Mallorcas

Ingredients:

• 730g (5 cups) all purpose flour

• 15g (4 tsp) instant or rapid rise yeast

• 6g (1 tsp) salt

• 250g (1 cup) whole milk, at room temperature

• 200g (4 large eggs), at room temperature

• 125g (1/2 cup or 10 tbsp) granulated sugar

• 143g (1/2 cup+2 tbsp or 10 tbsp) unsalted butter, softened, + 2 tbsp melted

• confectioner's sugar

1. In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine flour, yeast and salt.

2. Whisk together milk, eggs and granulated sugar, in a spouted bowl or measuring cup, until sugar has dissolved.

3. With dough hook attached, on low speed, slowly add milk mixture to flour mixture and mix until cohesive dough starts to form and no dry ingredients remains; about 2 minutes; scraping down bowl as needed.

4. Increase mixer speed to medium-low and knead dough until it begins to pull away from sides of bowl but still sticks to bottom, about 5 minutes. With mixer running, add softened butter, 1 tablespoon at a time, and knead until butter is fully incorporated; about 5 minutes. Continue to knead until dough is smooth and elastic and clears sides of bowl but still sticks to bottom; about 3 minutes.

5. Transfer dough to a lightly floured surface and knead by hand to form smooth round ball, about 1 minute. Place dough seam side down in a lightly greased bowl, cover with plastic wrap and let rise until double in size; about 2 hours.

6. Line 2 rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper. Gently press down on dough to deflate; transfer to a lightly floured surface, divide in half and cover loosely with greased plastic wrap. Press and roll one piece of dough into 18 by 12-inch rectangle; with long side parallel to counter. (Keep portion of dough covered that is not being worked with.)

7. Brush half of the melted butter over dough, leaving a 1 inch border at top edge. Roll dough away from you into firm cylinder, keeping roll taut by tucking it under itself as you go. Pinch seam closed, then reshape cylinder as needed to be 18 inches in length with uniform thickness. Cover loosely with greased plastic.

8. Repeat step 7 with remaining piece of dough. With a serrated knife, cut each cylinder into 6 pieces (3 inches each) and cover loosely with greased plastic wrap. Working with one piece of dough at a time, stretch and roll into 10-inch rope. Coil into spiral and tuck tail end underneath.

9. Arrange rolls on prepared baking sheets, 2 inches apart. Gently poke indentation into center of each spiral. Cover loosely with greased plastic wrap and let rise until nearly doubled in size and dough springs back minimally when poked gently with your knuckle; 2 to 2 1/2 hours.

10. With oven rack in middle position, heat oven to 350°F (325°F convection oven). Bake one sheet at a time until Mallorcas are light golden brown, about 12 to 15 minutes, rotating sheet halfway through baking. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool for 15 minutes. Dust with confectioner's sugar and serve warm.

Yields: 12 buns

Notes&Tips:

• Mallorcas hail from the island of Majorca in Spain. Mallorcas are sweet, spiral buns that came to Puerto Rica by way of Spain. These buns are fluffy and pleasantly sweet. Centuries later, mallorcas are a staple at bakeries in San Juan, Puerto Rico, thanks to Antonio Rigo, who, in 1900, crossed the Atlantic from Felanitx, Mallorca, with his family recipe in tow. Within two years, he’d opened Mallorquina Bakery, which ultimately became La Bombonera, a café that still makes some of the best mallorcas on the island. The bread swiftly took on a life of its own there, ultimately manifesting as the sweet, griddled ham-and-cheese versions found today in cafes across San Juan.

• These sweet buns are very filling. When you bite into one, your teeth sinks into pillow-y softness and the powdered sugar is like sweet jewel on your lips and tongue! It is liked you've died and gone to heaven!

• Mallorcas can be eat just like that, or they can be spread with jam or jelly. Strawberry jam goes wonderful with mallorcas. They can be toasted and made into a sandwich. Whatever way you choose to consume mallorcas, they are just darn delicious.