Even though this recipe incorporates many ingredients, it is very easy to make; always turns out delicious; and pairs perfectly with a cup of coffee or a mate!
Rosca de Pascua (Easter Bread Ring)
Dough Ingredients4 cups flour
1 tsp. salt
3 tsp. active dry yeast
1/3 c. warm milk
1/2 cup sugar
1 Tbsp. lemon zest
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2 eggs
7 Tbsp. butter, softened [just under 1 stick]
Pastry Cream
2 c. milk
1 whole egg
3 egg yolks
1/2 c. sugar
1/2 c. all-purpose flour
1 tsp. vanilla extract
Other
1 egg
Cherries in syrup
chopped walnuts or almonds
Dough: Dissolve yeast in warm water with a pinch of sugar. Leave it covered, to rise and bubble for 2 hours.
Form a crown with the flour and the salt and add the eggs, sugar, lemon zest, worm milk and the yeast preparation. Work it with your fingers kneading the bun. Once the dough comes together into a ball, turn it out onto a well-floured work surface and knead by hand (the dough will be very sticky). Use up to 1 cup of additional bench flour to knead the dough until it is smooth and elastic and no longer sticks to your hands, about 15 minutes. Shape dough into one large ball (or two smaller ones), and place in a greased bowl, covered with a kitchen towel. Allow dough to rise in a warm place, until it doubles in volume.
Custard: Whisk the egg yolks with the sugar, add the flour. Scald the milk in a heavy saucepan (milk should foam but not boil). Slowly incorporate the hot milk into the egg mixture, whisking constantly to avoid curdling the eggs. Return the mixture to the saucepan, and whisking constantly, cook over medium heat until it just comes to a boil and thickens. Remove from the heat and stir in the vanilla extract. Transfer the pastry cream to a clean bowl and cool the pastry cream to room temperature.
Punch down the dough and form it into a ball. Place the dough ball on a baking sheet lined with greased parchment or a silicone mat, and make a hole in the center of the ball. Carefully stretch and shape the dough into a ring. Insert a lightly crumpled ball of aluminum foil or an empty tin can in the hole.
Allow the dough to rise in a warm place for about one hour or until doubled in volume.
Preheat the oven to 350ºF.
Decorate the ring with pastry cream. Brush the ring with beaten egg, avoiding areas with pastry cream. Place the candied cherries on top and sprinkle with the chopped nuts.
Bake the ring for about 35 minutes or until golden brown. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.
