Bolo rei
The Portuguese king cake, eaten from Christmas to Epiphany on 6 January. It is a ring of yeast dough full of fruit and nuts, decorated like a crown with jewels — bright candied fruit. The key is soaking the fruit overnight in port: soaked fruit does not draw moisture from the dough or scorch in the oven, and the wine gives the ring its characteristic aroma.
Your own work in that: 0 min.
- Soaking the fruit 720 min
- Dough 25 min
- Rising 180 min
- Baking 35 min
Step by step
0 / 8 doneSoak the fruit in port overnight
Mix the candied fruit, raisins and walnuts with the port and leave covered overnight. The fruit absorbs the wine, softens and will not draw moisture from the dough — dry fruit gives a dried-out, crumbly ring.
Ingredients: 200 g candied fruit · 80 g raisins · 60 g walnuts · 100 ml port
Overnight in port — the fruit will not dry the dough.Knead the yeast dough
Dissolve the yeast in the warm milk, add the flour, eggs, sugar, zests and salt and knead 10 minutes, then add the butter piece by piece until smooth and elastic. It should leave the sides of the bowl.
Ingredients: 500 g strong bread flour · 160 ml milk · 25 g fresh yeast · 3 pcs eggs · 100 g sugar · 120 g butter · 1 pcs orange · 1 pcs lemon · 1 tsp salt
Work in the fruit last
Drain the fruit of any remaining wine and work it into the dough briefly by hand. Added at the start it would break up during kneading and its juice would tint the dough grey.
Ingredients: 200 g candied fruit · 80 g raisins · 60 g walnuts · 100 ml port
Rise two hours
Cover and leave somewhere warm for 2 hours, until doubled. A dough this rich in butter and fruit rises slowly — do not hurry it with oven warmth, or the butter melts.
Ingredients: 500 g strong bread flour · 160 ml milk · 25 g fresh yeast · 3 pcs eggs · 100 g sugar · 120 g butter · 1 pcs orange · 1 pcs lemon · 1 tsp salt
Shape a ring with a wide hole
Shape a ball, push your fingers through the centre and stretch until the hole is 12 cm. Stand a greased ovenproof bowl in the middle — without it the hole closes up as it rises and bakes.
Ingredients: 500 g strong bread flour · 160 ml milk · 25 g fresh yeast · 3 pcs eggs · 100 g sugar · 120 g butter · 1 pcs orange · 1 pcs lemon · 1 tsp salt
A 12 cm hole and a bowl in the middle.Decorate and leave for the second rise
Brush the ring with egg and press the candied fruit and almonds into the dough like jewels in a crown — firmly, as the rising dough pushes them out. Cover and leave an hour for the second rise. Before baking, brush with egg once more and scatter with pearl sugar.
Ingredients: 1 pcs egg for glazing · 100 g whole candied fruit · 30 g whole almonds · 3 tbsp pearl sugar · 3 tbsp apricot jam
Fruit pressed in firmly — like jewels in a crown.Bake, covering at the end
Bake 30–35 minutes at 180°C. After 20 minutes lay foil loosely over the ring — the candied fruit on top burns before the dough is baked through.
Ingredients: 500 g strong bread flour · 160 ml milk · 25 g fresh yeast · 3 pcs eggs · 100 g sugar · 120 g butter · 1 pcs orange · 1 pcs lemon · 1 tsp salt
Glaze with jam while hot
Straight from the oven brush the ring with warmed apricot jam thinned with a spoon of water. The glaze makes the fruit shine and keeps the crumb moist. Cool on a rack.
Ingredients: 1 pcs egg for glazing · 100 g whole candied fruit · 30 g whole almonds · 3 tbsp pearl sugar · 3 tbsp apricot jam
Before you start
The bean and the prize
Traditionally a dried broad bean and a small charm were baked into bolo rei. Whoever found the bean bought the cake the following year. For safety reasons the charm is no longer put in shop-bought cakes, but the bean still turns up, and at home the custom lives on in full.
Bolo rainha, the fruitless sister
Bolo rainha, the queen cake, is the version without candied fruit, with only nuts and dried fruit. Made for those who dislike candied peel — dough and shape are identical.
Three days under film
Bolo rei keeps three days wrapped in film. It stales from the edges; slices refreshed in a toaster or in a pan with butter are excellent for breakfast. It freezes well in pieces.
