Cream-Filled Spanish Ensaimada with Sobrasada Recipe
Ensaimada is a traditional Spanish pastry originating from Mallorca, characterized by its light, airy, and slightly sweet dough spiraled into a distinctive shape. This recipe creates a soft, buttery treat often filled with whipped cream or the savory sobrasada sausage mixture, offering a perfect balance of rich flavors and delicate texture ideal for breakfast or dessert.
- Prep Time: 45 minutes
- Cook Time: 18 minutes
- Total Time: 13 hours 3 minutes (including resting and proofing time)
- Yield: 4 large ensaimadas 1x
- Category: Bakery
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Spanish
Ingredients
Scale
Yeast Mixture
- 5g dried yeast (or 16g fresh yeast)
- 230ml lukewarm water
Dough
- 200g caster sugar
- 2 medium free-range eggs
- 600g strong white bread flour
- 1 tsp sea salt flakes
For Rolling and Filling
- Vegetable oil, for work surface and rolling pin
- 100g lard, softened (or 50g if using sobrasada as a filling)
- 50g sobrasada de Mallorca (cured, spreadable sausage)
For Serving
- 200ml whipped cream
- 3 tbsp icing sugar (optional)
Instructions
- Activate yeast: Pour 230ml lukewarm water into a bowl and add the yeast. Leave to stand for 3 minutes until it froths slightly, indicating activation.
- Make dough: Add caster sugar, eggs, flour, and sea salt flakes to the yeast mixture. Mix to combine and knead for 10 minutes with a stand mixer dough hook or 15 minutes by hand until the dough is elastic and almost see-through when stretched.
- First rest: Cover the dough and let it rest for 30 minutes to relax and develop.
- Divide dough: Cut the dough into four equal pieces and place each on a baking tray lined with parchment paper. Let them rest another 30 minutes.
- Roll out dough: Oil your work surface and rolling pin with vegetable oil. Take one dough portion, flatten with your palm, then roll it into a thin rectangle about 30 x 50 cm.
- Spread lard or sobrasada filling: Let dough rest 2 minutes, then evenly spread a quarter of the lard on top. For sobrasada filling, mix 50g lard with sobrasada and spread instead.
- Stretch dough: Gently pull each corner and edges every 10 cm, stretching the dough to approximately 50 x 70 cm without tearing.
- Create the ‘heart’: Cut strips from each short side and place them beside one another along a longer side. This forms the center or heart of the ensaimada.
- Roll dough: Begin rolling the dough from the heart side into a long, thin pastry snake. Repeat with all pieces.
- Form spirals: Stretch the first roll to over 1 meter, then coil it into a spiral leaving 1cm gaps between turns to allow expansion.
- Proof spirals: Slightly flatten each spiral and place on lined baking sheets. Leave to rise in a warm place for at least 12 hours, preferably 24 hours, until doubled in size.
- Bake: Preheat oven to 200°C (180°C fan, gas mark 6). Place ensaimadas on the top third of the oven, then immediately reduce temperature to 180°C (160°C fan, gas mark 4). Bake for 18 minutes until golden dark.
- Cool and serve: Transfer to a wire rack to cool. Slice open if desired, spread whipped cream inside, then close. Dust with icing sugar before serving for added sweetness.
Notes
- Using fresh yeast may yield a slightly better rise but dried yeast works well as a substitute.
- Be careful stretching the dough to avoid tearing; gentle, even pulling is key.
- The long fermentation time of 12-24 hours is essential for the characteristic lightness and flavor.
- You can omit the sobrasada filling for a classic sweet ensaimada or include it for a savory twist.
- Ensure the oven is properly preheated for best browning results.
- Whipped cream filling should be added after baking to maintain its texture.
Keywords: Ensaimada, Mallorcan pastry, Spanish pastry, sweet pastry, whipped cream filling, sobrasada filling, traditional bakery
