Pour the lukewarm milk into a cup, and stir in a teaspoon of sugar and the dried yeast. Let stand in a warm place for about 15 minutes until the yeast has risen, and bubbles have formed on the surface of the milk.
Remove a piece of egg white from the eggs and reserve it for later. Before baking, it will serve as an egg wash to brush the mazanec bread.
Put the flour, sugar, salt, vanilla, lemon zest, softened butter, and eggs in a large bowl. Pour in the yeast starter, including the milk.
Make the dough: First, roughly mix all the ingredients in the bowl with a wooden spoon, then dump the mass on the work surface. Spread a small handful of flour on the edge of the work surface. Process the dough until it is soft and smooth. If it sticks, always 'dip' it in the spread flour and work it in.
Now add the roughly chopped almonds and raisins to the dough and work them into the batter.
Return the dough to the bowl, cover it with plastic wrap, and put it in a warm place to rise for an hour.
Knead the dough briefly, shape it into a loaf and place it seam side down on a baking sheet lined with baking paper. Leave in a warm place for another hour and a half to rise.
Make two cross-shaped cuts on the surface - a regular razor blade worked best for me. You can also take a pair of scissors and cut the cross. Using a fork, whisk the egg white you have set aside and brush mazanec on all sides. Sprinkle the surface with sliced almonds.
Place the cake in an oven preheated to 374°F / 190°C (lower and upper heating) for 10 minutes, then turn the temperature down to 320°F / 160°C and bake for a further 30 minutes. If the bread starts to brown too much on the surface, place the foil loosely over it.