Rosca de Reyes Recipe

While children in México’s Northern states received their presents on Christmas day, those living in Central México and the Southern states are still waiting for January 6th. Why? Because it is the day when the 3 wise men from the Orient will arrive and bring their presents to baby Jesus, or at least that’s how the story goes.

Rosca de Reyes Recipe (Three Kings Bread)

That day they will also celebrate eating the popular “Three Kings Bread” called Rosca de Reyes in México, and Mexican hot chocolate. People do not usually bake their Rosca bread. This is a busy time for the Mexican bakeries that will be selling these delicious Roscas not just to eat at home, but also in the office or school.

Inside the bread, or Rosca is a plastic little doll (about one inch long) representing baby Jesus. Whoever gets the doll in their slice has to cook tamales on February 2nd. Also called Candelaria Day.

Two years ago in 2014, I sold several of these pieces of bread boxed and added a homemade sticker, my husband bought the boxes at the local supermarket.
This is another food that I started making at home some years ago because I couldn’t find it here. Nowadays there is a bakery that sells it but the flavors and aromas you get by baking it at home cannot be compared. If you haven’t baked with yeast before do not be intimidated, give it a try you won’t be disappointed you did.

How to make Rosca de Reyes Recipe

JUMP TO FULL INSTRUCTIONS

Notes:

• Read all the instructions from top to bottom before you start baking
• Make sure you have all the cooking utensils needed.
• Ingredients most be lukewarm as indicated on the list.
• Make sure your oven is preheated 20 minutes before baking to help the dough rise.
• Insert plastic doll from the bottom before baking. I personally do it after baking.
• If you don’t find the traditional decorations, use prunes, pecans, walnuts, or fruit cake mix.
• If you still have questions in the middle of the process, you can reach me via Facebook or Instagram

INSTRUCTIONS:

Please do read all the recipe instructions and notes before you start baking.

• Pour lukewarm water into a bowl, and sprinkle with yeast. Stir with a fork until yeast has dissolved, then let stand until foamy, 5 to 10 minutes. Stir in ½ cup of the flour, and cover the bowl with plastic wrap. Let stand in a warm place until doubled in bulk, about 25 minutes.

• In the meantime, mix flour, eggs, egg yolks, sugar, orange extract, orange zest, salt and butter in a large bowl. Mix until crumbly. Even though I have a Stand mixer this time I kneaded the dough by hand since not everyone has a large mixer but you can do these steps with your Kitchen Aid.

• Add yeast mixture to the bowl and mix. It will be very sticky but manageable, add flour if needed. Place on a lightly floured surface and start kneading until you have a smooth dough. It will take about 15-20 minutes to get this results. 7 minutes in your Kitchen Aid. DO NOT add too much flour to your working area, the texture should be very soft, sort of wet but manageable. If you add more flour than needed your bread will be dry.

• Once your dough is smooth and soft, place in a buttered bowl, and cover with buttered plastic wrap. The pictures don’t show the texture and feel of the dough, but it must be wet and elastic. Let dough stand in a warm place until doubled in volume, about 1 and ½ hours. Make sure your kitchen is warm to help your dough to rise. If the dough doesn’t double in volume after this time let it rest longer. The fermentation process develops flavor, so slower and longer is always best.

• While the dough is resting, mix the following ingredients for the decoration: margarine with the confectioner sugar until it creamy. Then add the flour and egg yolk. Until you have a smooth paste.

Two different ways to shape the bread into a ring form:

Method I

Method II

After the first resting period. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface, and knead a few times, then shape into a round cushion and making a hole in the middle shape into a large ring. Transfer to a greased rimmed baking sheet, and loosely cover with buttered plastic wrap. Let rise in a warm place for 45 minutes or more until almost double in volume. Gather all your decorations and the egg wash. For the egg wash whisk remaining egg with milk or water.

 Preheat oven at least 20 minutes before baking at 375 degrees, with rack in lower third.

• Brush the dough with the egg wash two times for a golden crust. Form strips with the confectioner sugar paste and decorates the dough. Place some of the dried fruit pressing them gently into the dough. Sprinkle with sugar and bake for 10 minutes. Reduce heat to 350 degrees and bake for 10 more minutes until bread is a nice golden brown color. Depending on your oven it will require more time. (Some readers had reported baking for 30 minutes)
• Transfer the bread to a wire rack to cool. After the bread has cooled insert the plastic baby dolls from the bottom of the bread. Do not forget to let your guests know that there is a baby toy inside the bread. Rosca de Reyes can be stored in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

Rosca de Reyes Recipe

¡Buen  provecho y Feliz Día de Reyes a todos mis paisanos!

Lupe Mendoza made her first bread following this recipe and she shared her freshly baked Rosca de Reyes via email
Great Looking bread!
Leave a comment, send me your pictures,  and share your experience with the recipe.

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PARA LA RECETA EN ESPAÑOL PRESIONE AQUI

More recipes:
Mexican Christmas Apple Salad
Mexican Christmas Punch / Ponche Navideño Mexicano

📖 Recipe

Rosca de Reyes Recipe

Mely Martínez

Rosca de Reyes Recipe, This is another food that I started making at home some years ago because I couldn’t find it here. Nowadays there is a bakery that sells it but the flavors and aromas you get by baking it at home cannot be compared. 

