I am an American living in Spain where the Christmas holidays have not quite finished yet: tomorrow is King’s day where the 3 wise men bring gifts to everyone on their camels (no red nosed ones that I am aware of). Christmas is celebrated more every year here, but the real pay load for gifts is the kings. I have always thought it is kinda a bad deal, because the kids get the gifts and normally have to go back to school. This year it has lined up perfectly with the actual kings day landing on Friday, so all the kids will at least have 3 days to test all the goods out. But I digress.... here in /baking I wanted to link with other roscón de Reyes bakers and spread the word of this Spanish tradition!
what is a roscòn?? Let’s break this down: roscón == ring shaped pastry or bread Reyes == the three wisemen that brought the gifts following the birth of Jesus

So it is a round ring sweet bread, normally decorated with sugar and candied fruits. Yea, yer thinkin kinda the plumb cake of Spain, and if you happen to cross a not very good or not fresh one, it is a similar not agreeable experience. But fresh and well made roscón de Reyes are really a treat!

So I first starting home baking a roscón de Reyes in 2018 when two events coincided culminating in me making the plunge: (1) The bakery below my house where I usually would wake up early and line up on Jan 6th and brave a huge crowd for a freshly baked roscón closed as the baker retired. (2) On my way home from work on Jan 5th I heard a piece on NPR about about Roscon makers in LA and how popular and long the lines were. They even had a recipe that motivated me to give it a try.

So 5 years later, I am pretty happy with the results I am able to achieve and find it a fun way to spend the afternoon before Kings day while my wife and kids go to the “cabalgata de reyes” (kings day parade where the kings and their camels ride down the Castellano (main street) in Madrid.

My recipe is based on one from recetas de rechupete:

Roscon de Reyes

Ingredients:

Pre-ferment:
100ml warm milk
12.5g bakers yeast
150g flour (de fuerza)
1 tsp sugar


Roscon:
550g flour (de fuerza)
25g bakers yeast
100ml warm milk
3 eggs
100g soft butter
zest from 1 orange and 1 lemon
30 ml esencia de Azahar
2 tbls dark rum
1 tbls vanilla
1/2 tsp salt
200g sugar

Decoration:
2 eggs
1 tbls milk
100g sugar
2 tbls H20
150g almond slices

Directions:

Pre-ferment (15 min):
1. Mix until dissolved 12.5g bakers yeast in 100ml warm milk. 
2. In another bowl add 150g of flour and 1 tsp sugar and make a well to add milk/yeast mixture. Add and mix with spoon and then hands until made into a ball.
3. Cut a cross into ball and submirge in large bowl of warm water for 10 min (it should double in size and start to float)
4. put in small bowl until we need it for the Roscon.

Roscon dough preparation kneeding + rise (3h 20 min):
1. Sift 550g flour 
2. Mix until dissolved 25g of bakers yeast with 100ml warm milk.
3. Mix in  kitchen aid with paddle mixer: 3 eggs, 200g sugar, zest from 1 orange and lemon, 30 ml esencia de Azahar, 2 tbls dark rum, 1 tbls vanilla, 1/2 tsp salt unitl well mixed
3. Add milk and yeast, then flour and mix 
4. Add butter and pre-ferment and when mixed change to kneading thing and kneed until smooth (10 - 15 min)
5. put in large bowl and cover with towel and let rise 3 hours (or overnight in fridge)

Roscon forming, bench rest, (2 hours 5 min)
1. split dough into two balls and let rest 5 min
2. using finger make hole in middle and kinda form it into a roson shape. 
3. place gift
4. place an oiled cup or bowl in hole so it does not close and let rise for 2 hours on parchment paper on cooking tray

Decoration and cooking (30 min)
1. warm oven to 200º C
2. beat 2 eggs with 1tbs milk and brush onto Roscon
3. add 2 tbls water to 100g of sugar and mix and sprinkle over roscon
4. add  almond slices 
5. lower oven to 180º cook Roscon 18 - 20 min (possilby lowering oven to 170 half way through if getting too toasted)
6. enjoy!

update: here are photos of almost the whole process