Yeasty Affair 2 - Ensaimadas de Mallorca

Previously we were in France, now let's fly to Majorca Island in Spain to try their yummy breakfast treats. Spiral bread!!

Anyways, Ayah gave me a 1 foot tile for me to work with my dough. I initially wanted to just use the existing table top but it was hard to clean it up before working the dough and after work (It will need at least 3 times of wiping for the before work : one with soap, the next few times with kitchen towel + water, and the next one with a dry kitchen towel and another 3 times for cleanup! OMG). Mak asked me to cover the table top with huge clear plastic while I knead the dough but I find it cumbersome as the plastic tends to stick on the dough. I am quite happy with this tile.This was actually remnants of the tile we used for a different part of the kitchen when it was in renovation earlier this year.

Anyways, back to Ensaimadas. The word "saim" actually originated from light pork lard. Better be careful when u see this bread while in Majorca or anywhere else. They might contain lard....

As for this recipe, the book only says use butter. The lard was actually used for the glazing. The bread itself uses only sunflower oil. Okay let's get to the recipe..

Ingredients

225 g white bread  flour (I just used Tepung Gandum Cap Sauh, my faveret!)

1/2 tsp salt

50 g caster sugar

15 g fresh yeast (I used 1 packet mauripan dry yeast, 11 g)

75 ml lukewarm milk

1 egg

30ml/2 tbsp sunflower oil

50 g butter, melted

Icing sugar for dusting

1. This time around, I made the dough for the first rising the night before so that I wont be in a rush to prepare every thing in one morning. Sift the flour, salt and caster sugar together and then make a well in the centre. 

2. Cream the yeast with the milk. Pour into the centre of the flour mixture and then sprinkle a little of the flour over the top of the liquid. Leave in a warm place for about 15 minutes or until frothy. 

3. Beat the egg and sunflower oil together, add to the flour mixture and mix to a smooth dough. 

4. Turn out on to a lightly floured surface and knead for 8-10 minutes until smooth and elastic. This time around I still use the electric mixer for the kneading, the same method like the previous entry. Place in a lightly oiled bowl, cover with cling film and leave in a warm place for an hour or until doubled in bulk. (Since I prepared the dough the night before, I left it in a refrigerator for about 8 hours so that it will rise slowly overnight and doubled the size by the next morning.)

5. Turn out the dough on floured surface and knock it back. (My dough for the first rising was cold, so I had wait till it became to room temperature before knocking it back). Then, divide the dough into 16 equal pieces, and shape them into thin ropes around 38cm/15in long.

I asked my 7 years old nephew to capture the picture, hence the lower eye view hehe. And look at the brown tile I use for my bread making! Lovin it.

6. Pour the melted butter onto a plate and dip the ropes into the butter to coat.

 7. On the baking sheets, curl each rope into a loose spiral, spacing them well apart. Tuck the ends under to seal. Cover with lightly oiled cling film and leave to rise in a warm place for around 45 minutes until doubled in size. 

8. Preheat the oven to 190 degrees C / 170 degrees C fan assisted. Brush the rolls with water and dust with icing sugar. Bake for 10 minutes or until light golden brown. Cool on a wire rack. Dust again with icing sugar and serve warm.