Kozunak-Sweet Easter Bread

Easter is characterised with certain food and rituals. In Orthodox tradition, these are the sweet bread and dyed eggs. In Bulgaria, Kozunak, the traditional, braided, sweet bread, symbolising the body of Christ, is a necessary item of the Easter table everywhere. Here is how we make it.

Blend the flour with the salt and the vanilla. Make a well and add the eggs. Warm up the milk. Melt down the yeast in part of the lukewarm milk. Add the sugar in the rest of the milk and stir to dissolve it.

Start making the sweet bread dough, as you gradually add the yeast, milk and sugar. Mix well until you get thick and sticky dough. Twist and knead the dough, as you slowly add the vegetable oil. The process requires some physical effort. Add the lemon zest and knead again until it is well blended. Place the dough in a large, coated with oil pot to rest and rise. Cover it with clean cloth or ceramic foil.

Once the dough has doubled its volume, turn it onto an oiled working surface and knead again. Back in the days, the women used to "beat" the dough 100 times, to make sure the kozunak bread bakes well. Practically, it is the same process as kneading. The purpose of it is to remove all the air bubbles from the dough, to assure nice and smooth bread texture.

Once the dough is ready, split it into halves. Divide each half into 3 equally large dough balls. Knead in raisins, than twist and form long dough ribbons. Braid the dough ribbons and place them in coated with oil baking pan. Glaze the bread with egg yolk mixed with milk. Sprinkle it with sugar and let it rest and rise again. When it doubles it's size, bake it at 350 ℉. To make sure the bread is baked, gently poke it with a wooden stick. If it comes out dry, the sweet bread is done.

You can add not only raisins, but also nuts, jams and anything else you like.