Mallorca Sweet Bread – Fluffy, buttery sweet rolls covered in powder sugar. Perfect with a morning coffee!
I first tried Mallorca sweet bread while working at a coffee shop in college. As soon as we started serving the bread, it became one of my favorite things. Soft and bready but also sweet and fluffy – I loved this pastry so much.
I found a recipe for the bread in my favorite bread cookbook, Bread Illustrated. I had to try the recipe for myself. It’s similar to making brioche but less eggs and more sugar. But the butter content is almost identical so that mixer is going to flex its muscles to make this dough!
Once the dough is made and risen, it’s layered with even more butter and rolled into their beautiful spiral shape. They get baked until golden brown and dusted with powdered sugar before serving.
Here are the Mallorca Sweet Breads!
Tips & Tricks
- The dough will be sticky. This dough is stickier than cinnamon roll or bread dough. It has more sugar and far than those doughs so it will stick to the surface slightly. I use a bench scrapper to help pull it from the surface without ripping it.
- This buns are BIG. These Mallorca buns are traditionally big but you can certainly make them smaller by forming them into 24 smaller buns instead of 12 large buns.
- Roll the dough evenly. To ensure the buns are similar in size, make sure you roll the dough into an even log in both rolling steps.
Mallorca Sweet Buns
Servings: 12 large buns
Ingredients
For the dough:
- 5 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 packages instant yeast 4 teaspoons
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 10 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 3 large eggs
- 1 cup milk
- 10 tablespoons butter unsalted, softened
For the buns:
- 6 tablespoons butter divided, softened
- 2 tablespoons powdered sugar
Instructions
Make the dough:
- Add flour, salt, and yeast to the bowl of stand mixer and mix with a dough hook on low until combined. In a separate 4-cup measuring cup, add eggs and sugar and whisk together to combine. Add milk and whisk together.
- With the mixer on low, add milk mixture to the dry ingredients. Mix on low until dough forms. Increase speed to medium and knead dough until it's smooth and no longer sticks to the sides, about 10 minutes. If the dough is sticking for a while, add more flour until it only sticks to the bottom.
- Reduce speed to medium low. Add butter to the dough, 1 tablespoon at a time until all the butter is absorbed. Do not add the next tablespoon until you don't see the previous tablespoon anymore. Once all the butter has been added, increase the speed and knead for 6 more minutes. Once you finish kneading, shape into a ball. Lightly grease another large bowl and place the ball of dough into bowl. Cover with a kitchen towel and let it rise for 2 hours.
- Prepare two baking sheets by lining with parchment paper. Once dough has risen, punch it down with your fist and remove from the bowl. Lightly dust your counter with flour and place the dough on top. Form into a disk. Cut dough into 2 even halves. Working with one half at a time, roll into a 18×12 inch rectangle, with the long side facing you. Spread 2 tablespoons of the softened butter over the rectangle. Roll the dough into a tight log that is 18 inches long, making sure the dough is even thickness. Cut the log into 6 even pieces (each piece being 3 inches long).
- Grabbing one piece of dough at a time, roll into a 10 inch log. Curl the dough into a spiral and tuck under the end piece and push your finger into the top center of the bun to seal it. Repeat with 5 other pieces of dough and place on one baking sheet. Melt the final 2 tablespoons of butter and brush the buns with butter. Repeat with second half of dough. Place second batch of buns on the other baking sheet and butter them. Cover the baking sheets with the buns with plastic wrap and set aside to prove for another 1.5-2 hours.
Make the buns:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Make sure both oven racks are placed in the center of the oven. Once the buns have doubled in size and are puffy, place them in the over to bake for 15 minutes or until they begin to turn golden brown on the outside. Remove from oven and let them cool for 10 minutes.
- Dust warm buns with powdered sugar. Serve immediately or within 24 hours.
Notes
Recipe adapted from Bread Illustrated by America’s Test Kitchen
Pin for later:
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You’ve turned my ignorance into enlightenment; your knowledge is a gift I truly appreciate
This is such a thoughtful and informative post! I love the way you explained everything in a simple yet comprehensive manner. It’s given me some great new ideas to work with. Nhà cái uy tín 186
Thank you for sharing your love for Mallorca sweet bread! It’s great to hear how this soft, fluffy, and sweet pastry made such an impression on you during your college days. If you’re looking to discover more delightful treats and food experiences, I recommend checking out the Honista app. It’s a fantastic way to explore new flavors and connect with fellow food enthusiasts. Give it a try— honista app download and continue your delicious journey!
I was most surprised to see this recipe. I live in Mallorca, and am most fortunate to have access to the real ensaimadas. Your recipe looks wonderful and if I ever cannot get the real thing I will know how to make my own. Good luck in your new house and new location.
This Mallorca sweet bread recipe is an absolute gem! I stumbled upon it while searching for a special treat to surprise my family, and it did not disappoint.
Always love to have good bread. I can smell the bread from my place and it is so delicious. I am going to make this recipe this weekend.
I love bread, this bread is different it reminds me how life is very simple yet wonderful!!!
Such a delicious recipe and so easy to make too! We all loved it. I’ll be making it again, for sure!
I always have a soft spot for the breads and this one just caught my heart. I mean, look at it, its just awesome and i bet that it is more delicious that it already looks!