Ensaimada

The ensaimada is a Mallorcan pastry made by rolling up a thin dough spread with pork fat and leaving it to ferment for a long time. It is shaped in two stages: the dough is first rolled into a rope, which is then coiled into a spiral. Saïm, the word from which its name derives, refers to pork fat. Spread over the thinly stretched dough, the lard adds its flavor and also forms layers of fat between the rolled sheets of dough. The pastry crossed the sea and changed along the way, becoming a cheese-topped bread in the Philippines and a bread called “mallorca” in Puerto Rico.

Thin dough spread with lard and rolled in two stages

The dough is made from high-gluten flour, water, sugar, eggs, a starter dough, and the pork fat called saïm. This lard is what gave the pastry its name. When it is spread over the thinly stretched dough and the dough is rolled up, layers of lard are trapped between the layers of dough.

The lard is softened at room temperature so that it spreads easily over the dough. The kneaded dough is rolled out thin, coated all over with the fat, and then stretched further until it becomes a thin film. The film is rolled up from one edge into a long rope, which is then wound clockwise at least two full turns and laid out in a spiral. Rather than rounding the dough into a single ball and packing it into a round mold, the pastry is distinguished by its two-stage shaping, in which a rope rolled from the film is coiled once more.

A long fermentation after shaping, then baking

Under the specification for “Ensaimada de Mallorca,” which is protected as a geographical indication, the pastry is fermented for at least 12 hours after shaping. During that time the spiral swells and fills the gaps between neighboring coils of dough.

During baking, moisture in the dough turns to steam, and the films of fat hold back part of it, pushing the layers apart. On the surface, moisture evaporates quickly, forming a thin, brittle crust, while inside, bubbles from fermentation and the layers of rolled film remain. Although it has layers similar to those of laminated puff pastry, it is distinctive in the way those layers are made and in its long fermentation.

The two protected types and the island’s many fillings

Two kinds are protected under the name “Ensaimada de Mallorca”: one with no filling, and one filled with cabello de ángel. This “angel’s hair” is a filling made of squash fibers cooked with sugar. Because it is laid in a long strip on the thinly stretched dough before rolling, a continuous strand of sweet fruit flesh runs through the baked pastry. Dusting with powdered sugar is optional.

On the island there are also versions filled with cream, custard, or chocolate, and versions topped with apricots. The carnival tallades are topped with sobrasada and candied squash, pairing the sweet dough with the saltiness and spices of the pork. These are part of the island’s pastry culture but are distinguished from the two types defined by the geographical indication.

Convent records from 1642 and 1648

The specification for “Ensaimada de Mallorca” cites production records from 1642 and 1648 at the Convent of Santa Elisabet in Palma. There is a theory that the Arabs invented the pastry and a story that converts added the pork fat, but who began using saïm, and when, remains uncertain.

In the 19th century, Archduke Ludwig Salvator recorded the custom of eating it with chocolate at breakfast or as a snack. The spiral pastry handed down on the island later crossed the sea with emigrants and took root at tables in other lands as well.

From breakfast and celebrations to a souvenir in an octagonal box

On the island, small single-serving ensaimadas are the choice for breakfast or a snack. They are sometimes dipped in café con leche or hot chocolate. Large ones serve as celebratory desserts and are brought to tables where families and other people gather.

A large whole ensaimada for taking home is packed in a distinctive octagonal cardboard box. Packed in this box, which can also be seen at the airport, the thin pastry is carried home as a travel souvenir. Versions topped with cream or fruit and the lard-scented dough enjoyed every day also differ in the occasions when they are eaten and in how they are carried.

From Mallorca to San Pedro

In San Pedro, Argentina, a pastry handed down in immigrant families grew into a local specialty. A cultural feature from the Province of Buenos Aires identifies 1951 as the turning point. It relates that Juan Puig, a pastry maker who emigrated at age 25, made the pastry while working at a local pastry shop, and that it became commercially known. The pastry of a craftsman who had meant to save money to open a shop back home became a taste of his new home.

The city’s records from 2023 document an event that combined a National Ensaimada Festival held by a Mallorcan association with dances, food, crafts, and more from other Balearic associations. Besides being one item in a shop, the pastry has also given its name to a festival at which the town shares the culture of its immigrants.

A sweet bread transformed in the Philippines and Puerto Rico

In the Philippines, the ensaimada has developed in its own way into a soft, cheese-topped sweet bread. A rich dough made with butter and eggs layers the sweetness of sugar with the saltiness of cheese. Some large celebratory versions from Malolos are topped with condensed milk, queso de bola, and salted egg, decorated differently from the small everyday ones.

In Puerto Rico, a spiral bread generously dusted with powdered sugar is popular under the name “mallorca.” Some formulas use egg yolks, milk, and lard or butter, and the bread may be sliced, spread with butter, and toasted, or made into sandwiches. Although these breads carry on the same island name and the spiral shape, the lightness of the crust, the softness of the bread, and the finishing flavors vary from place to place.

Glossary