4.96 from 104 votes

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 20 minutes mins

Cook Time 20 minutes mins

Resting time 2 hours hrs 15 minutes mins

Total Time 2 hours hrs 55 minutes mins

Course Breads

Cuisine Mexican

Servings 16 servings

Calories 353 kcal

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• ▢ Please do read all the recipe instructions and NOTES before you start baking.
• ▢ ½ cup of warm water
• ▢ 1 Envelopes 2 ¼ teaspoons or 7 grams of dry active yeast
• ▢ 4 cups (565 grams or 20 oz) all-purpose flour plus 2 or 3 Tbsp. more for dusting
• ▢ ¾ cup of sugar 150 grams, if you want sweeter add ¼ cup extra.
• ▢ 3 LARGE whole eggs
• ▢ 3 egg yolks mixed with 4 Tablespoons of milk
• ▢ ¼ teaspoon salt
• ▢ 1 ½ Tablespoon orange extract
• ▢ 1 ½ stick unsalted butter softened (169 grams, or ¾ cup) Plus more for the mixing bowl and plastic wrap.
• ▢ Freshly grated orange zest from one orange

Ingredients for the topping:

• ▢ 1 egg yolk
• ▢ ¾ cup of all-purpose flour
• ▢ 6 tablespoons margarine or shortening.
• ▢ ½ cup of confectioner sugar
• ▢ Dry fruit like figs candied citron, quince paste stripes, orange peels or cherries.*
• ▢ 1 egg beaten for glazing the bread
• ▢ 1 tablespoon whole milk or water
• ▢ White sugar to sprinkle on top of the bread
• ▢ 2 or 3 plastic baby dolls

Instructions

 

• Pour lukewarm water into a bowl, and sprinkle with yeast. Stir with a fork until yeast has dissolved, then let stand until foamy, 5 to 10 minutes. Stir in ½ cup of the flour, and cover bowl with plastic wrap. Let stand in a warm place until doubled in bulk, about 25 minutes.
• In the meantime, mix flour, eggs, egg yolks, sugar, orange extract, orange zest, salt and butter in a large bowl. Mix until crumbly. Even though I have a Stand mixer this time I kneaded the dough by hand since not everyone has a large mixer but you can do these steps in your Kitchen Aid.
• Add yeast mixture to the bowl and mix. It will be very sticky but manageable, add flour if needed. Place on a lightly floured surface and start kneading until you have a smooth dough. It will take about 15-20 minutes to get this results. 7 minutes in your Kitchen Aid. DO NOT add too much flour to your working area, the texture should be very soft, sort of wet but manageable. If you add more flour than needed your bread will be dry.
• Once your dough is smooth and soft, place in a buttered bowl, and cover with buttered plastic wrap. The pictures don’t show the texture and feel of the dough, but it must be wet and elastic. Let dough stand in a warm place until doubled in volume, about 1 and ½ hours. Make sure your kitchen is warm to help your dough to rise. If the dough doesn’t double in volume after this time let it rest longer. The fermentation process develops flavor, so slower and longer is always best.
• While the dough is resting, mix the following ingredients for the decoration: margarine with the confectioner sugar until it creamy. Then add in the flour and egg yolk. Until you have a smooth paste.
• After the first resting period. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface, and knead a few times, then shape into a round cushion and making a hole in the middle shape into a large ring. Transfer to a greased rimmed baking sheet, and loosely cover with buttered plastic wrap. Let rise in a warm place for 45 minutes or more until almost double in volume. Gather all your decorations and the egg wash. For the egg wash whisk remaining egg with milk or water.
• Preheat oven at least 20 minutes before baking at 375 degrees, with rack in lower third.
• Brush the dough with the egg wash two times for a golden crust. Form strips with the confectioner sugar paste and decorate the dough. Place some of the dried fruit pressing them gently into the dough. Sprinkle with sugar and bake for 10 minutes. Reduce heat to 350 degrees and bake for 10 more minutes until bread is a nice golden brown color. Depending on your oven it will require more time. (Some readers had reported baking for 30 minutes)
• Transfer the bread to a wire rack to cool. After the bread has cooled insert the plastic baby dolls from the bottom of the bread. Do not forget to let your guests know that there is a baby toy inside the bread. Rosca de Reyes can be stored in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

Notes

ROSCA DE REYES NOTES

• Make sure you have all the cooking utensils needed.
• Read all the instructions from top to bottom before you start baking
• Ingredients must be lukewarm as indicated in the list.
• Make sure your oven is preheated 20 minutes before baking to help the dough rise.
• Insert plastic doll from the bottom before baking. I personally do it after baking.
• If you don’t find the traditional decorations, use prunes, pecans, walnuts, or fruit cake mix.
• UPDATED JANUARY 2021
• The Guava or Quince paste (Ate de Membrillo o Guayaba) found in most Latin stores tends to melt when you bake it. To keep this from happening to you, make sure to add the Guava or Quince paste decorations until after you've baked the Rosca Bread. Once the bread has completely cooled down, varnish the area you're going to decorate with a natural sugar syrup (recipe below), then apply the fruit paste strips on top.
• To make the syrup mentioned in the note above, place ½ cup of white sugar and ½ cup of water in a small saucepan. Turn the heat to medium and allow the sugar to melt, stirring often until it forms a syrup. Applying this syrup to the bread will help the guava or quince paste strips to stick to the bread.
• If you still have questions in the middle of the process, you can reach me via Instagram. @mexicoinmykitchen

Nutrition

Serving: 1portionCalories: 353kcalCarbohydrates: 48gProtein: 6gFat: 15gSaturated Fat: 7gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 112mgSodium: 107mgPotassium: 130mgFiber: 2gSugar: 18gVitamin A: 579IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 38mgIron: 2mg

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