Roscón de Reyes with cream and berries

At Christmas we can enjoy a wide variety of sweets, in fact, it could be considered the sweetest time of the year for that very reason. But if there is a star sweet at this time of year, it is, without a doubt, our beloved Roscón de Reyes.

A sweet, fragrant bread for which we can find countless recipes and variations to make it, although they all have several things in common: orange blossom water, citrus zest and its peculiar decoration with almonds, pearl sugar and/or candied fruit.

It is true that nowadays there are very different and daring roscones, inspired by many other preparations. But for those who have classic and traditional tastes, today we can enjoy the original recipe, so to speak.

Origin of the Roscón de Reyes

This type of sweet bread dates back to Roman times and is believed to have been present at the "Roman Saturnalia". These were important Roman festivals also known as "Slave Festivals". During this celebration, slaves received extra rations, free time and other benefits.

The name of this celebration comes from Saturn, god of agriculture, and it was also a tribute to the triumph of a victorious general. It was celebrated from December 17 to 23 to celebrate the end of the dark time of the year, decorating houses with plants and candles, and giving away clay figurines. From December 25 onwards, the arrival of the sun was celebrated.

The Saturnalia were probably the celebrations of the end of field work, celebrated after the winter sowing was finished, thus giving people time to rest from their daily efforts. Later, the Church made these dates coincide with the birth of Jesus of Nazareth in order to put an end to the old celebrations.

For these celebrations, cakes made of dates, figs and honey were made and shared equally between slaves and commoners. In the 3rd century, the custom of introducing a dried bean was adopted and the lucky one who found it was named “King of Kings” for a short period of time.

The recipe that we will see how to prepare today is based on the traditional way of making it, even with its majestic whipped cream filling (which is not mandatory, of course). To break a little with the classic and usual aesthetic, when decorating it, I have decided to use some fruits such as currants, which will provide a light acidic and fresh touch, and caramelized freeze-dried raspberries.

The freshness and acidity of these fruits combine very well with the sweet and fruity flavour of the roscón. In addition, it allows us to give it an elegant and striking decoration that helps us break away from the usual aesthetic.

Ingredients (for one large or two medium roscón)

For the preferment

• 150 g of strong wheat flour (W=300)
• 100 g whole milk at room temperature
• 3 g dry yeast or 9 g fresh yeast

For the dough

• 550 g of strong wheat flour (W=300)
• 140 g whole milk at room temperature
• 3 g dry yeast or 9 g fresh yeast
• 2 large eggs (110 g)
• Zest of two oranges and one lemon
• 130 g unsalted butter at room temperature
• 35 g of orange blossom essence (not concentrated, in this case, less quantity)
• 15 g of aged rum
• 1 vanilla pod (the seeds)
• 200 g of sugar
• 10 g of salt

To decorate

• 1 beaten egg
• Chopped or sliced ​​almonds
• Pearl sugar
• Candied orange
• Fresh currants
• Caramelized freeze-dried raspberry (optional)
• Caramelized cocoa nibs (optional)
• Icing sugar for sprinkling

For filling (quantity for 1 medium roscón)

• 600 g liquid whipping cream
• 120 g of sugar
• ½ vanilla pod (optional)

Preparation

We prepare the preferment

1. In a bowl, add the milk at room temperature along with the yeast and flour.
2. We mix well with the help of a spoon until homogenous. Once we have the ingredients more or less amalgamated, we move to a clean work surface and knead until we obtain a dough that is more or less smooth and homogeneous. It is not necessary to knead for a long time.
3. Form a ball, place in a bowl, cover with cling film and let rise until doubled in size. This will take about 2-3 hours at 21ºC.

We prepare the dough for the Roscón de Reyes

1. Once we have the preferment ready and fermented, we proceed to prepare the dough for the roscón.
2. Wash the lemon and oranges well with water. Dry them with kitchen paper and, using a grater, grate them without reaching the white part (this would give them a slightly bitter taste). Set aside.
3. In a KitchenAid bowl, add the flour together with the chopped preferment, the yeast, the milk, the eggs, the orange blossom and the liqueur. Mix with the help of the hook until obtaining a more or less homogeneous dough.
4. Add the sugar in 3 batches. Add the first portion while kneading and wait for it to be fully incorporated. Repeat this same process with the rest of the sugar.
5. Add the salt along with the vanilla zest and seeds, and knead again to distribute evenly over the entire surface.
6. Once the gluten has developed (remember to check it by performing the membrane test*), we add the butter. We will do it little by little and wait for it to be completely integrated into the dough before adding the next batch. We must be patient.
7. Once the butter has been fully integrated, we will obtain a smooth, soft and shiny dough.
8. Grease a bowl with oil and place the dough, previously shaped into balls, inside. Cover with the lid or with plastic wrap and let rise for 4-5 hours at around 21º-22ºC .
9. The fermentation time is approximate, always remember that it should double its volume.
10. If we want to divide the process into 2 days to make it easier, once the dough has grown ⅓ of its volume, we store it in the refrigerator until the next day.

*NOTE: To do this, take a portion of dough after letting it rest briefly once the kneading is finished, or by stretching it a little, and slide it between the tips of your fingers. If you can see a thin film, the gluten is ready. If the dough breaks or tears unevenly, you will need to knead a little more to finish developing the gluten. If, when stretching the dough, a tear forms in the film, creating a perfect circle, this also indicates that the gluten is well developed.

