Ingredients:

  • 1/2 cup (120ml) warm whole milk
  • 1 packet (7g) active dry yeast
  • 1/2 cup (65g) all-purpose flour
  • 1 tsp honey
  • 3.5 cups (450g) bread flour
  • 1/3 cup (65g) organic cane sugar
  • 2 tsp fresh orange zest
  • 1 tsp fresh lemon zest
  • 1/2 tsp ground anise seed
  • 1 tsp fine sea salt
  • 3 large eggs, room temperature
  • 1/2 cup (113g) unsalted grass-fed butter, softened
  • 1/2 cup all-purpose flour for sugar paste
  • 1/2 cup powdered erythritol
  • 1/4 cup unsalted butter, softened for sugar paste
  • 50g sliced dried figs
  • 50g candied orange peel
  • 50g hibiscus-poached pears
  • 2-4 plastic Niño Dios figurines

Instructions:

  1. Combine warm milk, yeast, honey, and 1/2 cup of all-purpose flour. Whisk until smooth and let sit for 15 minutes to awaken the sponge.
  2. In a separate bowl, rub the fresh orange and lemon zest into the cane sugar using your fingertips to extract the essential oils.
  3. In a stand mixer with a dough hook, combine the bread flour, citrus sugar, anise seed, sea salt, eggs, and the prepared sponge.
  4. Gradually add the 1/2 cup of softened grass-fed butter, one tablespoon at a time, until fully incorporated and the dough is silky.
  5. Transfer the dough to a bowl, cover, and place in the refrigerator for a 14-hour cold ferment to develop flavor and digestibility.
  6. Shape the chilled dough into a large oval ring on a baking sheet and tuck the plastic figurines into the underside of the dough.
  7. Cover and allow the dough to rise in a warm spot for approximately 1 hour 30 mins until nearly doubled in size.
  8. Prepare the sugar paste by mixing 1/2 cup flour, erythritol, and 1/4 cup softened butter. Apply strips of paste and the dried fruits to the top of the ring.
  9. Bake at 180°C for 35 minutes or until the crust is a deep mahogany gold.