Rosca De Reyes, Specialty Bread

King's Bread, exclusively for January 6.


Ingredients:
4 cups sifted flour
1/2 package yeast
1/4 cup lukewarm water
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup sugar
1 tsp salt
1/4 cup milk
5 eggs
1 Tbsp orange blossom water
1 oz candied citron, chopped
1 candied orange peel, chopped
1 lemon rind, grated

Method:
Place one-third of the flour in a mound on a board and make a depression in the 
center. Dissolve yeast in lukewarm water and pour into center of mound, mixing it 
a little at a time with the flour. Knead, then form into a ball. Make two 
incisions forming a cross on the top of the ball and place in a floured bowl. Cover
with napkin and let stand in a warm place until it is twice its original size.

Mix butter, sugar and salt with milk and cook over moderate heat for about two 
minutes. Pour half of the mixture into a depression made in a mound of the other 
two-thirds of the flour. Add two eggs and the orange blossom water. Mix 
thoroughly with the flour and when lukewarm, add the dough which has fermented. 
Knead well, adding the rest of the milk mixture and two more eggs. When the dough 
is smooth, add citron, orange peel and lemon rind. Place in a greased pan, cover 
with napkin and allow it to stand twenty-four hours.

Shape dough into a large circle with a hole in the center, place on a greased 
baking pan and allow to stand until it has swelled almost to twice its original 
size. Moisten the tope with a brush dipped in remaining egg, sprinkle with sugar 
and dot with small pieces of additional citron. Bake at 400°F for thirty 
minutes or longer. Yield: one very large ring or twelve to fifteen servings.

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