For Michael who was looking for advice on how to make a better Rosca de
Reyes, a couple of suggestions. First, you don't mention whether the
butter you are using in the recipe is melted or softened. If you are
melting the butter, you may want to consider using softened butter
instead. Also, placing the ring in a large tube pan, or a springform pan
with a tube in the middle (usually available only in Europe, or in
specialty stores in large cities, unfortunately), will ensure not only a
nice round shape and higher rising, but that a hole remains in the
middle! If you don't have such a pan, Beth Hensperger, in her book Bread
for All Seasons, suggests using a pizza or cake pan that is 15 inches in
diameter, and then placing a 6-inch cake pan with greased outer sides
upside down in the center of the ring to retain the center hole.
Good luck, and happy Twelfth Night!
Corina from Akron, Ohio