Puerto Rican Mallorca Recipe | Sweet & Soft Bread
This soft Puerto Rican Mallorca recipe will be a revolution in your kitchen! I remember missing them so much when I moved away but now that I make them at home… there is nothing like it!
Jump to RecipeWhat is Mallorca?
The name for these sweet buns come from the Spanish island of mallorca. Originally called ensaïmada, the coiled bread comes from the word saim, meaning “lard.” This is because in the 14th century, during the expulsion of the Jewish from Spain, they were made to renounce their faith or leave the country. Therefore, many Jewish bakers decided to use lard in their bread to make the Catholics think they had rejected their belief system.
Mallorca bread, commonly known as pan de Mallorca can be found in almost any Puerto Rican bakery. This sweet bread was originally made with lard, yeast and eggs, and dusted with powdered sugar. Its signature coil look can almost be confused with the shape of cinnamon rolls, but only while it is being made. Afterward, the mallorca will be warm, soft and fluffy, ready to be devoured.
In Puerto Rico, Mallorca bread is typically consumed in the mornings for breakfast. It is accompanied by some café con leche and served either hot or room temperature. The hot Mallorca is placed in a grill and filled with ham and edam or cheddar cheese that melts in the heat. This is my favorite way to eat it! When served room temperature, it is either plain or filled with preserves and cream cheese, for example. Either way, it is always dusted generously with powdered sugar in the end. SO TASTY!
At first, I missed being able to simply walk into a bakery and buying a pack of these sweet rolls to take home… but now? Nothing beats that freshly baked taste I get by making them at home. You will not regret making these delicacies and sharing them with your family.
How do I make mallorca?
To make this taste of Puerto Rico, you need all purpose flour, milk, granulated sugar, yeast, egg yolks, butter, salt, and powdered sugar to dust it after baking. The first step is to proof the yeast in warm water and sugar. Then cream the butter with the egg yolk and granulated sugar. The yeast mixture is then added to the egg mixture, and the flour and salt slowly added to the wet ingredients.
This is followed by kneading the dough once it is finally mixed. It should be slightly tacky by the time it is done. Lastly, transfer the dough to a greased bowl and allow it to rise in a warm environment for an hour.
After the dough rises, punch it down and turn it into a lightly floured surface. There are two methods to shaping the bread into its unique coiled look. The first one is by using a rolling pin to roll the dough into a rectangle. You want the dough to be about ½” thick. Then, with a pizza cutter, slice the dough into 1” strips. Afterward, roll each one as you would a cinnamon roll, and place it on the prepared baking sheet. Cover and allow to rise for 45 minutes.
The second method, which is the one I used for this recipe, is to split the dough into 12 equal balls. Roll each ball into about ½” ropes and coil it into itself, then tuck the tail underneath the bun. Cover and allow it to rise for 45 minutes. I prefer this method because you do not need extra equipment to make it and there is no wasted dough since you are splitting all of it into equal parts. The best thing? They turn out beautifully!
@lau_happy_wookiee This rainy morning called for some mallorca bread! Added some guava paste and cheese. What’s your favorite pairing with mallorca? Do you eat it plain? Full recipe in my bio! #mallorca #sweetbread #puertorico #thehappywookiee https://thehappywookiee.com
Once the dough rises, use the remaining 2 tablespoons of melted butter to baste the rolls (if method #2 was used) and bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 12-15 minutes or until they are slightly golden brown. Remove from the oven and after a minute move them to a wire rack to allow them to cool.
Dust generously with powdered sugar and serve warm with a cup of freshly brewed Cafecito. You can slice them and fill them up with your favorite things, just butter, or eat them as is. Any of those choices is right. 😊
Helpful tip.
I like to warm up the oven (about 170 degrees Fahrenheit or less) while I make the dough. As soon as I am ready to let it rise, I turn off the oven and place my dough in in to rise. The warm environment helps it rise beautifully within the timeframe. This is especially helpful in the winter or drafty environments.
Storing.
You can store leftover mallorcas in airtight bags or containers for about three days. They can be heated up (about half a minute) in the microwave before serving, sliced and buttered, too for ultimate enjoyment. They can also be frozen for about six weeks, just be sure not to dust them with sugar before freezing.
I hope you enjoy this Puerto Rican Mallorca recipe! Freshly baked bread is my favorite scent in the house but very few recipes beat these sweet buns. They really are unique and impossible to resist.
¡Buen provecho from The Happy Wookiee!
Puerto Rican Mallorca Bread Recipe | Sweet & Soft Rolls
Equipment
- Stand mixer or electric mixer optional
- large mixing bowl
- Rubber spatula
- Baking sheets
- Parchment Paper
- Pastry brush
- Wire rack
Ingredients
- 1 cup whole milk warm
- 2/3 cup + 2 tsp granulated sugar
- 1 packet active dry yeast
- 1/2 cup + 2 tbsp unsalted butter melted
- 5 egg yolks room temperatue
- 5 1/4 cup all-purpose flour and extra for kneading
- 1 tsp salt
- confectioners' sugar for topping
Instructions
- Add yeast and 2 teaspoons of sugar to the warm milk (not hot) and gently mix. Cover and let sit for 5 to 10 minutes to proof. It should foam on top.
- While the yeast proofs, cream 2/3 cups of sugar, ½ cup of melted butter and 5 egg yolks with a mixer.
- On a separate bowl, mix the flour and salt. Set aside.
- Once the yeast is ready, add to the egg mixture and mix fora couple of minutes.
- Switch from the whisk attachment to the dough hook and use low speed on the mixer. If you do not have a mixer, you can do it by hand. (See notes.)*
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients one cup at a time. Scrape the sides of the bowl as you go to ensure everything gets mixed and the dough is homogenous throughout.
- Once all the flour is added and dough is formed, continue to knead the dough with the hook for about 5 minutes. You want the dough to be slightly tacky in order to properly shape it later.
- Lightly grease a large bowl. Make the dough into a ball and move it to the bowl. Cover with a kitchen towel and let the dough rise for an hour in a warm place. (See notes.)*
- Prepare a couple of baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Once the dough rises, punch it down and turn the dough out into a lightly floured surface.
- Split it into 12 equal pieces using a sharp knife, a dough cutter, or by pulling the dough with your hands. Roll each ball/piece individually into a ½ - ¾ “ rope and coil it into a bun. Tuck the end of the roll underneath the bun.
- Place each bun on the baking sheet, leaving room between them as they will expand.
- Cover them with a towel and allow the buns to rise for 45-60 minutes in a warm environment.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit, and melt the 2 tablespoons of butter.
- Once the buns rise, carefully baste them with the melted butter.
- Bake the buns for 12-15 minutes or until they begin to look golden brown.
- Remove them from the oven. After a minute, move them from the sheets to the wire rack and allow them to cool.
- Dust with powdered sugar and they are ready! You can also slice them and add your favorite savory or sweet fillings.
- Serve with a freshly brewed Cafecito or some Puerto Rican hot chocolate. 😊
- ¡Buen provecho from The Happy Wookiee!
