Roscón de Reyes: traditional recipe 

Although each country has its popular festivals and traditions, there is one which is deeply rooted all around the world and brings us all together: Christmas. Christmas is a season to spend a lot of time with family and share gifts with the people that matter to us. But, above all, it is the season to bring back those traditions that we love at this time of year, including, for example, decorating the tree, setting up the nativity scene, walking around the lit-up streets, singing carols, delighting with typical Christmas sweets… and everyone’s preferred option: gathering around the table to enjoy a lovely homemade lunch or evening meal! The festive season is full of big days to enjoy our tradition and cuisine, starting with Christmas Eve and finishing with Three Kings’ Day.

Although each autonomous community has different traditional dishes for this time of year, there is one recipe wea all have in common: the roscón de reyes (Three Kings’ Cake).  An extremely traditional dessert! You are bound to know already that this particular sweet is eaten on 6th January, but few people know the true story of the Roscón de Reyes and the legend surrounding the crown. Would you like to learn how to make a homemade Roscón de Reyes? Make a note of this traditional recipe.

How to make your Roscón de Reyes step by step

Roscón de Reyes ingredients:

• 650 g strong flour 
• 250 ml  whole milk 
• 25 g fresh yeast
• 120 g white sugar
• 120 g butter
• 2 eggs and the yolk of another 
• 10 g salt
• 2 tablespoons orange blossom water
• The zest of 2 lemons
• The zest of one orange

Ingredients to decorate the Roscón de Reyes:

• An orange
• Glazed fruits 
• 1 beaten egg
• Pearl sugar
• Flaked almonds
• Your favourite ingredient for the filling: cream, truffle, confectioner's custard, angel hair (pumpkin jam), sweet potato, chocolate... 
• A figurine of the King
• The fava bean

Step by step method for making the Roscón de Reyes:

1. Heat the milk until it is lukewarm.
2. Mix 250ml of milk with 3 tablespoons of flour and shredded yeast. Mix it thoroughly until the yeast is fully dissolved. Put the mixture to one side and leave it to ferment for 20 minutes (the warmer the ambient temperature, the quicker it will ferment).
3. In another bowl, add the rest of the dry ingredients: flour, sugar, salt and zest. Finally, add the milk, eggs, already fermented mixture, orange blossom water and melted butter. Mix until everything is well incorporated.
4. Flour a smooth surface and knead for a few minutes (from the outside inwards). Shape the dough into a ball and leave it to one side in a bowl covered with a cloth for a few hours or until it doubles in size (the warmer the ambient temperature, the quicker it will grow).
5. Once the dough has doubled in size, flour the same surface and knead it again. Shape your Three Kings’ cake (bear in mind that the dough will grow and the hole in the middle will become smaller).
6. Leave the dough to rest for an hour covered with clingfilm. Meanwhile, you can preheat the oven to 180 °C.
7. Brush your cake with the beaten egg and decorated it to taste. 
8. Bake for 20 minutes or until you see it has turned a golden colour.
9. Remove the cake from the oven and leave it to cool for a few hours before cutting it in half to add your favourite filling and, of course, the bean. 
10. Serve it with your favourite nougats and chocolates and enjoy!