Pan de Mallorca is a sweet bread from Puerto Rico. It’s origins can be traced back to the Ensaïmada, a coiled pastry from the Spanish Island of Majorca. The dough is rolled and coiled to create airy and flaky layers. The rolls are then baked until golden and topped with plenty of powdered sugar.
The Mallorcas can be sliced in half, spread with butter, and toasted. In Puerto Rico, they are often served as sandwiches, filled with ham or Jamón serrano and cheese.
Pan de Mallorca is a very rich and soft bread. There are 8 tablespoons of butter and 6 egg yolks in the dough alone (not to mention all the butter brushed on during formation/before baking). It was all worth it. This created a flaky roll rivaling the croissant, without all the laminating. The bread does take a while to prepare, with three separate rise times, but it is mostly hands off. Use plenty of flour on your work surface and hands while forming the coils to make them easier to handle.
Pan de Mallorca (Puerto Rican Sweet Rolls)
Adapted from The Noshery
Pan de Mallorca (Puerto Rican Sweet Rolls)
Ingredients
- 2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast
- 1 cup warm milk 105-115 degrees F
- 1 cup warm water 105-115 degrees F
- 3/4 cups granulated sugar
- 4-5 cups all-purpose flour divided
- 6 egg yolks
- 16 tablespoons unsalted butter divided and melted
- Powdered Sugar for garnish
Instructions
- In a large bowl, sprinkle yeast over warm milk and water. Let sit for a minute and mix in sugar and 1 cup flour. Cover and let rise 45 minutes.
- After 45 minutes, beat in egg yolks. Slowly add remaining flour until a smooth dough forms. Gently stir in 8 tablespoons of the melted butter. This will be a very wet dough. Cover and let rise until doubled, 1-2 hours.
- On a well-floured surface and with well-floured hands, divide the dough into 12 equal pieces. Roll out one piece as thin as possible, flouring as needed. Brush the top with butter and roll up tightly. Roll the strip starting from one end to the other, in the shape of a snail. Tuck in the ends. Repeat with remaining pieces.
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with parchment or lightly grease. Light colored baking sheets work best to prevent the bottoms from over-browning. Place formed rolls on baking sheets about 3 inches apart, cover with a towel, and let rise until doubled, 30-45 minutes.
- Brush the tops of the rolls with more butter. Bake in preheated oven until the tops are golden, 12-15 minutes, rotating the baking sheets halfway.
- Let cool on wire rack and top with powdered sugar.
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