Driekoningenbrood

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •Large mixing bowl or stand mixer
• •Baking tray
• •Parchment paper
• •Sharp knife or bread lame
• •Pastry brush

Instructions

1. 1

   Wake the dough

   Put the flour, sugar, yeast, salt, cinnamon, and mace or nutmeg in a large bowl, keeping the salt and yeast apart until you mix. Add the lukewarm milk and egg, then stir until a rough dough forms. Knead for five minutes, then work in the softened butter a little at a time. The dough will look sulky at first, then smooth out and become elastic; that is the butter joining the feast.

2. 2

   Add the fruit

   Knead in the raisins and candied orange peel, if using, until they are evenly spread through the dough. If the raisins keep escaping, flatten the dough, scatter them over it, fold it like a letter, and knead again. Cover the bowl and let the dough rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 to 1 1/2 hours.

   If your raisins are very dry, soak them for ten minutes in warm water, then drain and pat them dry. Wet raisins make the dough slippery; plump dry raisins behave.
3. 3

   Hide the bean

   Turn the risen dough onto a lightly floured surface and press it into a thick round. Place the dried bean or almond near the outer third of the dough, not in the centre, then fold the dough over it and shape into a tight round loaf. This is the one moment you must be impartial. No winking at the child you like best.

4. 4

   Prove the loaf

   Set the round loaf on a parchment-lined baking tray, cover it loosely, and let it prove for 45 to 60 minutes until puffy and light. Heat the oven to 190C. Press the loaf gently with one finger; if the dent slowly fills back in, it is ready. If it springs back at once, give it more time.

5. 5

   Cut the star

   Brush the loaf with the egg yolk and milk glaze. With a sharp knife or lame, cut a shallow six-point star into the top, no deeper than 5mm, so the bread opens where you have invited it to open. Scatter with pearl sugar if you want a little festival glitter, the homely kind.

6. 6

   Bake and cool

   Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until the crust is deep golden and the loaf sounds hollow when tapped underneath. If it browns too quickly, lay a loose sheet of foil over the top for the last ten minutes. Cool for at least 45 minutes before slicing, because a hot enriched loaf tears instead of cutting, and the king should be found by chance, not by wreckage.

7. 7

   Serve the king

   Slice the bread into wedges at the table and warn everyone about the hidden bean. Whoever finds it is koning voor een dag, king for a day. Serve with butter, coffee, and a paper crown if your household is willing to be ridiculous in the old way.

Chef Tips

• •Use a dried bean only if every eater knows to expect it. For young children, use a whole almond instead and still warn the table; tradition is not improved by a dentist's bill.
• •The spice should be present, not bossy. Cinnamon with a little mace or nutmeg is enough, a small echo of the Dutch baking cupboard without turning the bread into speculaas.
• •Slice at the table. If you cut the whole loaf in the kitchen, someone will inspect the crumb like a tax official and the game is over.
• •This is best on 6 January. The calendar matters here; the bread belongs to the last candle of the Christmas season, when the house is ready to return to ordinary time.

Advance Preparation

• •The dough can be mixed and given its first rise overnight in the refrigerator. Shape it in the morning, hide the bean, and allow a longer final prove before baking.
• •The baked loaf keeps well for two days wrapped at room temperature. Toast older slices lightly and spread with butter.
• •Raisins may be plumped the evening before, then drained and dried thoroughly before kneading into the dough.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 95g)