Chocolate Chip Mini Mallorcas
October 5, 2020
Confession: sometimes I feel like a “bad” Puerto Rican. I have a lot of cultural pride, but because I grew up in Idaho from toddlerhood, I also have quite a few blindspots. For example, I’d never had a mallorca (a traditional Puerto Rican sweetbread) until I made some for myself recently.
OH MY GOD GUYS - no wonder you can find these in just about every bakery in Puerto Rico. They are buttery, yet also light and fluffy. And the sweetness pairs nicely with a morning cafecito. I literally had to hold my husband back so that I could snap a few pictures.
So what are Mallorcas? At their essence they are spiraled buns made with an enriched dough (think brioche), but I went a little bit rouge with these in three ways:
First, I incorporated a tangzhong paste into my dough. Tangzhong is a Japanese technique where you cook a portion of the flour with a small amount of liquid into a thick paste before you add it to the other ingredients. It gives your dough structure, without sacrificing moisture. King Arthur has a SUPER helpful guide that walks you through how to incorporate tangzhong paste into your recipe. There’s a good amount of math involved - you’ve been warned - but it’s a great technique for soft breads, like dinner rolls and challah.
Second, I made these smaller than the traditional mallorcas you’ll find in a bakery. Mostly because I just like mini versions of baked goods.
Third, I added chocolate chips. This is completely optional, and to be honest, I like them better plain. But you do you, especially if you are a chocoholic.
If you want to know more about the history of mallorcas, Saveur has a great article by Illyana Maisonet - check it out.
Lots of tips below, so be sure to read those before starting to bake.
recipe
Recipe adapted from Saveur’s mallorcas recipe
Tangzhong method incorporated using King Arthur’s helpful guide
Time: ~3 hours (including rising time and baking time)
Quantity: Makes 12 mini rolls
Ingredients:
Tangzhong Paste
23 g (3 tablespoons) bread flour (AP flour is fine)
113 g (4 oz or 1/2 cup) milk
Dough
113 g (4 oz or 1/2 cup) milk, luke warm
50 g (1/4 cup) granulated sugar
7 g (2 and 1/4 teaspoons; 1/4 oz; or 1 package) instant yeast
113 g (8 tablespoons or 1 stick) butter, melted
3 large egg yolks
300 g (2 and 1/2 cups) bread flour, plus more for dusting (AP flour is fine)
1 teaspoon salt
100 g (1/2 cup) mini chocolate chips (optional)
Topping
2 tablespoons butter, melted (to brush on top)
Confectioners' sugar (for dusting)
Process:
Prepare Yeast
If you haven’t already, warm up your milk. In your stand mixer, combine warm milk and sugar then sprinkle the yeast on top. Set aside until foamy, about 10 minutes.
Tangzhong Paste
In a small, microwave proof bowl, combine the milk and bread flour. Stir to combine.
Heat in the microwave in 15 second bursts, stirring in between each burst, until the mixture reaches a thick consistency (somewhere between pudding and a paste). This will take between 45-90 seconds. In my microwave, I do two 30 second bursts and then a final 20 second burst. Set aside to cool while you work on the dough.
Dough
To the yeast mixture, add the tangzhong paste, melted butter and the egg yolks and whisk until smooth.
With your dough hook attachment, incorporate the bread flour and salt. You can add the flour all at once and scrape the sides as needed. Mix until the flour is just incorporated, being careful not to overwork the dough. The dough will be quite wet, but should have enough structure to form into a loose ball.
Grease a separate large bowl with butter and transfer the dough into it. Rub a little bit of butter over the top of the dough so that it doesn’t dry out. Cover loosely with a dish towel and set aside in a warm place until just about doubled in size, 50–60 minutes. I place mine in my oven, with the oven light turned on.
After the dough has doubled, add your chocolate chips (or omit) and knead on a lightly floured surface for 1-2 minutes.
Assembly
Divide the dough into 12 equal pieces. I like to use my scale to ensure uniform sizing. I weigh the total amount of dough, divide by twelve and then I know how much each piece of dough needs to weigh.
On a lightly floured surface, take one piece of dough and roll it out into a rope about 10-11 inches long. You’ll want to use a *little* bit of flour to give the rope a very light coating of flour. This will help the dough keep a distinct coil during the second rise. If not, the coil will lose its shape and you’ll end up with a blob (still delicious, but not as pretty). You don’t want to overdo the flour; just enough so that the rope isn’t too wet or sticky.
Roll the rope into a tight coil, tucking the end piece underneath your roll. Set onto a baking sheet lined with parchment, leaving about 2 inches in between each roll. Repeat with remaining pieces of dough. See photos below.
Cover rolls loosely with a dish towel, then set aside for a second rise until the rolls have puffed up a bit (about 30 minutes). I like to set my baking tray on my stove top while the oven preheats. I get just enough residual heat from the oven to help the buns rise nicely.
Preheat the oven to 350°F while the buns are rising. Uncover the rolls and brush lightly with melted butter. Bake until lightly browned and cooked through, about 20 minutes or until the internal temp registers at least 195°F. Let cool slightly, then dust with confectioners' sugar - I prefer a light dusting, but you can dust generously if you prefer. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Tips:
You can use active dry yeast. If you substitute active dry yeast for instant yeast, you just need to activate it with warm liquid. Good news is, this recipe already accounts for that! So if you are using active dry yeast, just proceed as directed.
The first time I made these, my coils separated once the buns had cooled. There are two likely causes: 1) over-kneading; 2) over-rising. It’s so tempting to do both (guilty!), but the less you work this dough, the better.
If you are including chocolate chips, I recommend the mini versions. You could probably also use regular sized chocolate chips as well, but it might be harder to incorporate them into the dough and the coils may be harder to shape. But use what you have!
Traditionally, leftover mallorcas (if you have any) are used to make grilled ham and cheese sandwiches. The chocolate chip version would be great for peanut butter and jelly.
