Adapted from the Puerto Rican ‘Mallorcas, the slightly sweet breakfast buns I found in the festive pages of SAVEUR magazine. See also how I use this brioche-like dough to make a Strawberry Cake and a Chocolate & Almond Loaf.
“Fluffy, eggy, buttery, sweet, coiled like a snail’s shell, and generously dusted with powdered sugar, the pan de Mallorca is named for its land of origin, in Spain. They are delicious on their own, or split and turned into sweet-and-savory ham, egg, and cheese sandwiches,” the magazine’s introduction explained.
The dough is very similar to challah and the traditional Greek tsoureki, –the sweet brioche-like festive breads we bake for Christmas and Easter. In my version I substituted light olive oil for the butter, and used whole eggs, instead of just egg yolks, then I decided to brush the dough rectangle with my Seville orange marmalade before rolling and cutting the buns. I also placed them one roll next to the other, like cinnamon rolls, and I wish I had managed to make all the buns roughly the same size…
(Photo from Saveur magazine)
Makes 6 large buns
1 package instant active dry yeast
½ cup whole milk, slightly warm
1/3 cup light olive oil (or unsalted butter, melted)
3 medium eggs
3½ cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
Fine zest of 1 large orange
¼ cup granulated sugar
1 tsp. kosher salt
1 cup citrus marmalade
3 tablespoons ground almonds
OR
2 tablespoons butter, melted
Confectioners’ sugar, for dusting
In the bowl of a standing mixer add the yeast and the milk, and whisk for 3-4 minutes, adding the olive oil and the eggs, until you get a smooth mixture.
In a separate bowl add the flour, orange zest, salt, and sugar, and toss to mix.
Change the whisk, fitting the mixer with the dough hook and with the motor running at low speed gradually add the flour to the wet ingredients, and work the mixture for about 5-6 minutes, until you get a wet, sticky dough.
Oil a medium bowl and transfer the dough in it; cover with oiled film and let rise for about 1 ½ hours, until doubled.
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface, and using a lightly floured rolling pin, roll the dough out to a rectangle about 16-by-8-inches (40 X 20 cm.).
Brush the surface of the dough evenly with the marmalade and sprinkle with the ground almonds. Starting at one of the short ends, roll the rectangle up into a tight cylinder. Slice the cylinder crosswise into 6 equal pieces, then transfer to the prepared baking sheet, placing one roll next to the other.
Alternatively, you can brush the dough rectangle with the butter and roll, then cut into 6 pieces, and place on the baking sheet spacing them at least 3 inches apart.
Cover loosely with plastic wrap and set aside until puffed and nearly doubled in size, about 1 hour.
Preheat the oven to 370°F (180 C) with a rack in the center. Uncover the buns and bake until golden brown and cooked through, about 20 minutes.
Let cool slightly, then, if you did not use the marmalade, dust the buns generously with confectioners’ sugar.
Serve warm or at room temperature.