We divide and preform the roscón

1. If we decide to leave the dough in the fridge, we temper the dough 2 hours before proceeding to pre-shape and form the donuts.
2. If you are making two roscóns, turn the dough out onto a work surface lightly dusted with flour and divide into two equal pieces. If you are making just one roscón, pre-shape it without dividing the dough.
3. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and gently deflate. Divide the dough into two equal pieces and pre-shape. To pre-shape a dough, take the ends of the piece and bring them to the centre. Turn the piece over and form a ball.
4. We cover it with film and let it rest for 20 minutes .

We form the donuts

1. We prepare two perforated baking trays and line them with a silpat, mat or baking paper.
2. We lightly grease our hands with oil and form the ring.
3. We insert our fingers into the centre of the piece to create a hollow. We take the dough, lift it in the air and twist it to make it bigger. We must be careful when handling it and try to keep the same thickness throughout the piece.
4. We will leave a large hole in the center, since after rising and baking it will shrink considerably.
5. We introduce the surprise wrapped in film (if you choose to do so) through the bottom of the roscón and seal it with the dough. We proceed in the same way with the bean.
6. Cover with cling film and let rise for 5-6 hours at 21º-22ºC . It should double in size or even a little more.

De Buyer baking mat

We bake the Roscón de Reyes

1. Preheat the oven to 180ºC with heat from above and below .
2. Beat the egg and brush the surface of the roscón very gently with the help of a T&G pastry brush .
3. Sprinkle the surface with chopped almonds and pearl sugar.
4. We place it in the central part of the oven and bake for 14-15 minutes if we divide the dough into two roscóns or 23-24 minutes if we bake a single piece , a larger roscón.
5. To check that it is done, we prick the roscón with a digital thermometer; it should read 96º-97ºC .
6. Remove from the oven, place on a rack and allow to cool completely.

T&G Pastry Brush and De Buyer Baking Mat

We whip the cream to fill the Kings' cake

• The cream must be in the cold for at least 24 hours.
• The bowl where we whip the cream must be cold.

1. Pour the cream into the cold bowl along with the vanilla seeds.
2. We begin to assemble with the rods at speed 1.
3. We will increase the speed gradually but without ever reaching the maximum. The ideal is a high average speed.
4. When it starts to thicken, add the sugar. Do this little by little while the whisk continues to whip the cream until you get a full-bodied cream. Be careful not to over-beat it or you will end up with butter (if this happens, there is no solution).
5. We put the whipped cream into the de Buyer gun with a star nozzle and fill the roscón.
6. We turn the wheel of the gun, placed right at the base of the handle that we squeeze, so that it allows us to carry out the longest scooping.

We fill and finish decorating

1. Using a serrated knife, cut the roscón in half lengthwise.
2. Using the de Buyer gun, we pipe the whipped cream over the entire surface of the roscón. We will have to refill the gun twice because the amount of cream is greater than its capacity.
3. We place the other half of the roscón on the cream.
4. Decorate the surface with fresh currants, candied orange quarters, freeze-dried raspberries and caramelized cocoa nibs and, finally, sprinkle very lightly with icing sugar.
5. We serve.

De Buyer's Gun

***** GRADES *****

• It is important to note that not all flours behave the same way . If you use a flour with a higher or lower strength, the formula will change. If you use a flour with a strength of W=200, you will have to adjust the amount of liquids to get a good result. Reduce them a little. If you use a flour with a higher strength, you may have to increase that amount a little.
• Wholemeal flours behave differently , both when it comes to handling the dough, the quantity of ingredients, kneading and fermentation. In addition, the final result will not be as tender and fluffy as if we made it with white flour.
• Each gram of dry yeast is equivalent to 3 grams of fresh yeast.
• We must knead well to develop the gluten and achieve a good structure in our crumb.
• It is very important to respect all the resting and rising times to obtain a good result.
• If the dough contracts when you form the ring and tries to return to its initial state , it is because the dough is tense. Cover it with cling film and let it rest for 5-10 minutes before proceeding to form the ring again.
• Respecting the fermentation times is very important to obtain a good final result , as well as good aroma, flavour and fluffiness. If our roscón cracks while baking, it is because we did not have enough final fermentation time.
• The decoration is completely optional, we can decorate it as we like.
• The Buyer gun allows us to pipe the cream very cleanly and with very good control over the pressure. This means that the amount piped is always the same. In addition, we do not waste any whipped cream thanks to the piston that goes down each time we press. In my case I used a star nozzle, but you can use another model from all the nozzles available that they have.
• If we do not have pearl sugar , we can moisten a little sugar with orange blossom water and place it on top just before baking the piece.
• The roscón will last in perfect condition for 3 days wrapped in cling film. If we fill it, we can keep it refrigerated for 3-4 days, very well wrapped in cling film to prevent the cold from drying out the crumb.

We hope you have a wonderful and magical Three Kings' Night! Don't forget to leave their Eastern Majesties a nice plate of cookies or sweets and milk, although they will surely pamper you even more if you leave them some pieces of Roscón de Reyes made by yourself.