The tradition of the Epiphany in France

In France, we celebrate the Epiphany, known as “La Fête des Rois” on January 6th, although the festivities often extend throughout the month. The Epiphany is originally a religious celebration commemorating the visit of the Three Wise Men to baby Jesus, in Bethlehem – but is a widely popular celebration in the country.

The most popular tradition associated with the Epiphany in France, is the King’s Cake. As soon as January clocks in, the specialty can be found in virtually every French bakery. A small figurine called a fève (originally a dried bean, although now a small porcelain or plastic figure is the choice) is hidden inside the cake. The person who finds the fève in their slice is the king or queen for the day and often gets to wear a paper crown.

The cutting of the King’s Cake is a festive moment too: the ritual calls for the youngest person in the room to sit under the table and calls out guests’ names, who are then given their slices. No cheating allowed!

This is an undeniably joyful and social occasion and people may organize King’s Cake events in schools, workplaces and city halls also. 

Fèves sold at a local brocante last Summer.

About the “Fèves”

As playful as this might sound, these little “fèves” are, for some French, highly collectible gems. You will see them in most brocantes and stores in France. They come in many shapes (from religious icons, celebrities to cartoon characters) and prices (some porcelain vintage fèves can be pretty pricey.) Indeed, it has become common for bakeries to come up with their own line of figurines each year.

A puff-pastry Galette in the North, a crown-shaped Brioche in the South.

There are two kinds of “galette” to celebrate the Epiphany in France. The first one, known as a “Galette” includes a creamy frangipane filling spread between two puff pastry layers. The Northern part of France widely enjoys this version, including Paris – making it unquestionably the most popular version in France.

The second version, a “Brioche des Rois” is a sweet brioche dough decorated with pearl sugar, candied fruits and shaped like a crown, symbolizing the kingship of the Magi. The South of France predominantly enjoys this version, and can be found under different names: “Brioche des Rois” in Provence, “Reiaume” in Montpellier, “Corona Bordalesa” in Bordeaux, or “Coque des Rois” in Moissac.

Ingredients you’ll need for this King’s Brioche

Despite all its different names, the King’s Brioche always features a tender crumb and is easily recognizable with its crown-shape and candied fruit topping. Although it is not commonly found in North America, you can easily recreate your own version at home.

Here is the list of the ingredients you need to prepare to make this King’s Brioche at home.

1. Active dry yeast and milk. Before incorporating the yeast into the dough mixture, you must re-hydrate it in lukewarm milk. Choose 2%m.f. or whole milk.
2. Sugar. Opt for white sugar.
3. Orange and lemon zest. We flavor the brioche with citrus zests, giving it its signature flavor. Because we are using zests, I prefer organic fruit.
4. Flour. All-purpose flour is best.
5. Eggs. The eggs need to be at room temperature. Take them out of the fridge at least one hour beforehand.
6. Butter. Likewise, the butter needs to be at room temperature when you knead it into the dough. Take it out of the fridge at least two hours beforehand. I prefer unsalted butter.  Like for all brioches or French laminated pastries (like croissants), the quality of the butter you use will make a big difference. If you can, opt for a French-quality butter churned to a higher fat content (such as President’s).
7. An egg yolk and one tablespoon of milk. Whisked together with a fork for brushing the brioche top and give it a golden shine.
8. Pearl sugar. Pearl sugar, also known as nib sugar or hail sugar, is a type of sugar that we commonly use as a topping when baking goods in France. It consists of small, round grains of sugar which do not melt and retain their shape during baking. It adds a delightful sweet crunch to the brioche. Pearl sugar is available is stores (ie. Walmart), bulk stores or online.
9. Orange Marmalade. Once baked, the brioche gets brushed with orange marmalade, giving it a shine as well as adding citrus flavor. This also helps the candied fruits stick more securely to the brioche.
10. Orange peels and candied cherries. Lastly, the baked brioche is decorated with colorful candied fruits to recreate the look of a king’s crown. Orange peels and candied cherries are traditionally used, but you can opt for other fruits if you would like such as lemon peels, candied apricots or candied kiwis.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the best flour for brioche?

Use all purpose flour. For this recipe, avoid using whole-wheat, harder flours or even a gluten-free alternative flour, as the brioche won’t likely rise as much.

