Easter Bread

Total Time

Prep: 60 min. Cook: 60 min.

Makes

10 servings

Updated: Mar. 28, 2024
My Czech hubby is not the cook of the household, but he does occasionally bake Czech specialties. And he does a great job! This bread is traditionally baked for Easter in Czech Republic. In Czech it is called "Mazanec". A similar bread is baked at Christmas, but the Mazanec is even yummier. I started baking it when I got my Kitchen Aid mixer, and the kneading attachment. That made it so easy to make.

Ingredients

75 g raisins
Rum (enough to just cover raisins)
120 g butter, softened
120 g granulated sugar
lemon rind (from 1 lemon)
1 packet vanilla sugar (or 2 tsp vanilla extract)
3 egg yolks
1/4 tsp salt
3.5 tsp instant dry yeast (see notes below)
500 g plus semi-coarse flour (polohruba mouka)
1 cup milk, warmed
50 g slivered almonds
30-40 g whole blanched and skinned almonds
1 egg (for egg wash)

Directions

Put raisins in a small bowl and cover with rum. Let sit at least 2 hours or more.

Mix softened butter, sugar, lemon rind, vanilla sugar (or extract), 3 egg yolks, and about 1/4 tsp salt using stand-up mixer with paddle or hand mixer, until the mix starts to lighten in color.

Combine instant/quick rising yeast with flour. Add flour mixture and warm milk intermittently to the butter/yeast mixture. When it gets stiffer, switch to mixer's kneading attachment (or a strong set of arms and hands). You will surely need to add more flour (possibly a lot) to make it so the dough is not too sticky, but also not too stiff or dry.

Drain the rum off the raisins. Mix the rum soaked raisins and slivered almonds into the dough, and then let stand (covered) for an hour or so in a warm spot.

Knead dough a bit more and make a round loaf (see photo) on a large cookie sheet (non stick or sprayed with non-stick spray). Let rise again to almost double the size (1-2 hours). Brush on egg wash and then decorate all over with whole blanched and skinned almonds (pushing into dough gently).

Bake at 350 F for 45 mins to 1 hour. The loaf will brown. If it it starts to brown too much, it can be covered with foil towards the end.