutes
• Total Time: 2 hours 50 minutes
• Yield: 2 Loaves 1x
• Category: Dessert
• Method: Oven+Bread Pan
• Cuisine: Romanian

Ingredients

Units MUS Scale 1x2x3x

• 1 kg flour
• 250g sugar
• 500 ml milk
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 5 eggs
• 2 packages active dried yeast (7g)
• 150 g unsalted butter
• 50 ml vegetable oil
• 2 lemons (for the peel)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla essence
• 2 teaspoon rum essence

Filling

• 500 g Turkish Delight

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Instructions

1. In a big bowl add your flour.
2. Separate your egg yolk from their egg whites. The egg whites can be used for this Cozonac recipe.
3. Separately warm up your milk comfortable to touch add your sugar and yeast to the mix until the yeast mixture doubles.
4. Melt your butter and add oil to it for the end step.
5. Add the lemon peel and salt to the flour and start add your yeast mixture into it. Slowly pour in while kneading. Once the dough comes slowly together add the egg yolks one at a time.
6. Knead until you don’t see any yellow streaks from the egg.
7. Pour the butter and oil little by little until all is incorporated.
8. Let the dough rest for at least one hour or until doubled.
9. Preheat oven to 180C (350F)
10. Line your bread pan 20cmx10cm or 8 inchx 4 inch with a baking sheet. Any long bread pan will do.
11. Cut your Turkish Delight into big cubes. If your knife gets stuck add some flour to your knife.
12. Half the the dough in half and place one dough to an oiled surface. Roll it out into a rectangle and generously place your Turkish Delight on top. Make it rain Turkish Delight!
13. Roll up the long side up and place the loaf seam side down into the bread pan.
14. Let it rest for 30 minutes.
15. Bake in the oven for at least 45 minutes. Each oven is different so it take even up to an hour. Check the bread with a toothpick.
16. Once done brush it with some sugar water (2 tablespoon water with 1 tablespoon sugar).
17. Let it cool completely.

Notes

You can use fresh yeast if desired. For this recipe use 50 g of fresh yeast.