Why is the brioche dough not rising?

There can be many reasons but the two most likely ones are 1. the yeast you are using is dead, or you hydrated it in hot milk causing it to die; 2. You let your dough proof (meaning, rise) in a place that is either too hot, cold or humid. Make sure you let the dough rise in a draft-free environment and at room temperature. The ideal room temperature for doughs to rise is between 80°F – 90°F (26.5°C – 32.2°C).

How to store this King’s Brioche?

You can store the brioche in airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days. Brioche generally tend to dry up after 3 days, but the orange marmalade brush atop this one helps keep it moister longer.

You can freeze the brioche after baking and after it is completely cool – but without the orange marmalade and candied fruits on top.

Audrey’s tips:

• The making of this brioche requires two resting periods to allow the dough to grow, which totals to 4 hours. So plan ahead if you would like to serve it by tea time.
• While the kneading of the dough is easier in a stand mixer, this recipe is absolutely doable by hand too, with some elbow grease !
• When hydrating the yeast in lukewarm milk, it is very important the milk temperature isn’t over 30C or this will kill the yeast.
• If you don’t have a French trinket, you can use an almond instead.

I hope you’ll love this King’s Brioche (Brioche des Rois) recipe as much as I do! If you have any questions, please feel free to leave a comment. 

More regional French baked goods you may like: 

• Gateau Basque (Basque Cake with pastry cream)
• Normandy Apple Tarte (Tarte Normande)
• Queen of Sheba Chocolate Cake (Reine de Saba)
• Chestnut Cream Cake (Gâteau Ardéchois)
• French Walnut Coffee Cake (Gâteau Grenoblois)
• Alsatian Blueberry Tart (Tarte aux Myrtilles Alsacienne)

King's Brioche

Print Recipe

Serves: 8-10 Prep Time: 30 minutes + 2/3 hours Cooking Time: 30 Minutes 30 Minutes

Nutrition facts: 200 calories 20 grams fat

Rating: 4.2/5

( 11 voted )

Ingredients

2/3 cup (150ml) milk, whole or 2%
2 ¼ tsp(8g) active dry yeast
1/2 cup (100ml) sugar
zest of 1/2 orange
zest of 1/2 lemon
2 1/2 cups (312g)all purpose flour
1/4 tsp salt
1/3 cup (75g) unsalted butter, diced and at room temperature
2 large eggs, at room temperature
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 egg + 1 tbsp (15ml) milk, for the egg wash
¼ cup (80g) orange marmalade
3 tbsp pearl sugar (or crushed sugar cubes)
About 20 candied orange peel sticks
12 candied cherries

Instructions

Step 1 - Warm up the milk to a warm temperature (not hot!) in a sauce pan or in the microwave. Stir in the yeast and set aside for 10 minutes. Your yeast should foam.

Step 2 - In a large mixing bowl, combine the sugar, lemon zest and orange zest, and rub with your fingers so the zest releases moisture and the sugar becomes moist and lumpy. Whisk in the flour and salt.

Step 3 - Dig a well in the middle and add the eggs and the milk with yeast. Stir until all the flour is incorporated and you get a very sticky mixture. Add the cubed butter and knead for 10 minutes until all the butter is well incorporated.

Step 4 - Transfer the dough to a large, greased bowl. Cover with a cloth and set aside in a draft-free environment for 2-3 hours, until the dough has doubled in size.

Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.

Step 5 - When the dough has doubled in size, punch it in the middle to deflate it. Transfer the dough onto a floured working surface and shape into a ball. Transfer the dough ball onto the parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Poke a whole in the middle of the ball with your index finger, and enlarge the hole to form a crown. Do not hesitate to form a large hole (about 4 inches in width) in the middle as its size will decrease when the crown bakes.

Step 6 - If you have a trinket, stick in somewhere underneath the crown.

Cover the crown with a cloth and let rise for 1 more hour.

Pre-heat your oven to 350°F (180°C).

Step 7 - After the one-hour mark, whisk the egg yolk with the milk and brush it all over the crown. Sprinkle evenly with pearl sugar.

Bake the brioche for 30 minutes until it looks puffy and golden.

Step 8 - Take out of the oven and immediately brush marmalade over top to give it a nice shine. When the brioche has completely cooled down, decorate it with citrus peels and candied cherries.

 

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