Mazanec is Czech sweet bread made for Easter. It is sweet yeast bread full of raisins, walnuts and almonds. It is served often on Easter Monday breakfast with butter, jam or honey.

What is mazanec ?

Mazanec is sweet yeast bread, full of walnuts, almonds and raisins. This bread is fluffy, yet firm to spread well the butter, jam or even Nutella. It’s traditionally made in the Czech Republic for Easter. But can be made any time of the year and used for breakfast, snacks or even French toast with mazanec is really good.

Ingredients needed for sweet bread mazanec

All-purpose flour
Unsalted butter
Eggs
Yeast (dry or fresh)
Fine sugar
Salt
Zest from lemon
Eggs
Milk
Dark spiced rum
Sliced blanched almonds
Sultana raisins
Walnuts

How to make this sweet easter bread, mazanec

First, I want to talk about the yeast. In this recipe, you can use both, dry or fresh yeast. Which one would be considered better? Both yeast: dry or fresh are equally good, just with dry yeast it’s easier to prep the dough. You will simply toss the dry yeast into the all-purpose flour and continue with the recipe. On the other hand, fresh yeast require proving. But with fresh yeast, I find the dough proves quickly.

How to prove fresh yeast

First, make sure your fresh yeast is at room temperature. This way it will prove faster. Use a mug or kitchen bowl to add the fresh yeast in it. Add two tablespoons of warm milk and one teaspoon of sugar. With a fork, mash well the yeast, until smooth and creamy. Cover with kitchen towel or plastic food foil and let proof for 10 minutes, on a warm spot in your kitchen.

After the yeast is proven, you can add it to the all-purpose flour and continue with the prep process.

What equipment is needed to make sweet yeast dough?

For this sweet bread recipe, I would recommend using a stand mixer. It is easier, because you don’t have to knead the dough with your hands. But it’s a soft yeast dough, and if you feel like your arms are strong, you can use just a large bowl with wooden spoon to knead it by hand. Next you will need, baking sheet, parchment paper, brush for egg wash and some bowls, measuring spoons and cups. Nothing fancy your kitchen doesn’t have already.

How to prepare the dough for sweet bread

Step1

If you are using fresh yeast, don’t forget to prove the yeast. If you use dry yeast, continue here. Best in a large bowl of a stand mixer, combine all-purpose flour, dry yeast, fine sugar, salt and lemon zest. Stir in with wooden spatula.

Step 2

Start mixing with a hook attachment on power 4 and slowly add (if you are using fresh yeast, add proven yeast here) milk, melted butter, eggs, vanilla extract or rum and mix until the dough comes together. Continue mixing for another 5-7 minutes at medium speed, so the dough is well mixed. Add the last ingredients, almonds, walnuts and raisins and mix just to combine. Remove the hook attachment and with your hand get all the nuts and raisins on the bottom of the bowl. Bring the dough with your hand up and shape a ball.

Step 3

Take the dough in the bowl and cover it with a kitchen towel or plastic food wrap. Let the dough rise for 1 hour, in a warm place, or until it double in size. Make sure the dough is not in a drafty spot in your kitchen.

Step 4

Once the dough has risen, bring it back to the kitchen counter and, with a clean hand, gently punch in the middle to let the gases escape from the dough. Place the dough on a baking sheet covered with parchment paper. Shape the dough into a ball by making plies like an envelope (please see images below), then turn the dough upside down and cover with a kitchen towel or plastic food foil and prove for another 20 minutes.

Step 5

In the meanwhile, preheat the oven to 200 C /400 F, rack in middle position. Crack an egg in a small bowl and add rum. Whisk the egg with rum to have egg wash. Brush the egg wash all over the sweet bread.

Step 6

Place the sweet bread in the oven and bake first for 10 minutes at 200 °C/ 400 °F, then reduce the temperature to 160 °C/ 325 °F and bake for an additional 40 minutes. If your bread already had browned the first 10 minutes of baking, cover the bread with aluminum foil to prevent burning.

Step 7

After baking, let the sweet bread rest for 40-60 minutes. Dust with powdered sugar. Slice and serve as is or spread with butter, jam or Nutella.

Step by step visual for making sweet bread

ingredients for mazanec — Add the ingredients

Shape the sweet bread in ball

Continue the process of second proving

proving dough second time — Proof the dough for second time

cutting cross on mazanec — Proof the dough for second time

Faq & tips

Why is my dough not doubling in size ?

