Some time ago, the Rosca da Rainha had an exclusive audience in Brazil; the sweet bread belonged to the upper middle class individuals with refined taste. Its name accounted for its attitude: the queen’s biscuit. In present-day Brazil, we are all entitled to the exquisite delights intended for queens.
Most Brazilians imagine that the sweet braided bread originated in Portugal, because it is there that our history finds direct associations with royalty. But in truth, the delicacy is a successful hybrid of the Italian panetone and the Jewish challah. The braided bread is symbolic of unified strength when weaved into a straight braid, and of infinity, when its ends are connected and baked in the form of a circle.
One of my sisters is a self proclaimed “queen of the rosca da rainha;” she seems to think that the sweet bread started to infiltrate the masses through a grassroots movement of churchgoers during the 60’s. After Sunday masses, the parishioners promoted small bazaars at the church yard, where the local auctioneer sold baked goods donated by the women from the neighborhood.
In those years of striving to breakdown social barriers, the townspeople, disguised in philanthropic good intentions, bet high prices on the Rosca da Rainha offered by the mayor’s wife.
After awhile, even the widowed letter-writer of the village had had the chance to deconstruct the celebrated Queen’s Biscuit recipe, and to decrypt its password… A few closeted Rosca da Rainha were auctioned in the following bazaars. And shortly after that, all the auction’s offerings regained a leveled playing field to raise funds for the church.
I have manipulated several recipes to come up with my perfect Rosca da Rainha; but to date I have to concede that my sister’s creations are worthy of the title “best ever”. And because the royal guards protect my sister’s recipe as if it was her kingdom, I offer here, the first runner-up. Follow every step carefully and you will be pleased with your Queen’s Biscuit.
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons dry yeast
- 2 cups whole milk, warm
- 6 eggs
- 2 sticks butter, softened
- 2 1/2 cups sugar
- 2 tablespoons canola oil
- 1/2 tablespoon salt
- 1 cup grated cheese
- 12 cups flour
- 1 egg (for egg-wash)
- 1/2 cup turbo sugar
Directions
- Dissolve the yeast into the warm milk and set it aside
- In a large bowl, mix the eggs, butter, sugar, oil, salt, and cheese.
- Add the reserved yeast and milk to the egg mixture and blend well
- Add the flour and mix it by hand (until it is no longer sticking to your hands) to make a soft smooth dough.
- Move the dough to a smooth surface and kneed for about 15 min.
- Divide the dough into 5 parts and each part into 3 smaller portions. Roll each small part into a 1 inch strand and braid them to form your bread. It will make 5 braided loaves.
- Place the loaves on a greessed baking sheet. Cover them with a clean dishtowel until it rises (30 to 45 mim
- Carefully brush the egg mixture onto each loaf and sprinkle it with turbo sugar
- Bake it in a 350 degree preheated oven until golden (20 to 30 min)
Brazil in the Kitchen 