Ensaimada

Method13 steps

1. 1

   Step 1: Pour the lukewarm water (230 ml) into a bowl and add all 5 g dried yeast. Leave for three minutes. Then add all the caster sugar (200g), both medium eggs (2 medium), all the strong white bread flour (600g) and the teaspoon sea-salt flakes (1 tsp).

   Stand yeast in lukewarm water before adding dough ingredients · 3 minUses 230 ml lukewarm water · 5 g dried yeast · 200g Caster Sugar · 2 medium Egg · 600g Strong white bread flour · 1 tsp sea-salt flakes

2. 2

   Step 2: Mix the combined ingredients into a dough. Knead for ten minutes with a dough hook in a stand mixer, or fifteen minutes by hand, until elastic and almost see-through when stretched. Cover and rest for thirty minutes, then cut the rested dough into four equal pieces.

   Rest kneaded dough for 30 min before dividing · 30 minUses All combined dough ingredients

3. 3

   Step 3: Line a baking tray with baking parchment and transfer all four dough portions to it. Rest the portions for another thirty minutes.

   Rest the four divided dough portions · 30 minUses All four dough portions

4. 4

   Step 4: Lightly oil the work surface and rolling pin. Take the first dough quarter, leaving the other three covered. Flatten it with your palm and roll into a thin rectangle about 30 × 50 cm.

   Uses The first of four dough portions; leave the other three covered · A little of the available oil for the first work surface and rolling pin

5. 5

   Step 5: Rest this first rectangle for two minutes while spreading its 25 g portion of lard evenly over the top. Pull gently at one corner without tearing; continue stretching about every 10 cm around all the edges and in every direction until the rectangle is about 50 × 70 cm and very thin.

   Rest the first rectangle while spreading its lard · 2 minUses The first 30 × 50 cm dough rectangle · First 25 g lard portion

6. 6

   Step 6: Cut a strip from each short side and lay the two strips beside each other along one long side to form the heart of the pastry. Starting at that long side, roll the whole sheet into one long pastry snake.

   Uses The complete first stretched dough sheet

7. 7

   Step 7: Repeat the rolling, two-minute rest while spreading 25 g lard, gentle stretching, edge-strip placement and rolling sequence for each of the three remaining dough quarters. Use a little more work-surface oil only as needed. You now have three additional pastry snakes.

   Two-minute rest for each remaining rectangle · 2 minUses The three remaining dough quarters · Remaining three 25 g lard portions · Additional oil for the work surface and rolling pin, only as needed

8. 8

   Step 8: Gently stretch the first pastry snake until it is over one metre long. Coil it into a spiral, leaving about 1 cm between every turn so it can expand.

   Uses The first pastry snake

9. 9

   Step 9: Flatten the first spiral slightly and transfer it to a parchment-lined baking sheet. Stretch and coil each of the other three pastry snakes in the same way, leaving 1 cm gaps between the turns. Flatten them slightly and arrange all four spirals on lined sheets with room to expand.

   Uses The first spiral · All three remaining pastry snakes

10. 10

    Step 10: Leave all four shaped spirals to rise in a warm place for at least twelve hours, ideally twenty-four hours, until expanded.

    Warm rise: at least 12 hr, ideally 24 hr · 1440 minUses All four shaped spirals

11. 11

    Step 11: Heat the oven to 200°C / 180°C fan / gas 6. Put the proofed ensaimadas in the top third of the oven, baking in batches if needed. Immediately reduce the oven to 180°C / 160°C fan / gas 4.

    Uses All proofed spirals, in trays as they fit

12. 12

    Step 12: Bake each tray for eighteen minutes until the pastries are dark golden. Lift the baked pastries onto a wire rack and allow them to cool.

    Bake each tray of ensaimadas · 18 minUses The current tray of spirals; repeat for any remaining tray

13. 13

    Step 13: Serve the four cooled plain ensaimadas, dusting with the separate icing sugar if wanted. Cut each spiral into pieces as needed.

    Uses All four cooled plain pastries · Optional icing sugar for dusting