Whole Wheat Rosca De Reyes Recipes

ROSCA DE REYES

Steps:

• Mix 4 cups flour, eggs, egg yolks, 2/3 cup white sugar, water, dry yeast, orange zest, lime zest, and salt in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a dough hook. Add 1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon butter; mix until dough is elastic and shiny, about 5 minutes.
• Form dough into a ball. Cover and let rise in a warm place for 45 minutes.
• Punch down dough gently; roll into a long cylinder. Join the ends of the cylinder together in the shape of an oval ring. Place ring on a greased baking sheet; cover and let rise in a warm place for 45 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
• Whisk eggs whites in a small bowl. Brush egg whites evenly over dough.
• Mix 1/2 cup white sugar and 1/4 cup butter in a small bowl with your fingers to form a paste. Add enough flour to give paste the consistency of Play-Doh®; divide into 5 or 6 balls. Place each ball between two 3-inch squares of parchment paper. Press with the bottom of a 1-cup measuring cup to make a circle about 1/8 inch thick.
• Space circles evenly around the dough ring. Arrange candied citrus peels on top of the dough.
• Bake in the preheated oven until golden brown, about 20 minutes. Cool for 20 minutes before slicing.

ROSCA DE REYES RECIPE

Steps:

• 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 1/2 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 1/2 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.

WHOLE WHEAT ROSCA DE REYES

Steps:

• In a small bowl, combine yeast, lukewarm milk and 1 tablespoon of the sugar, stir to combine. Let stand until the mixture bubbles slightly, 5 to 10 minutes. (If the yeast doesn't bubble, discard it and start again with new yeast).
• In the bowl of a stand mixer (see Chef tips for hand kneading), add the yeast mixture, the remaining sugar, whole wheat flour, all-purpose flour, salt, orange zest, orange blossom water, eggs, yolks, butter and knead with the hook attachment until you have a uniform and elastic dough, about 10 minutes. Remove the dough from the bowl and knead on a lightly floured work surface for about 2 minutes until it forms a smooth ball. The dough should be smooth but still slightly sticky. Transfer dough to a large, lightly oiled bowl, cover with plastic wrap and leave in a warm place (about 70°F) until doubled in size, 1 to 1-1/2 hours.
• Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside. Place dough on a lightly floured surface and press dough gently to form a 12 by 8 inch rectangle. With the long side of the rectangle facing you, lightly press in the chocolate pieces along it, evenly spaced, and about 1 inch from the edge. Fold this bottom third of the dough over towards the center, then fold the top third over it as you would a business letter. Fold the dough again, in half lengthwise, to form a thick log 12 inches long. Seal all the edges with the heel of your hand.
• Gradually stretch the log until it is about 3-inches thick. Bring the ends of dough together to form an oval ring. Stretch again until the oval is roughly 12 x 8 inches. Place seam-down onto the prepared baking sheet. Cover loosely with a cloth or plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place until doubled in size, about 1 hour.
• Meanwhile, In a medium bowl combine the flour, confectioners' sugar, butter and vanilla, mix well until well combined and form a dough. Divide streusel into 6 pieces and press each pieces of streusel to form a 4 by 2-inch wide strips. Set aside.
• Preheat oven to 350°F and position a rack in the center of the oven.
• When the Rosca is ready, using a pastry brush, generously brush the surface with the beaten egg. Place each strip of streusel on top of the bread evenly spaced. Decorate in between with pieces of candied or dried fruits. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes until golden brown. Let bread cool completely on a wire rack.

