Ensaimadas, Mallorcan brioche – traditional recipe.
Ensaimadas are one of the island’s most beloved symbols: a specialty that smells of tradition, slow breakfasts and pastry shops overlooking the sea.
Soft, light, rolled into their characteristic spiral shape, ensaimadas are a pastry that wins you over at first sight and even more at the first bite.
Their tender, slightly stringy texture recalls a delicate brioche, yet with a distinctly Spanish character, made of simplicity and ancient gestures passed down through generations.
The original recipe was born in Mallorca, where these brioches have been prepared for centuries with a few essential ingredients: flour, sugar, eggs, yeast, butter or oil or lard.
It is precisely the lard – “saïm” in Catalan – that gives the sweet its name and provides that unique texture, soft but not heavy, which distinguishes it from other European brioches. Today there are many variations, from cream- or chocolate-filled versions to more modern ones with jams or hazelnut cream, but the simple version remains the most authentic and loved.
Making ensaimadas at home requires some patience, especially for the rising times, but the procedure is within everyone’s reach.
I used my Panasonic Croustina bread machine to make the dough, but you can of course make the dough by hand or with a stand mixer; the important thing is that the dough is well developed.
The dough is rolled out very thin, almost transparent, then rolled up and shaped into the typical spiral.
During baking it puffs up slightly while keeping that soft, light structure that makes them irresistible.
Once cool, they are dusted with plenty of powdered sugar, which completes their elegant and inviting look.
They are also made in cake form, therefore larger and typically for the Christmas period.
Ensaimadas are perfect for breakfast, a special snack or to serve at a brunch.
They bring a little Mediterranean atmosphere to the table, a simple flavor full of history, enough to make you travel in your mind to the sunny streets of the island.
Approx 340 kcal per ensaimada
- Difficulty: Easy
- Cost: Budget-friendly
- Rest time: 3 Hours 30 Minutes
- Preparation time: 20 Minutes
- Cooking time: 15 Minutes
- Portions: 10 pieces
- Cooking methods: Electric oven, Oven
- Cuisine: Spanish
- Seasonality: All seasons
Ingredients to make Ensaimadas (Mallorcan brioche)
- 0.28 oz fresh yeast
- 3.38 fl oz water (about 1/2 cup)
- 1 tsp sugar
- 0.83 cup type 0 flour
- 4.17 cup type 0 flour
- 1.69 fl oz water (about 1/4 cup)
- 0.6 cup granulated sugar (about 4.23 oz)
- 1 egg (medium)
- preferment
- 2 tbsp sunflower oil
- 3 eggs (medium)
- 3.5 tbsp butter or lard (about 50 g)
- 1.06 oz butter (or 1 egg yolk)
- 2 tsp powdered sugar
Tools
- 1 Baking tray non-stick
Preparation of Ensaimadas (Mallorcan brioche)
Put the ingredients for the preferment in a small bowl, mix well, cover the bowl and let it rest for about 1 hour until it becomes puffy.
In the bread machine, insert the kneading blade, add the flour, the sugar, the ready preferment, the egg and start the machine with the kneading program (I use button 17).
Let it work for about 15 minutes; the full program lasts about 45 minutes (on my machine).
Transfer the dough to a lightly floured bowl, shape it into a ball, cover the bowl with cling film and let it rise for about 3 hours or until doubled.
If you prefer, you can make the dough by hand or with a stand mixer.
Once risen, transfer the dough to a floured work surface….
….shape it into a ball and divide it into 10 equal parts.
Form 10 balls of about 100 g each and let them rest for about 30 minutes so they relax and will be easy to roll out in the next phase.
While the balls rest, put the butter in a glass and let it soften to room temperature until it becomes spreadable like a pomade.
After the resting time, take each ball and roll it out into a long, thin strip, brush it with butter and roll it on itself along the long side.
Once you have the rolled cord, stretch it slightly and close it into a spiral without tightening it too much, because they will need to rise and it’s better they have room.
Place the spirals on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, spaced well apart, and let them rise until doubled.
Once risen, brush them with butter or with an egg yolk diluted with a drop of water.
Preheat the oven to 356°F (180°C) and bake for 15-20 minutes, checking the cooking; they should be slightly colored on top.
