Roscón de Reyes

A light, stringy brioche marked by a powerful citrus zest aroma. The crust is topped with candied fruits and almonds for a crunchy finish.

• Prep time: 45 min
• Cook time: 25 min
• Difficulty: Medium
• Calories: 464
• Protein: 9 g
• Carbs: 71 g
• Fat: 15 g

Ingredients

• 250 g Wheat flour ( sifted )
• 50 g White sugar
• 10 g Fresh baker's yeast
• 60 ml Whole milk
• 50 g Minimum butter sweet ( softened )
• 1 piece Egg
• 0.5 piece Citrus sinensis (L.) Osbeck ( for zest )
• 0.5 piece Citrus limon (L.) Burm. f. ( for zest )
• 0.5 pinch Gray sea salt
• 50 g Candied fruit ( sliced )
• 15 g Almond with skin ( slivered )
• 1 tbsp Orange blossom water

Instructions

1. Citrus infusion

   Warm the milk in a small saucepan. Finely grate the orange and lemon zest into it. Let infuse for 10 minutes until the milk smells strongly of citrus.

2. Yeast activation

   In a bowl, dissolve the fresh yeast in the warm milk (not boiling, or the yeast will die). Add two tablespoons of flour and let it foam for 15 minutes.

3. Kneading the dough

   Mix the remaining flour, sugar, salt, and eggs. Pour in the milk-yeast mixture and orange blossom water. Knead until elastic, then incorporate the softened butter. The dough should pull away cleanly from the sides.

4. First rise

   Cover with a damp cloth and let double in size in a warm place. The dough should be puffed up and soft when pressed with a finger.

5. Shaping the crown

   Deflate the dough with your fist. Form a ball, poke a hole in the center, and widen it to form a large crown. Place on a baking sheet.

6. Decoration and second rise

   Brush with beaten egg. Arrange the candied fruits and almonds. Let rise again for 1 hour until the crown is well-plumped.

7. Baking

   Bake at 180°C. Cook until the crust is golden brown and the brioche sounds hollow when tapped on the bottom.

Chef's tips

• Don't overheat the milk, or you'll kill the yeast.
• The butter should be creamed, not melted, for a properly stringy crumb.
• If the crust browns too quickly, cover with parchment paper halfway through baking.

Storage

Store in a cloth bag or airtight container to keep it soft. Best eaten within 48 hours.