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Roscón de Reyes (Kings' Cake)

(recipe, Regina Winkle-Bryan)

Introduction

Because this traditional Spanish bread celebrating Twelfth Night requires three risings, you may wish to save this dish for a rainy weekend day.

Ingredients

    Cake
    1. 1 oz. yeast
    2. 2⅕ lb. all-purpose flour
    3. 2 cups milk
    4. 7½ oz. sugar
    5. 2 to 3 eggs
    6. Pinch of salt
    7. 1 small porcelain figurine and 1 dried bean, to hide inside the cake
    Garnish
    1. Candied citrus peel, dried fruit, almonds, and sugar
    2. 1 beaten egg, for glazing (optional)

    Steps

    1. With your hands or a fork, mix the yeast and half of the flour. Then slowly add the milk. Once mixed, form the dough into a ball and set it aside to double in size.
    2. Pile the remaining flour on a large cutting board or countertop and hollow a crater out of the middle. Put the sugar, eggs, and salt in the crater and mix them together. Do this by starting in the center and taking bits of flour and mixing it in little by little.
    3. When the other dough ball has doubled in size, mix both dough balls together. Remove bits of remaining dough from the table with a spatula and add them to the ball. Set it aside to double in size (about 2 hours).
    4. When the dough has risen a second time, move it to a greased baking sheet. Form the dough into a ring and insert the porcelain figurine and the bean. Make sure the dough forms an unbroken ring. Set it aside to double in size for a third time.
    5. Preheat the oven to 250 degrees. When the dough has doubled in size, decorate it with candied and dried fruit, nuts, and sugar. You can also glaze it with a beaten egg. Bake the ring for 20 to 30 minutes, then set aside to cool.