Rosca de Reyes (Mexican King Cake)

     2020 is finally coming to an end and Día de Reyes will be here in the blink of an eye. So go ahead and indulge yourself with a nice rosca and cup of coffee or hot cocoa. Enjoy!

Ingredients

Dough
2 + 1/4 cups of flour
1 tbs yeast
1 tbs orange blossom water
3 egg yolks at room temperature
1 egg at room temperature
1 extra egg for washing before baking
4 tbs of butter (half a bar) at room temperature
1/2 cup of lukewarm milk
1/4 cup of sugar
1 pinch of salt 
1 orange, we will use only the peel

Stuffing 
    If desired, you may stuff your rosca with cream cheese, chocolate chips, fruit jam, or skip the stuffing altogether. I stuffed mine with chocolate. In Mexico, most bakeries sell their roscas with a few tiny plastic baby Jesus inside symbolizing the birth of Jesus. I do not use them in my dough. I do not agree with harmful chemicals on our food. I encourage you to be creative and use a different way to play to represent the baby. Perhaps with a plum or raisin, a piece of chocolate, or any other fun ingredient you can think off (that is not a chocking hazard). Don't forget, whoever finds the "baby" has to make tamales on El Dia de la Candelaría! 

Toppings
    Traditional toppings include crystalized figs, stripes of "ate" (fruit puree mixed with pectin and coloring), preserved cherries.
    I encourage you to use your own toppings instead of purchasing heavily processed sweets. For mine, I crystalized one sliced blood orange, since it is one of my daughter's favorite fruits, and I piped some home-made guava jam instead of using store bought "ate". 

Icing
4 tbs of butter (half a bar) at room temperature
1/2 cup of flour
1/2 cup of powdered sugar
1 tbs vanilla extract
Coloring optional

Equipment
Mixer with the hook and paddle attachments
Grater to grate the orange peel
Rolling pin
One clear cup to mix and activate the yeast
One clear bowl to proof the bread
One reusable plastic wrap or beewax cloth to cover the above-mentioned bowl
One baking tray
One reusable silicone baking sheet or compostable parchment paper

Instructions

    In a glass container, mix 1/2 cup of lukewarm milk with 1 tbs of yeast, 1tbs of sugar, and 3 tbs of flour. Mix well and let it rest in a warm spot until the yeast has activated. This will become apparent because the mix will become bubbly and it will roughly double in size. 

    Mix the butter and the sugar at low speed using a mixer equipped with the paddle attachment. Add the egg yolks and one egg, one at a time as you continue mixing at low speed. Add the yeast mix (only after the yeast has activated). Stop the mixer and replace the paddle attachment for the hook attachment. 

    Add half of your flour and mix at low speed. Add the pinch of salt, the grated peel of one orange, and 1 tbs of orange blossom water. Stop the mixer, add the flour, continue mixing at low speed for about 2 minutes, and then increase the speed medium high. Continue mixing until your dough has developed enough gluten to become elastic, but not sticky. You will know because the dough will be attached to the hook, instead of sticking to the bowl or your fingers if working the dough by hand. 

    Shape the dough as a ball, place it inside of a clear bowl previously greased or buttered, cover, and let it rest in a warm location in your kitchen until it has doubled in size. While waiting, you may prepare the topping mix. In a bowl and, by hand, mix the butter with the flour and the powdered sugar. Add the vanilla. If you wish, you may skip the vanilla and add a different flavoring and/or coloring. It's your rosca; have fun with it! 

    After one to two hours and when it has doubled its size, slightly flour your kitchen counter or use a non-stick silicone mat, remove your dough from the bowl, and flatten it into a rectangle shape with the assistance of a rolling pin. Make the rectangle as long as you want the circumference of your rosca to be. 

    Place the stuffing of your choice (if using) and/or the plastic baby Jesus(s) inside and roll your rosca as the picture below. 

    Continue rolling until you achieve a cylinder shape. Attach the two ends of the cylinder by opening one of the ends wide and stuffing inside the other end (as a snake biting its own tail). See pictures below. 

     Shape your rosca as an oval on a baking tray with parchment paper, ensuring that the seams are facing down. Beat 1 egg with 1 tsp of sugar and use it to brush the rosca. Place your toppings. I used the frosting to cover the seam where the two ends of the cylinder met. On my rosca, I used a mix of frosting and crystallized blood oranges that I made that morning. You may use store bought crystalized fruits and/or ate if you wish. Let the world be your rosca! Once done placing the toppings, let it rest in a warm place. 

    Once it has doubled in volume, bake at 325 degrees for 30 minutes. Let it cool a few minutes on the baking tray before transferring to a cooling rack. Once cool, enjoy a nice and generous slice with a cup of hot cocoa or coffee. 

    I owe you a picture of the baked rosca. It smelled so good, that my family could not wait for a picture before going to town. I will be making another one soon; as Dia de Reyes is quickly approaching. I'll be sure to take a picture at the very end and to update this post! 

Have a wonderful 2021!