Ingredients:

  • 500g All-purpose flour
  • 150g Unsalted butter, softened
  • 100g Granulated sugar
  • 3 Large eggs, room temperature
  • 120ml Whole milk, warm (105°F)
  • 11g Active dry yeast
  • 1 tsp Salt
  • 2 tbsp Orange blossom water
  • 1 tbsp Fresh orange zest
  • 100g All-purpose flour (for sugar crust)
  • 100g Confectioners sugar (for sugar crust)
  • 100g Vegetable shortening (for sugar crust)
  • 1 Egg yolk (for sugar crust)
  • 1 Egg, beaten for wash
  • 150g Candied fruit strips (Ate, figs, and cherries)
  • 4 Small plastic Niño Dios figurines
  • 1 tbsp Coarse pearl sugar

Instructions:

  1. Combine warm milk, one tablespoon of sugar, and yeast. Let sit for 10 minutes until foamy. Mix with 500g flour, 3 eggs, remaining sugar, orange blossom water, and orange zest. Add softened butter cube by cube, kneading until dough is tacky and pulls away from the bowl.
  2. Place dough in a greased bowl, cover with a damp cloth, and let rise in a warm, draft-free spot until doubled in volume (approximately 1.5 hours).
  3. Punch down the dough and roll into a cylinder approximately 3 feet long. Join the ends by thinning one end and tucking the other inside to form an oval ring. Insert plastic figurines into the bottom of the dough at random intervals.
  4. Prepare the sugar crust by mixing 100g flour, 100g confectioners sugar, shortening, and egg yolk into a paste. Flatten into strips and place over the ring. Decorate with candied fruit and brush exposed dough with egg wash.
  5. Bake at 350°F (175°C) for 30 minutes or until the bread reaches a deep mahogany color and sounds hollow when tapped.