VEGAN ROSCA DE REYES

Steps:

• For the dough: First, bring your yeast to life by mixing the yeast, 1 tablespoon sugar and 1 tablespoon flour in a bowl with a spoon or whisk. In a small pot, warm up your oat milk to around 100 degrees F. Add the warm oat milk to the yeast mixture and stir until there are no lumps left. Let it sit and expand.
• Meanwhile, in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or a large mixing bowl) begin to toss in your dry ingredients for your rosca dough. This includes the remaining 4 cups all-purpose flour, the remaining 3/4 cup sugar, salt and cinnamon. Mix using your electric mixer or by hand using muscle power.
• Once your dry ingredients are combined, mix your apple cider vinegar and baking soda together in a small bowl; this will give your bread more airiness. Now you can begin to incorporate your wet ingredients. Add the vinegar mixture, 3/4 cup vegan butter, applesauce, orange zest, vanilla and the yeast mixture to the dry ingredients. Mix on medium speed until the dough no longer sticks to the sides of the bowl and you can form a ball, 5 to 10 minutes. If the mixture is too wet, add a little flour until the desired texture is achieved. The dough should not stick to your hands.
• Remove from the machine and knead it with your hands to ensure it is fully incorporated and transfer to a large, lightly buttered mixing bowl. Cover with plastic wrap or a kitchen towel and let the dough rest somewhere warm until it has about doubled in size, 1 to 2 hours. I like to turn my oven on now, to 350 degrees F, so that the warmth from the oven radiates out and helps proof my dough. (You can also turn your oven on at a later time if you have a warm enough place to let your dough rest.) While you wait, get started on your sugar paste and prep your toppings.
• For the sugar paste: Using your electric mixer and paddle attachment, mix your flour, butter, sugar and vanilla on low until you can form a ball, 3 to 5 minutes. Don't expect it to be firm, it should be soft to the touch and pliable. If you'd like to make the paste a bit firmer, put in the fridge to chill slightly until you're ready to decorate your rosca after its second proofing.
• Prepare your sugar strips once you're ready with 1 to 2 tablespoons of sugar paste. Roll out rectangular strips, about 1 inch wide and 3 inches long, tenderly with a light glass cup or small rolling pin, pressing lightly to flatten -- you're not going for paper thin, give them a little bit of thickness, about 3 to 4 millimeters, and finish by cutting the edges clean with a sharp knife. Repeat the process to make 6 to 8 strips.
• For the toppings: Gather the topping ingredients. Cut your dried figs in half, slicing them lengthwise from the tip to the base, exposing the inside. Drain 6 to 8 maraschino cherries and let them sit on a paper towel to absorb excess moisture, this will help your bread stay dry wherever you decide to place the cherries.
• After the dough has risen, use your hands to gently stretch it out on a clean, unfloured surface as if massaging it, section by section, into a log approximately 2 inches thick and 30 to 40 inches long. It needn't be perfectly smooth as long as the shape is right. Connect the opposing ends by placing one side about three to four inches over the other to form an oval shape, sealing it as best you can using your hands and distributing the weight so it's even all around. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper and place your dough on it to let it rest and proof again for another 45 minutes to 1 hour. Again, don't expect your dough to look completely smooth, it'll be a little wonky and that's okay.
• If you didn't preheat your oven before, do so now, to 350 degrees F.
• For the vegan "egg" wash: Once your dough has proofed, beat the oat milk and maple syrup in a small bowl and brush all over your rosca. To decorate, lay down your sugar paste strips first as symmetrically as possible, leaving about 2 inches between each strip. Then frame the sugar paste arches with your thin strips of candied orange peel (or quince paste) on both sides. Place the figs, cut-side up, and set them with a light press. Lightly press a shallow indentation with your index finger or thumb into the dough to set the cherries in place.
• Finally, slide your rosca into the oven and bake until golden on the bottom and nearly doubled in size, 25 to 30 minutes. Let it sit for about 1 hour on a cooling rack before enjoying, but I find it's best if left overnight.
• Once fully cooled, gently stick the plastic babies into the rosca from the bottom, piercing through the bread. Leave at least 3 inches of space between babies.
• Enjoy your rosca de reyes with a warm cup of champurrado or cool glass of rompope. And remember, the first person to find a baby must make the tamales on February 2nd -- or not. At the very least, say you will--it's kind of our thing. Salud!