Bolo-Rei

Submitted by Anushka 11 June 2009

This is a traditional cake at Christmas in Portugal. Or rather, it is supposed to be eaten on the 6th January, feast of the Kings - hence its name, Bolo-Rei, King cake. But everybody starts eating it on Christmas Eve. In the old days the cake had a s

Ingredients

100 g (3 1/2 oz) glacé citrus peel chopped
50 g (1 1/2 oz) raisins
50 g (1 1/2 oz) pine nuts
100 ml (3 1/2 fl oz) port
2 1/2 tsp dried yeast
100 ml (3 1/2 fl oz) water
500 g (1 lb) strong white bread flour
1 1/2 tsp salt
100 g (3 1/2 oz) unsalted butter softened
100 g (3 1/2 oz) caster sugar
zest of 1 lemon and 1 orange
3 eggs beaten
a dried broadbean and a small present

For the topping

egg glaze made with 1 egg yok beaten with 1 tbsp water
10 glacé cherries
2 segments each glacé orange lemon and lime peel
lump sugar crushed to decorate
apricot jam to glaze

Method

1. Soak the glacé peel, raisins, and pine nuts in the port overnight. Sprinkle the yeast into the water in a bowl. Leave for 5 minutes; stir to dissolve. Mix the flour and salt together in a large bowl. Make a well in the centre and pour in the yeasted water.

2. Use a wooden spoon to draw enough of the flour into the yeasted water to form a soft paste. Cover the bowl with a tea towel. Leave to sponge until frothy and slightly risen, about 20 minutes.

3. Beat the butter with the sugar and lemon and orange zest together in a separate bowl until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, and beat well after each addition. Add the mixture to the flour well, thin mix in the flour from the sides to form a soft dough.

4. Turn the dough out on to a lightly floured work surface. Knead until soft, smooth, silky, and elastic, about 10 minutes. Knead in the peel, raisins, and pine nuts until evenly distrubued.

5. Put the dough in a clean bowl and cover with a tea towel. Leave to rise until doubled in size, about 2 hours. Knock back, then leave to rest for 10 minutes.

6. Shape the dough into a couronne, then place it on a buttered baking sheet. Wrap a dried broad bean and a trinket or small present separately in greaseproof paper. Insert both tiny packages into the bottom of the shaped dough.

7. Cover the dough with a tea towel, and leave to prove until doubled in thickness, about 1 hour.

8. To make the topping. Brush the dough with the egg glaze then decorate with the glacé fruit and the crushed sugar. Bake in a preheated oven for 45 minutes until golden. Warm the apricot jam in a saucepan over low heat until liquid, then brush the top and sides of the bread with it to glaze. Leave to cool on a wire rack.

Bom apetite e Feliz Natal!

Anushka

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