Kozunak (Bulgarian Easter Bread)

The prep

1. In a small bowl, mix the yeast with the warm milk and a tsp of sugar. Stir and leave to activate for 5 minutes.
2. Add the dried fruit and lemon juice and zest to a bowl. Set it aside. 

Make the dough

1. Whisk together the 200g of sugar with the 5 eggs until well combined. You can use a stand mixer with whisk attachment if easier. Add the milk/yeast mixture and the melted butter. Mix until combined.
2. Add the flour in thirds and mix until the dough comes together. It will appear sticky and that's ok! Use a dough hook if using a stand mixer. Throw in the fruit and lemon juice and combine. If the dough appears too wet at this stage, add 50g extra flour and combine. 

1st prove

1. Place the dough into a well-oiled bowl and cover with cling film. Place in a warm area of the house and leave to prove until doubled in size. This could take up to 2 hours. 

Kneading

1. Knock back the dough once doubled in size by punching it down with your hands. You may want to flour your hands beforehand as the dough will be very sticky and get stuck to your hands! Knead the dough for 5 minutes on a floured surface.

Shaping the dough

1.  Cut your dough into 3 equal pieces. Roll each piece into a sausage-like shape (don't worry about the length - you can make the sausages as long as you like (just not too thin or they might break!) I'd aim for at least 20cm. The main thing is that they are equal. Place the pieces of dough side by side and join at the top. Plait the dough as you would plait hair: left piece over middle, right piece over middle and so and so forth. 

2nd prove

1. Cover the plaited bread with a tea towel and leave to prove for 30 minutes more. Once the dough has noticeably proved, mix together your 1 egg and 2 tbsp of milk to make your egg wash. Brush the dough all over with the egg wash. Sprinkle on your flaked almonds.

Baking the dough

1. Bake in the oven (around 190°c/ 170°c fan) for 30-35 minutes. Cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes and then tear it apart to eat! Best served warm.