Food Recipes Desserts Rosca De Reyes 5.0 (1) 1 Review On Día de Reyes (Three Kings Day), it’s good luck to find a little plastic baby in your slice of bread. By Iliana de la Vega Iliana de la Vega Iliana is a chef, passionate teacher, and served as the Mexican/Latin Cuisines Specialist for The Culinary Institute of America (CIA) from 2007 to 2012. She grew up in Mexico City and eventually moved to Oaxaca and opened a restaurant with her husband, Ernesto. Iliana and Ernesto now own El Naranjo, a restaurant specializing in Oaxacan cuisine in Austin, Texas. Food & Wine's Editorial Guidelines and Ana Torrealba Ana Torrealba Ana Torrealba is the Chef de Cuisine at El Naranjo restaurant in Austin, Texas. Food & Wine's Editorial Guidelines Published on January 3, 2025 Save Rate PRINT Share Close Credit: Food & Wine / Photo by Jake Sternquist / Food Styling by Lauren McAnelly / Prop Styling by Natalie Ghazali Active Time: 30 mins Rest Time: 3 hrs Total Time: 8 hrs 20 mins Servings: 10 Jump to recipe Twelve nights after Christmas, on January 6, Christians celebrate Epiphany, also known as Three Kings Day. On this day, it’s believed a star led the three wise men (or three kings) to visit baby Jesus after he had been born. To commemorate the day, King Cakes, also known as a Three Kings Cake or a baby cake, are served with a fève, or figurine or trinket, baked inside. In the case of the Mexican King Cake known as Rosca de Reyes, a plastic baby Jesus in your slice means you are responsible for making tamales and hosting a party on Día de la Candelaria (on February 2). Iliana de la Vega and her daughter, Ana Torrealba, the chefs and partners at El Naranjo restaurant in Austin, Texas, create a stunning, fluffy, and tender Rosca de Reyes that gets its depth of flavor from a poolish used to make the dough, and anise seed added to the mixture. But the real fun here is the decorations; the most common are nuts, candied fruits, and dried citrus peels, but you can use whatever you have on hand. Frequently Asked Questions What is a poolish? Poolish is a mixture of flour, yeast, and water also called a pre-ferment dough that is made to add a complex flavor and structure to baked goods. Unlike quickly blooming yeast in a warm liquid, a poolish slowly ferments at room temperature before being added to bread dough. What are ate strips? Ate strips are Mexican fruit strips made from quince (red), peron (yellow), or tejocote (orange) that are traditionally used to decorate a Rosca de Reyes. Find them at Latin grocery stores or online at La Tiendita. Notes from the Food & Wine Test Kitchen Be sure you don’t add too much flour when rolling the dough, only enough just so it doesn’t stick, in order to keep the bread as tender as possible. Make ahead Store the cake in an airtight container at room temperature for up to three days. Keep Screen Awake Ingredients 2 cups (about 9 1/2 ounces) bread flour, divided 7 tablespoons whole milk, divided 1 1/2 teaspoons instant yeast or quick-rising yeast (such as Fleischmann’s RapidRise) 2 large eggs, divided 5 tablespoons granulated sugar, divided 1 teaspoon kosher salt 5 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes, divided 1 teaspoon anise seeds Ate strips (optional) Pecan halves Red and green candied cherries Sanding sugar Directions Stir together 1/4 cup bread flour, 2 tablespoons milk, and yeast in a small bowl until combined and dough is smooth. Cover and let rest for 3 hours at room temperature. Using the paddle attachment, combine 1 egg and 1/4 cup milk in the bowl of a stand mixer; tear yeast mixture into small pieces, and gently beat into the egg mixture. Add 2 tablespoons sugar, the remaining 1 3/4 cups bread flour, and salt; slowly beat to combine. Add 2 tablespoons sugar and 2 tablespoons butter; beat until well incorporated. Add 2 tablespoons butter and the remaining 1 tablespoon sugar. Switch to the dough hook and beat in the stand mixer on medium until fully incorporated, about 2 minutes, stopping to scrape down sides of bowl as needed. Add remaining 1 tablespoon butter; increase mixer speed to medium-high, and beat until a smooth dough forms and pulls away from sides of bowl, 8 to 10 minutes, stopping to scrape down sides of bowl as needed. Add anise seeds, and beat on medium-low speed until evenly distributed throughout dough, about 1 minute. Transfer dough to a medium-size greased bowl, and cover using plastic wrap; let rest at room temperature until doubled in size, about 2 hours. Gently punch down dough to remove air, and turn out on a very lightly floured work surface. Gently roll dough into a 2 1/2-inch-thick log. Gently transfer dough to a large parchment paper-lined baking sheet; pinch ends of log together to create an oval about 6 inches wide and 10 inches long. Cover using a clean kitchen towel, and let rise at room temperature until doubled in size, about 2 hours. Preheat oven to 350°F. Whisk remaining 1 tablespoon milk and 1 egg in a small bowl until combined. Brush dough evenly with egg wash, and decorate with ate strips (if using), pecans, candied cherries, and sanding sugar. Bake the bread until golden brown and an instant-read thermometer inserted into thickest portion of dough registers 190°F, 20 to 23 minutes, rotating baking sheet from front to back halfway through baking time. Let cool completely on a wire rack, about 30 minutes. Cook this recipe and more in the MyRecipes app. Get the App Save Rate Print Loading shell for RecipesUgcThreaded1 Vue component in Globe.