Why we loved it:
Sometimes we have foods that are special to us for religious reasons or that we eat at certain times of the year. Ethan’s Easter Sweet Bread is both!
Ethan and his family celebrate Orthodox Easter and when he helps bake it, all his family and friends come together to eat it with him.
This bread is also known as ‘Kozunak’ in Bulgaria. It is made at Easter, Christmas and other special occasions. Before you bake this bread you will often plait the dough, so it makes an interesting shape when it comes out the oven.
Do you have any favourite puddings or desserts that you eat on special occasions?
Info:
Cook: 45 mins
Ingredients:
3 eggs150g sugar
200ml milk (warmed)
80ml sunflower oil
7g dried yeast
500g plain flour
1 teaspoon of vanilla essence
Grated lemon/orange
Method:
STEP 1
Mix the yeast with a little bit of warm milk in a bowl, add 2-3 spoons of flour and a pinch of sugar. Leave to one side for 10-15 minutes to activate.
STEP 2
In another bowl mix the sugar into the rest of the warm milk. Mix in 2 eggs and one egg yolk with the grated lemon zest. Add your vanilla and a little bit of oil. Make sure you mix really well!
STEP 3
Add the yeast mixture from step 1, into the egg mixture along with the milk, making sure to stir well. Start to add the flour in by spoon. Once this is all added, whisk until the dough is too hard to stir any further!
STEP 4
Move the dough to a clean worktop and start kneading, gradually adding the oil into little hollows you make in the dough. Make a big ball and put it back into the bowl. Leave it in a warm place for 45 minutes.
STEP 5
Once your dough has rested for 45 minutes, knead again for up to 5 minutes and leave again to double its size – this can take quite some time, up to 60 minutes!
STEP 6
When the dough has doubled in size, separate it into 3 equal balls of dough. Begin to make the dough into long rolls which you can then plait, or any other shape you prefer!
STEP 7
Finally, brush with egg whites, sprinkle with caster sugar and bake at 170C for 40-45 minutes.
