Whole Wheat Rosca De Reyes Recipes

ROSCA DE REYES (KINGS DAY BREAD)

Steps:

• Add the sugar and the flour in a large bowl with the warm milk, and mix well until there are no lumps remaining.
• Add the Active Dry Yeast and mix well with the other ingredients.
• Put the bowl in a warm place and let it rest for 10 to 15 minutes until it ferments and has doubled in size. Set aside to use for the dough.
• Add all of the ingredients in a large bowl and mix well until completely integrated and a paste is formed. Set aside.
• Mix the flour, the sugar, and the salt in a large bowl and mix well. Once completely mixed, remove the dough to a flat service and form a volcano shape (See image).
• In the middle section of the dough, add 4 of the eggs and both egg yolks and mix together, adding a little bit of surrounding flour. Add the butter, the vanilla, the orange zest, and the leavening mixture from above, and mix well by hand.
• The dough will be very sticky at first, but do not add more flour. Knead by hand for about 20 minutes until an even and smooth dough is formed. (The kneading process can be difficult, so if you don't have enough time, you can add the ingredients to a stand mixer after a few minutes and finish it there).
• Once the dough is formed and kneaded, gather it into a large ball and place it in a large, pre-greased bowl. Add additional vegetable oil to the top of the ball so that it doesn't dry out. Cover with plastic wrap so that no air enters and let it rise for 1.5 hours, or until it has doubled in size.
• Once the dough has doubled in size, remove it to a flat, floured surface, and knead into a long, even rope (see image above).
• On the part of the dough rope that will be placed down on the baking sheet, insert the baby Jesus figurines. Make sure that they do not come out the top, since they need to be hidden when the Rosca is finished.
• Once you have added the figurines, place the dough on a pre-greased baking sheet in a large circle or rectangular shape (see images). Let rise for one more hour.
• Once the dough has risen for an hour, beat the remaining egg and brush it over the top of all of the dough. This will give the Rosca the shiny look after it has baked and it helps when adding the decorations prior to baking.
• Take some of the sugar paste from the instructions above, flatten it and add it to different sections of the Rosca (see image).
• Decorate as desired and bake at 325 degrees F (160 degrees C) for 25 minutes, or until it is golden brown. Let cool and enjoy with hot chocolate or atole.

THREE KINGS BREAD: ROSCA DE REYES

Steps:

• In a small bowl, combine the yeast and warm water; stir to blend. Let stand until the yeast comes alive and starts to foam, about 5 to 10 minutes.
• Put all of the candied fruit in small bowl and drizzle the rum on top. Let stand for 15 minutes to 1 hour to infuse the flavor.
• In a small pot, warm the milk over medium heat. Add the sugar, butter, vanilla, cinnamon, and salt.
• In a large bowl, mix 3 1/2 cups flour, 2 eggs, yeast mixture, milk mixture, and the rum soaked candied fruits, mixing very well until the dough gathers into a ball. If the dough is too wet, Add additional flour, a little at a time, if needed to form a soft dough. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until it's smooth and elastic, about 5 minutes. Put the ball of dough back into the bowl and cover with plastic wrap or a kitchen towel and set aside in a warm spot to rise for 1 hour.
• Remove the dough from the bowl and knead on a lightly floured surface. Using your palms, roll the dough into a long rope. Shape the coil into a ring, sealing the ends together. Insert a little doll or coin into the bread from the bottom, if desired. Line a baking pan with aluminum foil and coat with nonstick cooking spray. Carefully transfer the dough ring to the prepared baking pan.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Beat the remaining egg in a small bowl with 1 tablespoon of water to make an egg wash, and brush the top of the bread. Decoratively garnish the top of the bread with more candied fruit and bake for 35 to 40 minutes until the cake is golden.
• Cool on a wire rack before slicing.

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.