Easter Classic: Fragrant Mazanec Bread
·Yeast starter
Warm the milk until just slightly lukewarm. Stir in 1 tablespoon of sugar and crumble in the yeast. Let it sit in a warm spot until bubbles start forming on the surface. This means the yeast is ready to use.
Dough
Mix the flour with a pinch of salt, lemon zest, and caster sugar. Pour in the milk with the yeast, add the melted and cooled butter, crack in the eggs, and add the almonds and raisins. Mix by hand or with a stand mixer until the dough is smooth, soft, and no longer sticky.
Let it rise
Cover the bowl of dough with a tea towel and leave it in a warm place to rise for about an hour.
Brush with egg and sprinkle with almonds
Preheat the oven to 190°C. Shape the dough into a neat round loaf and place it on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Brush with beaten egg and sprinkle with almond flakes. Place in the preheated oven.
Lower the temperature
After ten minutes of baking, lower the temperature to 150°C and continue baking for about an hour. Keep an eye on your mazanec, as ovens vary, and make sure it doesn't burn. It's done when a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean, with no raw dough sticking to it.
Let it cool
Let it cool completely before slicing.