VEGAN SHREDDED EASTER BREAD

Easter cozonac (sweet bread) is an indispensable part of the holiday, and of course, there's a way to make it perfect and, as we say, stringy, easily in a vegan version.

Ingredients for Stringy Vegan Cozonac

For the yeast:

 

• 1 cup warm soy milk (250 ml)
• 1 tbsp unrefined cane sugar (20 g)
• 2 sachets active dry yeast (14 g)
• 3 tbsp organic white flour (45 g)
  
  For the dough:
   
• 1/2 cup soy milk (125 ml)
• 2/3 cup unrefined cane sugar (165 g)
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1/3 cup unscented coconut oil (70 g)
• 3 1/2 cups + 1/2 cup organic white flour (520 + 80g)
• 1/4 cup cooking oil (50 ml)
  
  For traditional filling:
   
• 1/4 cup raisins
• 1/4 cup dried apricots
• 1/4 cup rum
  
  For chocolate filling:
   
• 1/2 cup chocolate chips
  
  For a golden crust:
   
• 3 tbsp soy milk
• 1 tbsp maple syrup

 
Instructions for making Stringy Vegan Cozonac
In a large bowl, mix one cup of warm soy milk with 1 tablespoon of sugar, 3 tablespoons of flour, and add the dry yeast, stir. Let sit for 10 minutes.

In a small saucepan, combine half a cup of soy milk with sugar over medium heat and stir until the sugar is completely dissolved. Let it cool completely.

To the yeast mixture, add the coconut oil cut into pieces and add the cooled soy milk and sugar mixture. Begin to gradually add the pre-sifted flour, stirring constantly with a wooden spatula. After adding 3 and a half cups of flour, begin kneading.

Transfer the dough to a floured surface and knead constantly with your hands, stretching the dough, gradually adding the remaining half cup of flour. Kneading will take about 10 minutes at this stage. The dough should be elastic and not sticky.

Prepare the necessary amount of oil. The important thing when adding oil is to do it gradually. Take the dough and stretch it with your hands into an oval on the counter. Place about 1 tsp of oil in the middle and pull the edges towards the center, enclosing the oil in a packet. Start actively kneading until the oil is fully incorporated into the dough and it begins to stick slightly. Repeat the procedure until the oil is gone. (This process takes about 25-30 minutes.)

Place the prepared dough in a container and cover it with a kitchen towel or wrap it with cling film. Leave it in a warm place to rise for 2-3 hours.

Soak chopped dried apricots and raisins in rum.

Divide the dough into two parts.

First, we will make the braid with chocolate chips. Divide half of the dough into three parts and stretch each one into long ropes. Along the length of each, place chocolate and close them by joining the two ends. Braid them, place in a bread pan, cover with a kitchen towel, and leave for 1 hour in a warm place to rise.

For the round traditional cozonac with raisins, divide the dough into 4 parts and stretch each one into a long rope. Along the length of each, place the raisins and apricots previously soaked in rum and close them by joining the two ends. On baking paper, cross 2 ropes with the other two and move one over to the next clockwise once, then back with the other ropes. Repeat until only very small unbraided pieces remain, tuck them carefully underneath. Place on a baking tray and put a ring on top that is slightly larger than the cozonac. Cover with a kitchen towel and leave for 1 hour in a warm place to rise.

Preheat the oven to 175C (355F).

Mix 3 tbsp soy milk with 1 tbsp maple syrup and brush the risen cozonac. Sprinkle with coconut sugar.

Bake for about 40 minutes.

The recipe for Stringy Vegan Cozonac was made for us by Lyubov Pavlova.

Lyubov Pavlova is a Vegan Food Blogger who goes by the name BohemianVeg. She shares only plant-based recipes, experimenting with various products and techniques, trying to recreate even the most traditional dishes from international cuisines. Delicious, easy, and accessible vegan food is the foundation of her blog and, of course, the desire to show that plant-based food is not only healthy but also diverse!