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Bolo-rei
Bolo-rei: Portugal's Christmas king cake, a crown of brioche studded with candied fruit and nuts
From early December to Twelfth Night every Lisbon pastelaria stacks its counter with these glossy rings, crowned with candied fruit and sugar, and families buy one for Christmas Eve and another for the Day of the Kings. A Lisbon confectioner brought the idea from France in the nineteenth century and it became the centre of the Portuguese Christmas table. Traditionally the raisins are soaked in port wine, which contains alcohol; orange juice works just as well. Old recipes hid a dried broad bean inside, and whoever found it bought next year's cake; we leave it out, as it is a choking hazard for children. Chef's tip: let the dough rise slowly in a cool place, even overnight in the fridge; the rich, buttery dough needs time to taste of anything.
- Total time
- 95 min
- Difficulty
- hard
- Serves
- 12
Ingredients
For the fruit
For the dough
To decorate
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Method
0/10 doneStep 1: Soak 2 ⅞ oz raisins in ¼ cup port wine for at least 1 hour, or overnight, until plump.
60 minStep 2: Mix 1 ⅛ lb strong white bread flour, ¼ oz fast-action dried yeast, 3 ⅛ oz caster sugar and 1 tsp salt in a large bowl. Add ½ cup whole milk, 3 eggs and 1 tbsp lemon and orange zest and mix to a sticky dough.
5 minStep 3: Knead for 10 minutes by hand (or 6 in a mixer) until smooth and stretchy, then work in 4 oz unsalted butter a spoonful at a time. Keep kneading until the dough is glossy, pulls cleanly from the bowl and stretches into a thin sheet without tearing.
15 minStep 4: Cover and leave to rise in a cool room for 2–3 hours, or overnight in the fridge, until doubled.
180 minStep 5: Drain the raisins, keeping any liquid. Toss them with 5 ½ oz mixed candied fruit and 3 ½ oz mixed walnuts, almonds and pine nuts, then knead the fruit into the dough gently until evenly spread. A common mistake is adding the fruit too early: it tears the gluten and the cake stays heavy.
Step 6: Shape the dough into a ball, push your fingers through the centre and stretch it into a ring about 28 cm across with a 10 cm hole. Set it on a lined tray with a greased ramekin in the hole to keep it open.
Step 7: Cover loosely and prove for 1–1½ hours in a warm place until puffy; a finger pressed in leaves a dent that springs back slowly. Heat the oven to 350°F (325°F fan).
75 minStep 8: Brush with 1 egg, press in 4 oz whole candied fruit and glacé cherries around the top and scatter over 2 tbsp pearl sugar or crushed sugar cubes if using.
Step 9: Bake for 30–35 minutes, until deep golden and the base sounds hollow when tapped. If the fruit darkens too fast, lay foil over the top for the last 10 minutes.
35 minStep 10: Brush the hot cake with 2 tbsp apricot jam thinned with a spoonful of the soaking liquid or water, for shine. Cool on a rack before slicing.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 400 kcal
- Protein
- 9 g
- Carbs
- 58 g
- Fat
- 15 g
- Fibre
- 2 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does bolo-rei take?
- About 95 minutes in total: 60 minutes to prepare and 35 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 12 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- Can I make it ahead?
- Yes. It keeps well, so you can cook it earlier in the day or the day before and reheat it.
- What can I use instead of mixed walnuts, almonds and pine nuts?
- Pecans or chocolate chips, same amount.
- What can I use instead of strong white bread flour?
- Plain flour, same amount (the dough will be softer and rise a little less).
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