There might be several reasons why the dough doesn’t rise. Your yeast is not fresh. The temperature of the place, where you let the dough proof, is not warm enough. You might be preparing the dough in winter season, or you live in high altitude. All these might be the reasons why the dough is slow to prove, or it doesn’t prove at all.

Start with eliminating the yeast freshness. Either dry or fresh yeast, take a little of it and place it in a small mug. Add 2 tablespoons of warm water and one teaspoon of sugar, mix until well combined. Cover with kitchen towel and if after 10 minutes no bubbles comes to the surface, then your yeast is dead. You need to purchase a new one. You also might have killed the yeast with hot of milk or water. Make sure you use lukewarm liquid, not hot.

In the winter times and in higher altitudes, it might have taken the dough a double time to rise. So be patient. Make sure you place the dough in a warm, sunny spot with no draft. Like next to the stove or on the ledge of the sunny window, but not too close to the window, especially in winter months.

How to store this sweet bread mazanec ?

The best way is to consume this sweet bread right after it has cooled down. After place the bread in either plastic foil or in bread box and consume within 3-5 days. You can freeze the sweet bread, covered well in plastic food foil or in airtight container, for up to 2 -3 months. Defrost on kitchen counter for 2 -3 hours or overnight. Toast the slices in toaster, so it tastes like just taken out of the oven.

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More recipes for Easter

MAZANEC CZECH EASTER SWEET BREAD

Julia

This yeast sweet bread is fluffy full of raisins, walnuts and almonds. Perfect for breakfast or as a quick snack. Can be served with butter, jam or nutella. Excellent also as a coffee cake or try to make a French toast with it.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 30

Cook Time 50

Proving time 1

Total Time 2 20

Course bread

Cuisine Czech

Servings 12 slices

Calories 265 kcal

Ingredients

500 grams all-purpose flour
100 grams fine sugar
2 teaspoon dry instant yeast or 25 g fresh yeast (see note how to prove fresh yeast)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 small lemon for zest
2 medium egg yolks
300 ml warm milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract or 1 tbsp dark spiced rum
150 grams melted unsalted butter
1/2 cup sliced blanched almonds
1/2 cup Sultana raisins
1/2 cup walnuts
1 medium egg for egg wash
1 teaspoon dark rum for egg wash

Instructions

If you are using fresh yeast, don’t forget to prove the yeast first. If you use dry yeast, continue here. Best in a large bowl of a stand mixer, combine all-purpose flour, dry yeast, fine sugar, salt and lemon zest. Stir in with wooden spatula.
Start mixing with a hook attachment on power 4 and slowly add (if you use fresh yeast add proven fresh yeast now), milk, melted butter, eggs, vanilla extract or rum and mix until the dough comes together. Continue mixing for another 5-7 minutes at medium speed, so the dough is well mixed. Add the last ingredients, almonds, walnuts and raisins and mix just to combine. Remove the hook attachment and with your hand get all the nuts and raisins on the bottom of the bowl. Bring the dough with your hand up and shape a ball.
Take the large bowl with the dough in it and cover it with a kitchen towel or plastic food wrap. Let the dough rise for 1 hour, in a warm place, or until it double in size. Make sure the dough is not in a drafty spot in your kitchen.
Once the dough has risen, bring it back to the kitchen counter and with a clean hand gently punch in the middle to let some gases escape from the dough. Place the dough on a baking sheet covered with parchment paper. Shape the dough into a ball by making plies as on the image, then turn the dough upside down and cover with a kitchen towel or plastic food foil and prove for another 20 minutes.
In the meanwhile, preheat the oven to 200 C /400 F, rack in middle position. Crack an egg in a small bowl and add rum. Whisk the egg with rum to have egg wash. Brush the egg wash all over the sweet bread.
Place the sweet bread in the oven and bake first for 10 minutes at 200 °C/ 400 °F, then reduce the temperature to 160 °C/ 325 °F and bake for an additional 40 minutes. If your bread already had browned the first 10 minutes of baking, cover the bread with aluminum foil to prevent burning.
After baking, let the sweet bread rest for 40-60 minutes. Dust with powdered sugar. Slice and serve as is or spread with butter, jam or Nutella.

Keyword easter sweet bread, mazanec, sweet bread, sweet yeast bread

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