Ingredients
- Yeast (5g)
- Caster Sugar (200g)
- Egg (2 medium)
- Strong white bread flour (600g)
- Vegetable Oil (Drizzle)
- Lard (100g)
Instructions
Steps
- In a bowl, combine 5g of yeast with 230ml of lukewarm water. Allow it to sit for 3 minutes. Next, stir in 200g of caster sugar, 2 medium eggs, 600g of strong white bread flour, and 1 tsp of sea salt flakes. Mix until a dough forms, then knead for about 10 minutes using a stand mixer with a dough hook, or 15 minutes by hand until the dough becomes elastic and nearly transparent when stretched. Cover and let it rest for 30 minutes, then divide the dough into four equal sections and place them on a baking tray lined with parchment paper. Allow them to rest for another 30 minutes.
- Lightly coat your work surface and a rolling pin with vegetable oil. Take one portion of dough and press it flat, then roll it out into a thin rectangle measuring roughly 30 x 50 cm. Let it rest for 2 minutes, then spread 25g of lard over the surface. If desired, mix 50g of lard with sobrasada de Mallorca and spread this mixture instead. Gently stretch each corner of the dough to expand it, alternating directions every 10cm until the rectangle measures approximately 50 x 70 cm.
- Trim strips from each of the shorter sides of the rectangle and place them next to each other along one of the longer edges - this is the heart of the ensaimada. Starting from this edge, roll the dough into a long, snake-like shape. Repeat this process for all portions of dough.
- For the first roll, stretch it to over a metre in length, then spiral it up, leaving about 1cm between each turn to allow for expansion. Flatten slightly and place it on a baking sheet lined with parchment. Do the same with the remaining dough and allow them to rise in a warm environment for at least 12 hours, preferably 24 hours.
- Preheat the oven to 200°C (or 180°C using a fan). Place the ensaimadas in the upper third of the oven, then reduce the temperature to 180°C (or 160°C with a fan). Bake for 18 minutes until they are a deep golden color. Allow them to cool on a wire rack. If desired, slice and fill with whipped cream, dust with icing sugar, and cut into pieces to serve.