Bolo Rei (Portuguese King Cake)
Portugal's festive ring-shaped bread studded with candied fruit and topped with glazed almonds. A showstopping holiday dessert with surprising depth—aromatic, tender crumb and a touch of citrus brightness.
- Total time
- 150 min
- Servings
- 8
- Calories
- 385
- Protein
- 8g
Ingredients
- ½ cup whole milk, warm
- 2.25 tsp instant yeast
- 3.5 cups all-purpose flour
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 6 tbsp butter, softened
- 2 whole eggs
- 1 whole orange, zested and juiced
- 1 whole lemon, zested
- ½ tsp salt
- ¾ cup candied citrus peel, diced
- ¾ cup raisins
- ½ cup sliced almonds
- 3 tbsp honey, for glaze
Instructions
- 1
Mix warm milk with yeast; let sit 5 minutes until foamy.
- 2
Whisk flour, sugar, and salt in a large bowl; make a well in center.
- 3
Pour yeast mixture into well. Add softened butter, eggs, orange juice, and zests.
- 4
Stir with a wooden spoon until shaggy dough forms, then knead by hand for 8 minutes until smooth.
- 5
Add candied peel and raisins; knead 2 minutes until evenly distributed throughout.
- 6
Form dough into a ball. Oil a bowl, place dough inside, and cover with plastic wrap.
- 7
Let rise in a warm place for 90 minutes until doubled in size.
- 8
Punch dough down; shape into a log and transfer to a parchment-lined baking sheet.
- 9
Form dough into a ring, overlapping the ends slightly and pressing to seal.
- 10
Cover with plastic wrap; let rise for 60 minutes until puffy and springs back slowly when poked.
- 11
Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C). Brush ring lightly with water; press almonds into top surface.
- 12
Bake for 35–40 minutes until golden brown and hollow-sounding when tapped on bottom.
- 13
Remove from oven. Brush warm honey over entire surface while cake is still hot.
- 14
Cool on a wire rack for at least 30 minutes before slicing.
Tools you’ll need
- large mixing bowl
- wooden spoon
- measuring cups and spoons
- kitchen scale (optional but recommended)
- parchment paper
- baking sheet
- plastic wrap
- oven
- wire cooling rack
- pastry brush
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