In Recipes

Roscón de Reyes with La Escapada demi-sec Cava

Susana Merinero is William’s PA and Office Manager, and when she’s not busy organising his diary, she likes to bake and decorate cakes. Therefore, we gave her the task of providing a recipe for Roscón de Reyes, the traditional yeasted dough ring that is served in Spain on Epiphany, the 6th January, the day when gifts are delivered to children by the three kings. 

 

Ingredients

Makes one large or two small roscones.

  • 650g strong bread flour
  • 250ml warm milk
  • 25-30g fresh yeast
  • 120g sugar
  • 120g melted butter
  • 2 eggs and one extra yolk
  • 10g salt
  • 2 and 1/2 tbsp orange flower water
  • Grated rind of one lemon and one orange

To decorate:

  • Candied fruit
  • Flaked almonds (optional)
  • Sugar
  • One egg, beaten
  • One orange
  • Oven-proof ceramic figure (if desired)

Method

 

  1. Mix a little of the warm milk with 2 or 3 tbsp of strong bread flour. Add 25-30g of crumbled fresh yeast and mix together.
  2. Cover and leave to ferment in a warm place for 15 to 20 minutes. Once the starter mix has fermented, tip the rest of the flour into a large bowl and gradually add the rest of the ingredients: sugar, grated lemon and orange peel, salt, milk, two eggs, sugar, the starter mix, the orange flower water and lastly, the melted butter.
  3. Stir until it comes together in a homogenous mass. Tip the dough onto a floured surface and knead for a few minutes. If necessary add a little more flour to make a loose but kneadable dough.
  4. Once well kneaded, shape the dough into a ball, and place it in a sealed container or in a bowl covered with a damp cloth for a few hours in a warm location free from draughts.
  5. After a few hours the dough should have doubled in size. Remove it from the container and on a floured surface, shape it into a ring shape.
  6. Make the hole in the middle with your fingers. It will get smaller when bakes so make sure it the hole is large enough to remain open.
  7. Allow it to rest again for about an hour, covered, in a warm location, like a proving drawer or a oven previously heated to 50ºC.
  8. Finally, paint the roscón with egg and decorate with candied fruit, flaked almonds and sugar mixed with water, as desired.
  9. It is traditional to hide a small ovenproof ceramic figure or bean into the dough at this stage.
  10. Once the roscón is ready, place it in an oven preheated to 180ºC for around 20 minutes, when it should be golden and make a hollow sound when tapped.
  11. Remove it from the oven and allow to cool. It can then be split if desired and filled with whipped cream or crème pâtissière.

Pairing

 

As Roscón de Reyes is served only at celebrations, it is only right that it be paired with the celebratory drink par excellence – bubbles.  To balance the sweetness of this enriched bread and avoid the sparkling wine tasting too sharp, a demi-sec style is ideal. La Escapada Cava is made on an estate in the heart of traditional Cava country – Sant Sadurni d’Anoia. Aged for 12 months it displays ripe and complex aromas of honey and brioche and is well-balanced on the palate.