Ingredients
Dough
- 500 gstrong white flour
- 10 gdried yeast
- 120 gsugar
- 1 tspsalt
- 150 mlwarm milk
- 4eggs
- 120 gbutter, softened
- zest of 1 orange and 1 lemon
- 3 tbspport or Madeira
Fruit and nuts
- 200 gmixed candied fruit, chopped
- 100 graisins, soaked in port
- 150 gmixed nuts: walnuts, almonds, pine nuts, pistachios
To finish
- 1egg, beaten
- whole candied fruit and nuts to decorate
- apricot jam, warmed, to glaze
- icing sugar
To serve
- from Christmas to Epiphany, with port or coffee
Directions
- Allow three to four hours for the first rise, and longer in a cold kitchen. Do not force it with excessive heat, which gives a yeasty taste and a coarse crumb. Knead the dough for ten minutes before the butter goes in, then work it in a piece at a time.
- Keep working it until it is smooth, glossy and elastic. Fold them in at the very end, after the first rise. Soak the raisins in port beforehand so they stay moist through baking.
- Make the hole considerably larger than you think necessary, since it closes up as the cake proves and bakes. Set it on a lined tray and put an oiled ovenproof cup or ring in the hole to hold it open. Let it prove for another hour and a half until visibly puffy.
- Brush with beaten egg and press whole candied fruit and nuts into the top. Bake at 180°C for thirty-five to forty minutes.
- Cover it loosely with foil once the top has browned, which happens well before it is cooked through. It is done when a skewer comes out clean and it sounds hollow tapped underneath.
- Brush the hot cake with warmed apricot jam, which gives the shine. Brush it while hot so the glaze sets rather than soaking in.
- Dust with icing sugar once cool. Now the honest note about candied fruit. Serve it in slices with port, Madeira or coffee. It keeps four or five days wrapped and it dries out after that.
Technique
- It was introduced by the Confeitaria Nacional in Lisbon in 1870, copied from France.
- The metal trinket was banned on safety grounds; only the fava remains in some cakes.
- Bolo-rainha is the version without candied fruit, made because many dislike it.
Substitutions
- Bolo-rainha, made with nuts alone.
- Madeira in place of port for soaking the fruit.
Variations
- Bolo-rainha, with nuts and no candied fruit.
- Made with a chocolate dough, which is modern.
- Made as individual small crowns.
History
Copied from the French galette des rois and introduced by Lisbon’s Confeitaria Nacional in 1870; a hidden bean chose who bought next year’s cake.
Frequently asked questions
What is Bolo-rei?
Bolo-rei is a bread & pastry from Portugal: candied-fruit brioche crown eaten from Christmas to Epiphany. Copied from the French galette des rois and introduced by Lisbon’s Confeitaria Nacional in 1870; a hidden bean chose who bought next year’s cake.
How long does Bolo-rei take to make?
Bolo-rei takes 45 min plus 4 hr rising of preparation and 40 min of cooking. The recipe makes 1 large ring. It is rated hard to make.
What can I substitute in Bolo-rei?
Yes, within limits. Bolo-rainha, made with nuts alone. Madeira in place of port for soaking the fruit.
What is the most important thing to get right in Bolo-rei?
Allow three to four hours for the first rise, and longer in a cold kitchen. Do not force it with excessive heat, which gives a yeasty taste and a coarse crumb. Knead the dough for ten minutes before the butter goes in, then work it in a piece at a time.
