Ensaimada

Name: Ensaimada
Prep time: 2 h
Cook time: 18 min
Total time: 2 h 18 min
Yield: 4
Cuisine: Spanish
Ingredients: 5 g Dry yeast; 230 ml Water; 200 g Cane sugar; 2 pcs Egg; 600 g Strong bread flour; 1 tsp Sea salt; 2 tbsp Vegetable oil; 100 g Pork lard; 2 tbsp Powdered sugar

A Spanish sweet spiral made from airy yeast dough with a crispy crust and delicate butter inside. This Christmas delicacy from Majorca conquers hearts with its beauty and impeccable taste.

Ingredients

5 g Dry yeast
230 ml Water
200 g Cane sugar
2 pcs Egg
600 g Strong bread flour
1 tsp Sea salt
2 tbsp Vegetable oil
100 g Pork lard
2 tbsp Powdered sugar

Instructions

Pour 230 ml of warm water into a bowl and dissolve the yeast in it. Let it rest for 3 minutes, then add the cane sugar, eggs, flour, and sea salt. Knead the dough, then mix in a stand mixer with a dough hook for 10 minutes (or 15 minutes by hand) until you achieve an elastic dough that becomes almost translucent when stretched. Cover and let rest for 30 minutes.
Divide the dough into four equal portions and place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Let rest for another 30 minutes.
Oil your work surface and rolling pin with vegetable oil. Working with one portion of dough, flatten it with your palm, then roll it out into a thin rectangle approximately 30 × 50 cm. Let rest for 2 minutes.
Spread a quarter of the lard (about 25 g) over the rolled-out dough. Take one corner of the dough and stretch it as far as possible without tearing. Repeat this process every 10 cm across the entire rectangle in all directions until the dough expands to approximately 50 × 70 cm.
Cut strips from two short sides of the rectangle and lay them alongside one of the long sides — this is the "heart" of the ensaimada. Begin rolling the dough into a long log. Repeat with all dough portions.
Take the first log and stretch it to a length of more than one meter. Then coil it into a spiral, leaving a gap of about 1 cm between turns so the dough can rise. Flatten slightly and place on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining logs. Let rise in a warm place for a minimum of 12 hours, ideally 24 hours.
Preheat the oven to 180°C (160°C in convection mode). Place the ensaimadas in the upper third of the oven and immediately reduce the temperature to 180°C (160°C in convection mode). Bake for 18 minutes until dark golden brown. Cool on a wire rack.
If desired, slice the cooled ensaimada, fill with whipped cream, close, and generously dust with powdered sugar. Cut into portions and serve.