Labor of loaves

COSTA MESA — Adriana Guaradado lost count of how many loaves of Rosca de Reyes bread her bakery made Saturday. Suffice to say that her kitchen contained many cases of dough, many bowls of fruit and many tiny statues of the baby Jesus.

La Espiga de Oro, a Westside bakery at 805 W. 19th St., bakes dozens of loaves — at least — of Rosca de Reyes bread every Jan. 5 in preparation for the Twelfth Night holiday the following day.

During the Catholic holiday, which celebrates the arrival of the Magi, families in Mexico and other countries serve circular loaves of bread with cinnamon, figs, cherries and other toppings.

In addition, chefs hide a number of tiny Christ figurines inside the dough — and according to tradition, anyone who finds a figurine in his or her slice has to co-host a party Feb. 2 in honor of Candlemas. Guaradado’s niece, Briana Barragan, said she had gotten a tiny Jesus in the past but kept hush about it to avoid a massive workload.

“I usually just stick it back in,” she said Saturday as she decorated loaves with her cousins in the kitchen.

Guaradado, the manager of La Espiga de Oro, said the Jan. 6 holiday and the day preceding it were one of her store’s busiest times of the year. The bakery sells large Rosca de Reyes loaves for $30 and smaller ones for $20. To keep supply steady, Guaradado said, she and her family shipped over ingredients from their other bakery in Fullerton.

“We have big families, and so there are six toys in here,” she said upon finishing a loaf.

Call the bakery at (949) 646-5154 for more information.

MICHAEL MILLER may be reached at (714) 966-4617 or at michael.miller@latimes.com.