Roscón de Reyes
In Spain, sweet bread gets shared on January 6, Día de los Reyes. It’s the day gifts were given to kids, similar to Santa Claus in the U.S. It’s special for me because it was my father’s birthday, and my first son was born on that day as well. Read about the tradition and what’s with the surprise little figures and the bean here.
<span-key>4 cups</span-key><span-value>plain flour</span-value><span-key>½ tsp</span-key><span-value>salt</span-value><span-key>1 oz</span-key><span-value>dry baker’s yeast</span-value><span-key>⅓ cup</span-key><span-value>milk, lukewarm</span-value><span-key>⅓ cup</span-key><span-value>water, lukewarm</span-value><span-key>6 tbsp</span-key><span-value>butter at room temperature</span-value><span-key>6 tbsp</span-key><span-value>sugar</span-value><span-key>2</span-key><span-value>large eggs</span-value>
<span-key>1 tbsp</span-key><span-value>brandy or rum</span-value><span-key>-</span-key><span-value>Rind of 1 large orange, grated</span-value><span-key>1</span-key><span-value>egg white</span-value><span-key>2 cups</span-key><span-value>assorted candied fruit chopped in different sizes</span-value>
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Sift the flour and salt into a large mixing bowl, and make a well in the middle.
In a smaller bowl, dissolve the yeast into the lukewarm milk and water.
Once the yeast is completely dissolved, pour the mixture into the well of the flour.
Scrape in just enough flour from around the well to create a thick batter, sprinkle some extra flour on top, and cover with a kitchen towel.
Leave the bowl in a warm place for around 15 minutes, or until the batter is doughy and spongelike.
Meanwhile, in a medium mixing bowl, use an electric beater to combine the butter and sugar until creamy.
Once the dough is appropriately spongy, add the eggs, brandy, orange rind, and a splash of water to it.
Mix well until the dough is elastic and a bit sticky.
Add the butter-and-sugar mixture to the dough and mix until smooth.
Shape the dough into a ball and cover in oiled plastic wrap.
Keeping it in the large mixing bowl, cover it once more with a kitchen towel and leave in a warm place away from any drafts.
As the dough proves, it will double in size. This can take anywhere from 1 to 2 hours depending on the strength of the yeast culture.
While the dough rises, grease a large baking sheet for later use.
Once the dough has doubled in size, remove the plastic wrap.
Punch down the dough and place it on a lightly floured countertop or cutting board.
You need to knead the dough for 2-3 minutes, and then roll it into a large rectangle, roughly 2 feet by a half-foot.
Next, roll the dough inward from the long edge to create a sausage shape.
Bring the ends together to create the iconic doughnut shape, and place on the baking sheet.
(Want to add the bean or a ceramic toy? Do it now by poking it within the dough.)
Wrap the dough once more with plastic wrap, and leave in a warm place for roughly 1 hour to again double in size.
Preheat the oven to 350°F/170°C.
Once the dough has risen, lightly beat the remaining egg white and brush it across the top.
Cover the dough with assorted dried fruits, pushing gently so they do not fall off while baking.
Bake for 30 minutes or until golden.
Cool on a rack before serving. </span-p>
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