In Provence, we celebrate the Epiphany not with a galette des Rois with frangipane, but with a brioche, soft and perfumed with orange blossom. Often this large brioche is garnished with candied fruit... like the crown worn by the person who has the bean and becomes the king or the queen! Candied fruits or other garnishing ingredients represent the precious stones and ornaments of royal crowns.
The brioche des Rois is the version of the galette found mainly in Provence, and more widely in the south of France. It is traditionally flavored with orange blossom water and well buttered (a good homemade brioche just like at the baker's!), while in the most northern part of France, one commonly finds puff pastry pancakes, garnished frangipane, chocolate, apple compote...
But we also find on this occasion a brioche called "Chinese", which also reminds us of a large crown or headdress from the time of kings, made up of several filled dough pieces. It is simply a variation that has been adopted over time.
The brioche de rois is found in other countries, such as the King's Cake in the United States, or the Tortelle de Reis in the Catalan country. To celebrate the Provençal kings, discover our recipes, and ideas for fillings!
© Getty pictures
Brioche king cake or Provençal brioche with candied fruit
Preparation: 25 min + 24 h rest
Cooking: 30 mins
Ingredients (for 6 people):
- 350 g of flour
- 200 g of candied fruit
- 15 g of fresh baker's yeast
- 3 tablespoons of orange blossom water
- 130g soft butter
- 50 g of pearl sugar (in large grains)
- 75 g caster sugar
- 1 untreated orange
- 2 sachets of vanilla sugar
- 4 eggs + 1 yolk
without forgetting :
- 1 bean
The traditional recipe for brioche des rois
1. Dissolve the yeast in 10 cl of lukewarm water, let stand. Grate the orange zest, set aside.
2. Sift the flour into a bowl, dig a well and put in 4 whole eggs and the sugars.
3. Add the butter in small pieces, and the dissolved yeast. Mix everything together with your hands, work the dough until it is elastic and no longer sticks.
4. Add the orange zest and orange blossom water, as well as the bean. Knead again and form a ball.
5. Place it on a baking sheet covered with parchment paper, and let rise overnight in a place away from drafts.
6. The next day, preheat the oven to 200°C (thermostat 6/7).
7. Flatten the dough slightly and dig a hole in the center to form a crown. Dissolve the remaining egg yolk in a little water, and spread it over the brioche (not on the edges, this would prevent it from rising).
8. Decorate with the candied fruit, pressing them a little into the dough. Sprinkle with pearl sugar.
9. Put in the oven and cook for 25 to 30 minutes. Once out of the oven, sprinkle again with granulated sugar.
Good plan
If you don't have 24 hours to rest your dough, then opt for this recipe from a Marseille pastry chef, who only lets his dough rest for 3 to 4 hours:
recipe
Variants of the traditional brioche des rois
What changes in the other buns you can serve:
Flavor: In addition to its good taste of butter, another flavor comes to invite itself. Usually it is that of orange blossom water, but which can be replaced by bitter almond extract, rum, cointreau, or even an infusion of green anise...
Brioche des rois topped with cream© Istock
The filling: you can add in and on the dough pieces of marzipan, candied fruit, pearl sugar (if you add it to the dough, rub the grains in butter to prevent them from melting in the dough ), flaked or whole almonds, dried fruits and dried fruits (pistachios, hazelnuts, almonds, figs, apricots...), chocolate chips if necessary. Some recipes cut the brioche in half and slide a layer of cream (chantilly or other) in the middle.
