Spanish

Ensaimada Mallorquina

Lard-enriched dough stretched paper-thin on an oiled counter, rolled into a rope, coiled into a spiral, proofed overnight, and baked until golden and shatteringly light. The Mallorcan breakfast pastry that is older than most of Spanish baking. Dusted with powdered sugar at service; the butter is not involved.

+ Pin to:

Breakfast · Pastry · Morning Bread
·
None (lard-enriched dough)
·
Makes 1 large (30 cm) OR 6 individual (12 cm) ensaimadas
·
24 h (overnight proof non-negotiable)

The Spiral That Predates Butter

Ensaimada is one of those Spanish regional preparations that stays regional because it doesn't quite fit anywhere else. It is breakfast, but also dessert. It is pastry, but also bread. It is enriched, but with lard (saïm in Mallorcan — hence ensaimada), not butter. It is coiled like a cinnamon roll but not sweet. It is served with hot chocolate in the morning and with cava in the afternoon. It refuses to be reclassified into the French viennoiserie canon or the Spanish bread-and-tapas canon, and Mallorca is fine with that.

The dough is enriched in the Eastern-Mediterranean style (flour, sugar, egg, lard, water) rather than the Western-European style (flour, butter, egg, milk, cream). Lard gives ensaimada its distinctive flakiness — a thousand-layer shatter that butter-based doughs produce only through laminated techniques (puff pastry, croissant). Lard laminates naturally because its fat crystals are smaller and more stable at room temperature than butter's. The dough is rolled paper-thin, spread with lard, rolled back into a rope, and coiled into a spiral — and the lamination happens during the long rise rather than during rolling.

Baking produces a pastry that is golden, crisp at the edges, pillowy in the center, and shatteringly light. Dusted with powdered sugar and served with thick Spanish hot chocolate (essentially melted chocolate ganache), it is the breakfast Pablo's Mallorcan guests will recognize immediately. This adaptation preserves every element of the Mallorcan tradition — no butter substitution, no shortcuts — and commits the 🔴 tier to authentic Mallorcan Ibérico lard (saïm) and the 24-hour overnight cold rise that a proper ensaimada requires.

Ingredients

for Makes 1 large (30 cm) OR 6 individual (12 cm) ensaimadas

0 of 24 pulled

Everyday

The Dough

400 g bread flour (high-protein, 12–13% — all-purpose is a slightly weaker substitute)
8 g instant dry yeast
60 g sugar
8 g fine sea salt
2 large eggs
120 ml whole milk, room temperature
40 g good-quality lard, at room temperature — for the dough itself

The Lamination

80 g additional lard, softened to spreadable consistency — for the stretch-and-spread step

To Finish

Powdered sugar for dusting (generous — ensaimada is traditionally covered in a snowstorm of powdered sugar)
Warm water or milk for egg wash (1 egg + 1 tsp water, whisked — optional, helps golden color)

Substitution Notes

No lard? This is the one substitution this recipe does NOT accept. Butter produces a croissant, not an ensaimada. If lard truly isn't available, make a different pastry. Source: specialty butcher, Spanish/Mexican grocery, D'Artagnan online (pastured duck fat as a non-traditional alternative — not authentic but at least not butter).
Bread flour unavailable? AP flour works — slightly weaker gluten, slightly less shatter. Acceptable.
Instant yeast unavailable? Use 10 g active dry yeast, bloomed in the warm milk 10 min before mixing.

No Limits

The Dough — Spanish Specialty

400 g Spanish harina de fuerza or Italian 00 flour — finer grind, better stretch capacity
8 g instant dry yeast
60 g superfine sugar
8 g Maldon salt
2 large eggs from pastured hens
120 ml whole milk
40 g Spanish-style lard for the dough

The Lamination — Authentic Saïm

80 g Mallorcan-style saïm (Black Mallorcan pig lard) — hard to source in the US; alternatives: (a) Ibérico-pig lard via La Tienda when available, (b) rendered lard from Ibérico fat trim from sobrasada purchase, (c) pastured-pork lard from a trusted specialty butcher
Source notes: Paellas & Ensaimadas (direct Mallorcan importer), La Tienda (latienda.com), Despaña Brand Foods, or render your own from Ibérico fat trim (1 hour low-heat simmer, strain)

Savory Variant (🔴) — The Sobrasada Filling

100 g sobrasada de Mallorca DO (same Mallorcan sausage used in UMAMI-9 #4 Sobrasada Honey Butter) — spread thinly across the lamination surface in place of (or alongside) lard
Optional: 2 tbsp honey drizzled on top after baking — the sobrasada + honey pairing that is a Pablo favorite per MEMORY.md

Mise en Place

0 of 5 prepped

Lard at room temperature at least 2 hours before use — spreadable, not melted. If needed, microwave 5–10 sec at a time to soften; do NOT melt.
Milk at room temperature.
Eggs at room temperature (remove from fridge 1 hour before).
Work surface cleaned and dried.
Oil for the work surface (for the stretch phase): 2 tbsp neutral oil or additional lard, warmed to spreadable.

Method

0 of 34 done

Day 1 — Mix the Dough

In the bowl of a stand mixer (or a large mixing bowl for hand-kneading): combine 400 g bread flour + 8 g instant yeast + 60 g sugar + 8 g salt. Whisk to distribute.

Add 2 room-temperature eggs, 120 ml room-temperature milk, and 40 g room-temperature lard.

Stand mixer method: dough hook on low speed for 2 minutes to combine, then medium speed for 6 minutes. The dough should pull away from the bowl walls, feel smooth, and pass the windowpane test (a small piece stretched thin should translucent without tearing).

