Atwater bakery takes on traditional pastry for Three Kings Day

On the 12th day of Christmas, an Atwater bakery named Panaderia Guadalajara sees its busiest day of the year. At times, people have lined up outside the small, colorful shop to purchase the traditional Rosca de Reyes, or Ring of Kings, a circular pastry shaped like a royal crown.

Three Kings Day, celebrated Jan. 6, marks the culmination of the holidays for many Christians, particularly for immigrants from Latin America, where children commonly hope the wise men will bring them gifts.

Also known as Día de Los Reyes Magos and Epiphany, the holiday centers on the three wise men: Melchior, Caspar and Balthazar, who are said to have visited the baby Jesus. In their honor, many gather with family for a slice of rosca and a cup of hot chocolate.

The owner of Panaderia Guadalajara, Jaime Mayoral, 62, said the Atwater bakery sold about 1,000 roscas last year. His second bakery of the same name in Merced sold another 1,000.

The bread, made up mostly of a flour and yeast mix, is decorated with colorful strips of candied fruit. He explained that besides being a tasty treat, the rosca also comes with a special surprise. Inside each crownlike pastry hide figurines, usually three or four, depending on the rosca’s size. The figurines represent a newborn Jesus. Whoever finds the figurines in his or her slice is responsible for a tamale party on Feb. 2, Día de la Candelaria, or Candlemas.

“Before, in Mexico, many people knew Feb. 2 meant you ate tamales and you paid all your debt,” Mayoral said. “If you borrowed money, you had until Día de la Candelaria to pay it off.”

Mayoral said baking is a trade passed on from his father. In Mexico, he said, if you’re born into a family of bakers, you learn to make bread as soon as you’re tall enough to reach the table.

Today, the tradition of Three Kings’ Day continues, and older generations hope to teach their children and grandchildren the significance of the holiday.

Maria Avila, 38, traveled from Turlock to Atwater on Tuesday to buy her Ring of Kings bread at Panaderia Guadalajara. While there are bakeries and grocery stores that sell the colorful pastry closer to home, she said she has purchased her rosca in Atwater for many years. She likes how fresh the bread at this particular bakery is, she said.

Avila said every year, she and about 20 of her family members get together to cut the rosca. “There’s a lot of excitement around who is going to get the baby Jesus,” she said. “We enjoy it and the kids have a lot of fun.”

Veronica Saldivar, 40, a longtime employee at the bakery, said it is surprising to see how many people observe the cultural holiday throughout the area.

“Considering how small Atwater is, but people come from all over,” Saldivar said. “We start the festivities on Thanksgiving and continue until Día de Los Reyes,” she added. “After the 6th, that’s when we start our diet.”

Employees at Panaderia Guadalajara will pull a long night, baking and decorating the roscas.

The bakery will open an hour early to accommodate customers who want to grab a rosca before heading to work, Mayoral said. His two bakeries close at 8:30 p.m., but he usually runs out of roscas a few hours before.

On this date, everyone forgets about any other type of sweet bread, Mayoral said. “Christmastime is busy, but this is definitely our longest day.”

This story was originally published January 5, 2016 at 6:08 PM with the headline "Atwater bakery takes on traditional pastry for Three Kings Day."