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Rosca de Pascua
Easter ring bread
Rosca de Pascua: Easter ring of enriched yeast dough with pastry cream, cherries and boiled eggs
ArgentinianArgentine Easter Sunday breakfast centres on the rosca de Pascua, a ring of soft, orange-scented brioche-like dough laid with stripes of pastry cream, candied cherries and pearl sugar, with whole boiled eggs pressed into the dough as a symbol of new life. Bakeries in every barrio stack them in the window from Holy Thursday, and families share it with coffee or mate after the Easter egg hunt. The crumb is fluffy and pale yellow, and the custard bakes into soft, golden ridges. Because the eggs bake for 30 minutes on top of their boiling, they are fully cooked; many people keep them for decoration and peel them later. The mistake to avoid is piping the pastry cream too thick, which slides off as the ring rises; thin lines give neat ridges. Chef's tip: cook the custard until it is very thick and chill it before piping, and brush the ring with egg before (not after) the cream goes on.
- Total time
- 210 min
- Difficulty
- hard
- Serves
- 10
Ingredients
For the dough
- 1 ⅛ lb strong white bread flour
- ⅓ oz dried yeastinstant
- ¾ cup whole milklukewarm
- 3 ½ oz caster sugar
- 4 eggs3 for the dough, 1 beaten for brushing
- 2 ⅞ oz unsalted buttersoft
- 2 tsp orange zestfinely grated
- 1 tbsp orange blossom water
- 1 tsp salt
For the pastry cream
- 1 cup whole milk
- 1 ¾ oz caster sugar
- ⅞ oz cornflour
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
To decorate
- 3 eggshard-boiled in the shell, cooled
- 2 ⅞ oz candied cherrieshalved
- 2 tbsp pearl sugar (optional)or crushed sugar cubes
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Method
0/7 doneStep 1: Mix 1 ⅛ lb strong white bread flour, ⅓ oz dried yeast, 3 ½ oz caster sugar and 1 tsp salt in a large bowl. Add ¾ cup whole milk, 3 eggs, 2 tsp orange zest and 1 tbsp orange blossom water and knead for 8 minutes, until smooth.
8 minStep 2: Knead in 2 ⅞ oz unsalted butter a little at a time until the dough is glossy and elastic. Cover and leave in a warm place for about 1½ hours, until doubled.
90 minStep 3: Meanwhile, whisk 2 egg yolks, 1 ¾ oz caster sugar and ⅞ oz cornflour in a pan, then whisk in 1 cup whole milk. Cook over a medium heat, whisking all the time, until it boils and is so thick the whisk leaves a trail. Stir in 1 tsp vanilla extract, cover the surface with cling film and chill.
6 minStep 4: Knock back the dough, roll it into a 60 cm rope and join the ends into a ring on a tray lined with baking paper. Press 3 eggs into the dough at even spaces. Cover and leave for 45 minutes, until puffy.
45 minStep 5: Heat the oven to 350°F (325°F fan). Beat the rest of 1 eggs and brush it over the ring, avoiding the boiled eggs.
Step 6: Spoon the pastry cream into a piping bag with a small plain nozzle and pipe thin lines across the ring. Dot 2 ⅞ oz candied cherries between the lines and scatter 2 tbsp pearl sugar over if using.
Step 7: Bake for 25–30 minutes, until deep golden and the base sounds hollow when tapped. Cool on a rack before slicing.
30 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 360 kcal
- Protein
- 11 g
- Carbs
- 55 g
- Fat
- 10 g
- Fibre
- 1 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does rosca de Pascua take?
- About 210 minutes in total: 180 minutes to prepare and 30 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 10 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- What can I use instead of strong white bread flour?
- Plain flour, same amount (the dough will be softer and rise a little less).
- What can I use instead of whole milk?
- Semi-skimmed milk with 1 tbsp cream per 240ml (1 cup).
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