Mazanec: Traditional Czech Sweet Easter Bread Recipe
Mazanec is a traditional Czech Easter bread - a soft, round, enriched sweet bread with golden raisins, lemon peel, a small shallow cross shape on top, and sliced almonds. This sourdough version uses an active sourdough starter for deeper flavor and a tender crumb.
I grew up celebrating Czech Easter, and mazanec was always part of it - buttery, lightly sweet, studded with golden raisins. This sourdough version trades fresh yeast for sourdough starter, which builds deeper flavor than most sourdough bread recipes - similar to what makes my cinnamon raisin sourdough so much better than a standard yeast loaf.
A Quick Look at the Recipe
⏱ Prep time: 10 minutes
👩🏻🍳 Bake time: 30-35 minutes
⏳ Total time: ~5 hours 40 minutes
🔥 Calories: ~263 kcal per serving
👥 Servings: 8
🥣 Main Ingredients: Sourdough starter, flour, eggs, butter, sugar, raisins, lemon peel
👌 Difficulty: Moderate
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🍞 What Is Mazanec? Czech Easter Bread Tradition
Mazanec is one of the oldest traditional Czech Easter foods in the Czech Republic - a traditional Czech Easter bread dating to the 15th century. The round loaf and small shallow cross shape predate Christianity in Central Europe, symbolic of pre-Christian spring rites and the religious holiday. Baking it on Holy Saturday (Bílá sobota / White Saturday) during Holy Week is tradition for Easter Sunday, Easter Monday, and broader Easter celebrations. Mazanec is closely related to Slovak paska (paska bread) and similar enriched Easter breads from other European countries. Pair with Czech Easter Stuffing and Lamb Cake.
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Jump to:
- A Quick Look at the Recipe
- 🍞 What Is Mazanec? Czech Easter Bread Tradition
- 🥘 Ingredients for Sourdough Mazanec
- Sourdough for Beginners
- 🔪How to Make Mazanec: Step-by-Step Instructions
- 🥄 Substitutions & Variations
- 🍽 Equipment
- 🥣 How to Store Mazanec
- 💭 Tereza's Top Tips
- 🧂Mazanec Recipe FAQ
- Related
- Pairing
- 📖 Recipe
- 💬 Community
🥘 Ingredients for Sourdough Mazanec
To find the precise measurements, scroll to the bottom of this post to find the recipe card
- All-purpose flour - structure without a tight crumb.
- Active sourdough starter - bubbly, at peak.
- Whole eggs - one for dough, one for egg wash.
- Softened butter (unsalted) - for a brioche-like crumb.
- Sugar, water, salt.
- Vanilla extract, lemon zest.
- Golden raisins - soak dry ones in a little bit of rum 10-15 min; drained soaked raisins are most traditional.
- Sliced almonds (top), confectioners' sugar (dust).
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🔪How to Make Mazanec: Step-by-Step Instructions
- In your KitchenAid mixer bowl, combine flour and dry ingredients, then add the wet.
- Knead with the dough hook attachment 5-10 min on medium-low until a soft dough forms. Sticky from butter - don't add flour. By hand: stir with a wooden spoon, then knead on a work surface 15-20 min.
- Turn out onto a lightly floured work surface. Press into a circle, fold edges to the center, flip seam-side down. Cup and rotate gently to shape a smooth round loaf.
- Place onto large parchment paper, then into a banneton or towel-lined bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.
- Place onto large parchment paper, then into a banneton or towel-lined bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.
- In the morning, rest at room temperature 2-3 hours until puffy. Slow finger-poke spring-back means it's ready.
- Preheat oven to 200°C. In a small bowl, whisk one whole egg for the egg wash and brush over the loaf. Score a small shallow cross shape (~½ cm deep). Scatter sliced almonds.
- Lift parchment onto a baking sheet (or baking tray), place on the center oven rack, reduce oven to 180°C. Bake 30-35 min until golden brown and 90-95°C internal. Tent with aluminum foil if browning fast.
- Cool on a wire rack 20 min before slicing. Dust with confectioners' sugar.
🥄 Substitutions & Variations
- Rum-soaked raisins - soak overnight, pat dry. Most traditional.
- Other dried fruits - currants, apricots, cranberries.
- Whole-wheat flour - sub up to 20%.
- Yeast dough version - fresh yeast, active dry yeast, or quick rise yeasts work but lose sourdough depth.
- Different shape - divide dough into equal pieces and braid into a large loaf; some Czech descendants finish with a small braid on top.
🍽 Equipment
- Kitchen Aid Standing Mixer
- Fermentation Box
🥣 How to Store Mazanec
Wrap tightly. Keeps 2-3 days at room temperature, 5-7 days refrigerated, up to 3 months frozen - an easy Easter treat to prep ahead.
💭 Tereza's Top Tips
Your starter must be fully active - bubbly and at peak - or the loaf turns out flat. Trust the sticky dough; don't add flour. Use metric units (grams) - volume measurements are too inconsistent for this dough.
🧂Mazanec Recipe FAQ
A traditional Czech Easter food - soft, round, enriched sweet bread flavored with lemon peel and golden raisins. Related to Slovak paska bread.
Almost always an inactive starter or too cold a proofing space.
90-95°C internal, or hollow when tapped.
Yes - fresh yeast, active dry yeast, or quick rise yeasts make a faster yeast dough but lose sourdough depth.
Yes - bake on Holy Saturday for Easter Sunday, or freeze for up to 3 months.
Tried this Easter Sweet Bread? Scroll down to the recipe card and leave a star rating - it takes two seconds and helps other bakers find this recipe.
Related
Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:
Pairing
These are my favorite dishes to serve with Czech Easter bread recipe:
📖 Recipe
Czech Sourdough Mazanec Recipe
Ingredients
- 290 g all purpose flour
- 80 g sugar
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 egg
- 100 g active sourdough starter
- 80 g softened butter
- 50 g water
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- lemon peel
- handful of golden raisins
Instructions
- Combine flour and dry ingredients in a KitchenAid mixer bowl; knead with dough hook 5-10 min until a soft dough forms.
- First rise: warm place, 2-4 hr.
- Shape into a round loaf.
- Cold-proof overnight in a banneton, covered with plastic wrap.
- Second rise: room temperature, 2-3 hr.
- Preheat to 200°C. Egg-wash, score a cross, scatter almonds.
- Reduce to 180°C, bake 30-35 min until 90-95°C internal.
- Cool on a wire rack 20 min. Dust with confectioners' sugar.
I made this for Easter morning and it turned out so good! The lemon peel and raisins are such a nice touch. Love that you used sourdough starter instead of regular yeast — you can really taste the difference. Will definitely be making this again next year!