Hand-knead method: mix ingredients together with a wooden spoon until combined. Turn onto a clean surface and knead 12 minutes — long for ensaimada because the high-fat content makes gluten development slower. The dough should become smooth, elastic, and slightly tacky but not sticky.

The lard-enriched dough is slightly softer than a plain bread dough. It should pass the windowpane test cleanly.

Day 1 — First Rise

Shape the dough into a ball and place in a lightly oiled bowl. Cover with a damp towel or plastic wrap.

Let rise at warm room temperature (22 to 26 Celsius) for 1 hour . The dough should nearly double in size.

In cooler kitchens (below 20 Celsius) the rise may take 90 minutes; in warmer kitchens (above 28 Celsius) it may take 45 minutes. The visual cue (near-doubling) is more reliable than the time.

Day 1 — Stretch Paper-Thin + Spread Lard

This is the most difficult step and the most characteristic of ensaimada.

Spread 2 tablespoons of neutral oil (or softened lard) across a large smooth work surface, creating a thin film about 60 × 80 cm. The oiled surface prevents the stretched dough from sticking and tearing.

Punch down the risen dough. Turn it out onto the oiled surface.

Using oiled hands (and optionally a lightly-oiled rolling pin), gradually stretch the dough into a large thin rectangle — target 80 × 50 cm, paper-thin. The final thickness should be about 1 to 2 mm — so thin that printed text through the dough is nearly readable.

Stretching technique: work from the center outward, lifting and stretching gently. Use your palms and the backs of your knuckles. If the dough tears: patch by pressing another section over the tear (the overnight rise will seal it).

Take your time. A properly stretched ensaimada dough is thinner than many cooks expect — it should almost look transparent.

Once stretched: spread 80 g softened lard across the entire dough surface using a spatula or the back of a spoon. Do not over-press; gentle spreading preserves the thinness.

(🔴 savory variant): spread 100 g sobrasada in place of or alongside the lard. The heat of baking will melt the sobrasada into the layers.

Day 1 — Roll into Rope + Coil

Starting from one of the long edges, roll the dough tightly into a rope — target diameter about 2 to 3 cm. Roll gently but firmly; the goal is a uniform rope, not to squeeze out the lard.

At the end of the roll, pinch the seam to seal.

Place the rope on a parchment-lined baking sheet.

Coil into a spiral: starting from the center, coil the rope outward in a flat spiral. Leave a small gap (5 to 10 mm) between each coil — the dough will expand during proof and baking; too-tight coils will merge and lose definition.

Size options:: — Large single ensaimada: coil the entire rope into one 30 cm spiral.

— Individual ensaimadas: cut the rope into 6 equal portions; coil each into a 12 cm spiral. Transfer to the baking sheet.

Day 1 → Day 2 — The 24-Hour Cold Proof

Cover the coiled dough loosely with plastic wrap. The wrap should not press down on the coil; tent lightly.

Refrigerate for 24 hours. This is the flavor-developing phase.

Over the 24 hours, the dough will expand slowly and the flavor will deepen as wheat enzymes break down starches and proteins into amino acids and simple sugars.

The next morning, the ensaimada will look slightly larger and the surface will have a matte appearance.

Day 2 — Temper, Bake, Dust

Remove from the fridge 60 minutes before baking. Let temper at room temperature. During this time the dough should puff slightly.

Preheat the oven to 200 °C conventional (not convection — convection can brown the top before the interior cooks through on enriched doughs). 15 minutes of preheat.

Optional egg wash: whisk 1 egg with 1 tsp water. Brush gently across the ensaimada surface for enhanced golden color.

Bake 18 to 22 minutes . The ensaimada is done when: (a) the surface is deep golden brown, (b) the edges are clearly crisp, (c) the center feels firm when pressed gently, (d) the internal temperature reads 95 to 98 Celsius (enriched doughs fully bake at lower internal temps than plain breads).

Overbaking indicators: surface going from golden to chestnut-brown — pull immediately. Under-baking: pale and soft-centered — 2 to 3 more minutes.

Remove from oven. Cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes .

Dust generously with powdered sugar through a fine-mesh sieve. Traditional Mallorcan ensaimada is covered in a thick layer — guests brush some off at service. Do not be shy.

Serve warm or at room temperature. Pair with hot chocolate (Spanish-style, thick) for breakfast, OR with chilled cava for afternoon service.

Timeline

Day 1 morning — Mix dough Combine flour + yeast + sugar + salt. Add eggs, milk, and dough-lard. Knead in stand mixer 8 min or hand-knead 12 min until smooth, elastic, slightly sticky.
Day 1 morning — First rise Cover dough, warm spot, 1 hour. Should nearly double.
Day 1 afternoon — Stretch + laminate Punch down. Oil work surface generously. Stretch dough paper-thin to ~80 × 50 cm rectangle. Spread with 80 g softened lard. Fold or cut into strips — see method.
Day 1 afternoon — Rope + coil Roll from long side into a thin rope (~2 cm diameter). Coil into spiral (starting center, spiraling outward).
Day 1 evening — Cold rise (24 h) Place spiral on parchment-lined sheet. Cover loosely with plastic. Refrigerate 24 hours. This is the flavor-developing phase.
Day 2 morning — Temper Remove from fridge 60 min before baking. Let come to room temperature — spiral should puff slightly.
Day 2 morning — Preheat + bake Oven 200 °C conventional. Egg wash (optional). Bake 18–22 min until deep golden brown.
Day 2 morning — Dust + serve Cool 10 min. Dust generously with powdered sugar through a fine sieve. Serve warm with hot chocolate or café con leche.