Preparation
-
To start, we're going to make our mother dough, which will give lightness to the cake. In a bowl, place the flour and set aside.
-
In a glass of warm milk, add the baker's yeast and stir well until dissolved.
-
Now make a well in the center of the flour, add the milk and yeast and incorporate. Add the sugar and mix well.
-
Cover and leave to rise in a warm place for 20 minutes.
In the meantime, let's prepare the main dough. In a large bowl, add the flour and make a well in the middle. Add the sugar and mix everything.
Add the eggs and mix well until combined.
Then add the melted butter and stir until smooth.
Now add the orange zest, ground cinnamon and Port wine. Mix all the ingredients. Add a pinch of salt and mix everything again.
Now let's add the mother dough to the mixture and beat until we obtain an elastic and shiny dough. I will use my hands and beat the dough on the table, but you can use the mixer with the hook. Once well beaten, place it back in the bowl, cover with a cloth and let it rise for 2 hours.
While the dough is rising, I'm going to make the filling. Chop the dried fruits to your liking. I used almonds, walnuts, pine nuts, cashews, hazelnuts, sultanas and dried figs. Use your favorite combination!
The dough is already leavened! Place it on the table sprinkled with flour.
Divide the dough into 4 more or less equal parts. Open each portion a little to let the air out and roll out with the help of a rolling pin. Do the same for all the masses.
Now let's assemble the layers:
• First layer: spread a thin layer of fig jam over the rolled out dough
• Add the nuts and chocolate chips
• Second layer: place another dough on top and sprinkle chocolate chips
• Third layer: cover with more dough, spread fig jam, dried fruits and chocolate chips
• Fourth layer: place the last dough on top and add the chocolate chips in the corners
Now, for the disheveled shape: fold the sides towards the center and you can make some cuts along the dough for a more rustic effect. Cover and let it rise for another 20 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 180ºC with both elements on.
Place the Bolo Rei Escangalhado on the tray lined with parchment paper, brush with beaten egg and decorate as desired. I'm going to use candied fruits and some more dried fruits.
Bake at 180ºC for around 45 minutes. Be careful, as the time varies from oven to oven!
After coming out of the oven, sprinkle with powdered sugar and it's ready to serve! It's the ideal cake for your Christmas party.
