Orange Three Kings Bread Recipe (Rosca de Reyes)
An easy tutorial to learn how to make a traditional orange-flavored Rosca de Reyes
Ingredients
For the Bread
- 1 (7 gm) active dry yeast packet
- 1/4 cup warm water
- 3/4 cup ssugar + 1 teaspoon
- 3 1/2 - 4 cups all purpose flour + a little more to dust working space
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 10 tablespoons unsalted butter softened
- 3 eggs
- 1/4 cup warm milk
- Zest of one orange
- 1-2 tablespoons olive oil or canola to oil bowl
For Decoration
- 1/2 cup confectioner sugar
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter softened
- 1/2 cup flour plus 1-2 tablespoons if needed
- 1 egg yolk
- 1 teaspoon milk
- Cherries, dried fruit, nuts, etc.
Utensilios
- 1 big baking sheet
- Food grade plastic wrap
- A kitchen brush
- 1 cooling rack
- 1 bread scraper
- Plastic dolls for Rosca de Reyes (optional)
Instructions
Step by Step Instructions
- Mix yeast, water, and 1 teaspoon of sugar in a small bowl. Set aside in a warm place for 15 minutes or until it's foamy.
Make the dough
- On a flat surface, create a well in the flour, pour the salt around on the outside of the "well wall." Pour the warm milk into the center and with your hands or a fork begin to mix.
- If you are using the mixer, mix the flour and salt a little before adding the milk.
- When the yeast mixture has doubled in volume add to the dough and keep kneading.
- Add the eggs and continue kneading until all the ingredients are combined. You will have a lumpy dough, a bit coarse, and if you pull it, it breaks easily. Integrate the sugar little by little, this will make the dough begin to loosen and moisten. When everything is integrated, you will have a sticky dough and will feel the grains of sugar.
- It is time to start adding the butter. Integrate little by little. You will see that the dough changes, it will become smoother and extremely sticky in your hands and on the work surface. Add the orange zest and continue kneading. You will notice that the dough will change, this is due to the development of gluten. The dough should be sticky and moist and will begin to get springy. This may take approximately 20-25 minutes. Put on your favorite music, grab your favorite drink, and enjoy the kneading process.
- Keep kneading, depending on the weather and humidity you may need to add a little more flour. You can do it, but do it teaspoon by teaspoon, kneading in between. Don’t add too much at once because this could dry out the dough. You will see how the dough is compacting and little by little it is detaching from your hands.
- You'll know the dough is ready when taking a ball of dough you can stretch it like forming a window and the dough does not break easily. This will take about 20-25 minutes, be patient, sometimes it feels like the dough will never change, but it will. I ended up using 1/2 cup more flour for a total of 4 cups. Bread reacts to the weather and altitude (I live at sea level), so it will probably be different for you.
Rest the dough
- Oil a large bowl and place the dough inside. Oil the top of the dough as well and cover with plastic wrap or a kitchen towel.
- Set aside in a warm place free of drafts, until dough doubles in size, depending on the weather this may take 1 1/2 to 2 hours. Be patient as the yeast works its magic, let it rise, it will bring a deeper flavor.
- While it is resting, prepare the decorations. Mix sugar, butter, and flour to form a paste. Cover with plastic wrap and put it in the fridge. Cut dried fruit in strips, dry out cherries with a paper towel.
Make the rosca
- Once the dough has doubled in size, place it on a floured surface and gently knead it for a few seconds to remove the gas that has formed in the fermentation. With a rolling pin, form a long rectangle, making sure it is the same thickness. Then take one of the longer edges and start rolling the dough, you will end up with a long strip.
- Grease or place parchment paper on a large baking sheet and carefully place the strip of dough on top. Take one of the ends of the dough and form a “hole,” take the other end and push the dough until both ends are “glued” together to form the wreath.
- Push the dough until both ends are "glued" together.
- Brush the mixture of egg yolk and milk on the dough to give it a nice egg wash. This will give it a nice, shiny, brown finish during baking.
- Take the sugar-flour-butter mix and divide it into 6 pieces. Take one of the pieces (called a "costrón" in Spanish), make a flat oval and place it on top of the bread starting on top of the union of the dough to "hide it," repeat with the other 5 pieces.
- Sprinkle sugar on top of the "costrones", and decorate the bread with the cherries and candied fruit. Cover with plastic and let it rest for 45 minutes in a warm place and let it rise again. See the picture below.
And Bake!
- Twenty minutes before the end of the 45 minutes of resting, pre-heat your oven to 325 degrees F (160 degrees C) and bake for 30-45 minutes or until cooked through and golden brown.
- Transfer to a wire rack to cool down.
- Once the bread is completely cooled, carefully turn it over and introduce the plastic dolls randomly, if you choose. (Do this at your own risk, of course) or insert them through the rack if that is easier.
- Serve to your family and friends with Mexican hot chocolate, atole, or Mexican ponche.
Notes
An important note. This recipe is made without a mixer, since not all houses have one. However, if you have a mixer with a dough hook, use it with confidence. It will save you time and effort.
Tip for kneading: I learned this from my husband. Use just one hand to mix the ingredients, keep your other hand clean for adding more flour, or using the bread scrapper to integrate into the dough.
Tip for resting the dough: I turn my oven on to the lowest temperature for about a minute, turn it off and check that the temperature is 100°F (37°) or less. In this warm environment I let my dough grow.
Tip: Take a photo of the dough before resting and then another after the time the recipe says it should take. Compare them, this will help you see if it has doubled in size.
Did you make this recipe?
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