Walnut Sweet Bread

Description
In Romanian: Cozonac cu nuca

Ingredients

 * 2 lbs / 1 kg flour
 * 10 oz / 300 g sugar
 * 1½ cups milk
 * 6 eggs
 * 2 oz / 50 g yeast
 * 7 oz / 200 g butter
 * 2 tablespoons oil
 * vanilla stick
 * salt

Filling

 * 10 oz / 300 g ground walnuts
 * 1 cup milk
 * ¾ cup sugar
 * ¼ cup rum
 * vanilla

Directions

 * 1) Make a starter from yeast and a teaspoon of sugar.
 * 2) Mix until the consistency of sour cream, add 2 - 3 tablespoons tepid milk, a little flour and mix well; sprinkle some flour on top, cover and let sit in a warm place to rise.
 * 3) Boil the milk with the vanilla stick (cut in very small pieces) and leave it on the side of the range, covered, to keep warm.
 * 4) Mix the yolks with the Sugar and salt, then slowly pour the tepid milk, stirring continuously.
 * 5) Place the risen starter in a large bowl and pour, stirring continuously, the yolk-milk mixture and some flour, a little at a time.
 * 6) Then add 3 whipped egg whites. When you finish this step, start kneading.
 * 7) Knead, adding melted butter combined with oil, a little at a time, until the dough starts to easily come off your palms.
 * 8) Cover with a cloth and then something thicker (like a blanket).
 * 9) Leave in a warm place to triple in bulk.
 * 10) If during kneading the dough seems too hard, you may add a little milk.
 * If, on the contrary, the dough seems too soft, you may add a little flour.
 * 1) When the dough has risen well, take a piece of it, place on the floured work surface, give it the desired shape (round, oval, braided, etc.) and place in the baking pan previously greased with butter.
 * 2) Let rise some more in the pan in a warm place.

Filling

 * 1) Melt the sugar in the warm milk with vanilla in a pot on the range.
 * 2) When the sugar is melted, add the walnuts and keep stirring.
 * 3) After a few minutes of boiling, and after the filling has thickened, remove from heat and add rum. When the filling is cold, roll a sheet of dough about one finger thick, uniformly spread the walnut filling on top and roll like a jelly roll.
 * 4) Grease a bread pan, place the roll inside, let rise for a while and then set in the oven to bake at medium heat.