Ensaimada

Start cooking opens one step at a time with read-aloud and hands-free voice control — “next”, “repeat”, “how much salt”, “timer 10 minutes”.

1. 1Pour 230ml lukewarm water into a bowl and add the yeast. Leave to stand for 3 mins, then add the caster sugar, eggs, flour and 1 tsp sea salt flakes.
2. 2Stir until everything is combined to form a dough, then knead for 10 mins in stand mixer using a dough hook (or 15 mins by hand) until the dough is elastic enough to be almost see-through when stretched.
3. 3Cover and put to one side to rest for 30 mins, then cut into four equal pieces. Move to a baking tray lined with baking parchment. Leave to rest for another 30 mins.
4. 4Oil the work surface and a rolling pin with vegetable oil.
5. 5Working with one portion of dough at a time, flatten it against the surface using the palm of your hand, then roll it out into a thin rectangle, about 30 x 50cm.
6. 6RestLet it rest for 2 mins while you spread a quarter of the lard over the top. (If you want to fill your pastry with sobrasada de Mallorca, mix 50g lard with the sobrasada, and spread this over the dough instead.) Pull one corner of the flattened dough and stretch it out as far as it will go without breaking.
7. 7Repeat every 10cm or so around the dough rectangle in every direction until it reaches about 50 x 70cm.
8. 8Cut a strip from each of the shorter sides and lay these beside each other along one of the longer sides of the rectangle; this is what we call the heart of the ensaimada.
9. 9From there, begin rolling the dough until you have a long pastry snake. Repeat with the remaining portions of dough.
10. 10Take the first roll of dough and stretch it until it is over a metre long. After that, roll it up into a spiral, leaving 1cm between each turn of the spiral so the dough can expand.
11. 11Flatten a little and transfer to a baking sheet lined with baking parchment. Repeat with the remaining dough. Leave to rise in a warm lay the for at least 12 hrs, or ideally 24 hrs.
12. 12Heat the ovenHeat the oven to 200C/180°C / 350°F fan/gas 6. Put the ensaimadas in the top third of the oven and immediately reduce the temperature to 180C/160°C / 325°F fan/gas 4. Bake in the oven for 18 mins until dark golden.
13. 13RestLeave to cool on a wire rack. To fill your ensaimada with whipped cream, cut the and open, then spread over the cream and close.
14. 14ServeDust with a generous amount of icing sugar, if you like and cut into pieces to serve.