Three Kings Bread (Rosca de Reyes)
A soft, orange-blossom-scented wreath of sweet bread, decorated with candied fruit and a tiny hidden figurine, baked for Epiphany and shared with mugs of hot chocolate.
Servings
Ingredients
Nutrition
Per serving
Steps
Make the dough
In a large bowl, whisk the flour, yeast, sugar and salt together. Add the eggs, warm milk, orange zest, orange blossom water and vanilla, then mix and knead by hand or with a dough hook for about 10 minutes until you get a soft, slightly sticky dough.
- 500 g flour
- 10 g yeast
- 100 g sugar
- 1 tsp salt
- 3 eggs
- 150 ml warm milk
- 1 orange zest
- 2 tbsp orange blossom water
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
✅ Done when: the dough holds together and stretches without tearing
Knead in the butter
Add the softened butter a little at a time, kneading after each addition, until it's fully absorbed and the dough turns smooth, shiny and elastic — about 10 more minutes. Shape it into a ball, place it in a greased bowl, cover and let it rise in a warm spot.
- 120 g unsalted butter
✅ Done when: doubled in size, and a finger poked into it leaves a dent that slowly fills back in
Shape the wreath
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Make the sugar paste
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Decorate before baking
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Bake the rosca
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Serve the rosca
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Make the dough
In a large bowl, whisk the flour, yeast, sugar and salt together. Add the eggs, warm milk, orange zest, orange blossom water and vanilla, then mix and knead by hand or with a dough hook for about 10 minutes until you get a soft, slightly sticky dough.
- 500 g flour
- 10 g yeast
- 100 g sugar
- 1 tsp salt
- 3 eggs
- 150 ml warm milk
- 1 orange zest
- 2 tbsp orange blossom water
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
✅ Done when: the dough holds together and stretches without tearing
Knead in the butter
Add the softened butter a little at a time, kneading after each addition, until it's fully absorbed and the dough turns smooth, shiny and elastic — about 10 more minutes. Shape it into a ball, place it in a greased bowl, cover and let it rise in a warm spot.
- 120 g unsalted butter
✅ Done when: doubled in size, and a finger poked into it leaves a dent that slowly fills back in
Shape the wreath
This step is part of Foodie Premium. Subscribe to unlock the full method, cooking mode and every recipe in the library.
Make the sugar paste
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Decorate before baking
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Bake the rosca
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Serve the rosca
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The Story Behind the Dish
Spanish colonizers brought the custom of the Twelfth Night cake, a round or ring-shaped sweet bread eaten on January 6th to celebrate the visit of the Three Kings to baby Jesus. In Mexico the bread took on local color: orange blossom water, local candied fruits and the hidden figurine, which recalls the moment the Kings had to hide the infant Christ from danger.
Today it is baked in home kitchens and bakeries alike, with large versions shared at offices, schools and family gatherings every January 6th, cut together and eaten with mugs of hot chocolate or atole.
⭐ Why It's Famous
It is the centerpiece of Día de Reyes, Mexico's celebration of Epiphany, and the ritual of finding the hidden figurine links the bread directly to the next holiday on the calendar.
💡 Fun Fact
Whoever bites into the slice with the hidden figurine is traditionally expected to host a party with tamales and atole on February 2nd, Candlemas Day.
Mexico City and nationwide
19.43°N, -99.13°W
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