Hola Bread Bakers!
I have tried to cook Rosca de Reyes (a crown shaped Mexican sweet bread
with a tiny baby inserted) several times and it just isn't getting to the
"Oh Wow!" stage. In fact it is at the "What happened to your bread?" stage.
Hopefully someone out there who has made it or someone who has much more
experience then I have baking, can help me out.
It is a wonderful bread, eaten only at this time of the year in Mexico. It
is served on January 6, which is the Day of the Three Kings, or Twelfth
Night. The person who gets a baby that has been inserted in the bread,
must host a party on February 2, called the Feast of Candelaria. I'd
really like to be able to produce a beauty for my friends and family. The
last time I baked it, I'm sure I over cooked it because it was very dry and
crumbly. The flavor was just ok.
Please, if any one has a little time, take a look at what I'm doing and see
if you can give me some suggestions. I don't have a bread machine yet and
in fact, I really like working with the dough by hand.
I hope this little cry for help finds you and yours, happy and healthy.
Warm regards and thanks in advance from sunny Cuernavaca, Mexico
Michael
Rosca de Reyes
Ingredients:
3 1/2 cups bread flour
1 1/2 teaspoons yeast
1 1/2 teaspoons gluten
3/4 cups sugar
4 eggs
3 egg yolks
150 grams of butter (a bit more than 1/2 cup)
1/4 cup lukewarm water
Dash of salt
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 Tablespoon orange peal
1 tablespoon lemon peel
100 grams raisins
For decorating top:
50 grams candied cherries
100 grams acitrón (bar of yellow crystallized biznaga cactus)
candied orange
1 beaten egg
50 grams ate (bar of red jellied fruit)
sugar to sprinkle on top
Process:
The yeast was put in 1/4 cup of water with a pinch of sugar and left until
it foamed or about 20 minutes. The yeast is new.
All the ingredients were added to my Mixmaster and blended with a bread
hook. No kneading was done. The dough was too sticky, so I added about
2/3 of a cup more flour to get a better dough form and consistency.
The dough was oiled, put on a greased cookie sheet, formed into a large pan
sized ring or crown shape. Top ingredients were added for flavor and
decoration, and it was covered with plastic and put in the refrigerator
overnight.
The next day I put it the sun to rise because it was a cool day. The dough
didn't rise up, it spread out and I ended up with a 2 inch high bread that
was as wide as my cookie sheet. I put it in a cold oven, thinking it might
rise a bit more when the heat was turned on. The bread did rise a little
but mostly is just expanded to seal up the center of the crown or
ring. The gas oven was turn on to 350 F or 180 C and baked for 40
minutes. My oven cooks cold so I turned up the heat a bit. I'm sure it
was overcooked because when I checked it a 35 minutes it was a dark
brown. Later when it was eaten it was very dry and crumbly. At 35
minutes, it was taken out of the oven and placed on wire racks. When cool,
a hole was cut in the bottom and the baby was inserted.