Ensaïmada de Mallorca

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The Ensaïmada de Mallorca (from kat. Saïm , lard ) is a product of Mallorca with a protected geographical indication . It is available in various sizes either unfilled or with a filling made of cabell d'àngel , "angel hair ", (a type of pumpkin jam ).

Ensaïmades

The Ensaïmada de Mallorca is a pastry that consists of a sugared, fermented and oven-baked dough . The dough is made from wheat starch , water or milk , sugar , eggs and lard with the addition of slightly older ensaïmada dough as a sourdough .

history

The first written references to the ensaïmada of Mallorca can be found in the 17th century . At that time, wheat flour was mainly used to make bread, but there are also documents in which the production of ensaïmada for festivals and celebrations was mentioned.

From the 18th century onwards , the ensaïmada was increasingly enjoyed by the middle and upper classes and became a pastry that was eaten at Vespers and accompanied by a cup of hot chocolate.

During the 19th century , the ensaïmada finally became known beyond the island's borders and was mentioned in many places - be it in recipe collections, in reports about pastries or in travelogues - where its production method was printed or it was printed as a typical and very popular product on the island of Mallorca introduced.

The Austrian Archduke Ludwig Salvator wrote on Mallorca in the years 1869 - 1891 a great treatise and documentary collection on the traditions on the island with the title "The Balearic Islands in words and pictures", which also contains numerous references to the ensaïmada of Mallorca . The ensaïmada is described in this treatise as a typical pastry that the middle and upper classes liked to eat for breakfast, for Vespers or as a dessert at lunch.

Historical documents prove that the ensaïmada was part of the historical heritage of the island of Mallorca and was an important part of the confectionery products from our own production, which are still baked unchanged to this day.

The Ensaïmada de Mallorca is a typical artisanal product that can only be made by an experienced pastry chef, so that it retains all its characteristic properties.

In Mallorca there is a great tradition in the production of bread and confectionery products and the confectionery trade is one of the oldest guilds , dating back to the 14th century . This great tradition can also be ascertained when examining the average age of bakeries on Mallorca: over 50% of the businesses that exist today are more than 150 years old and are often run as family businesses by the fifth generation.

Protected geographical indication

The name "Ensaïmada de Mallorca" was protected as a designation of origin in 1996 and the government of the Balearic Islands passed the currently valid Ensaïmada regulation in April 2003, which contains the requirements for the product for which the protected designation of origin may be used. The ensaïmada also desperately needed this seal of approval, as all kinds of similar baked goods were previously marketed under their promising name.

(The following text has been freely translated from the Ensaïmada Regulation (Decree of the Balearic Autonomous Government No. 41/2003)). There are two types of ensaïmadas de Mallorca - the filled and the unfilled:

  • "Ensaïmada de Mallorca", term for the unfilled pastry. The ingredients are: cornstarch, sugar, eggs, sourdough and lard.
  • "Ensaïmada de Mallorca with angel hair" (Ensaïmada de cabell d'àngel) whose ingredients are the same as for the unfilled one, but which is also filled with "angel hair" (sweet pumpkin jam).
  • Both types of ensaïmada de Mallorca can be dusted with icing sugar after they have been completed.

Manufacturing

The ensaïmada is made with the following ingredients:

  • Starch flour: 45–56%
  • Water: 18-20%
  • Sugar: 16-20%
  • Eggs: 6-10%
  • Yeast: 4-6%

For the "angel hair", the pulp of a pumpkin (Curcubita moschata) is boiled with sugar. For the filled ensaïmada de Mallorca, the minimum filling content is 40 grams per 100 grams of dough. The ideal wheat flour for the production of the ensaïmada de Mallorca must result in a dough that forms a dense and elastic mass, has the highest level of tear resistance and also encloses the gas produced during fermentation.

Dough mass

A long fermentation time is required for production, namely at least 12 hours, which is why the flour must have a high proportion of gluten. The gluten also ensures the elasticity of the dough. This traps the gases that form during fermentation. This type of flour, the so-called starch flours, has a high W-value in the alveographic examination compared to flours that are used for other production purposes.

The lard used (saïm) is the ingredient that gives the pastry its name. The quality and quantity of the lard determine the more or less greasy appearance of the underside, the elasticity of the dough and give the Ensaïmada de Mallorca its puff pastry-like appearance, which is also the most important factor for assessing the quality of the finished product.

In the ensaïmada de Mallorca filled with angel hair, a fine strip of angel hair is distributed on the thicker side of the dough triangle after it has been rolled out and pulled apart, which is then rolled into the dough.

particularities

Appearance and texture of the ensaïmada de Mallorca: The ensaïmada de Mallorca has the shape of a clockwise spiral with two or more turns. Its convex surface is wavy and irregularly shaped in the spirals. It is golden in color, more or less shiny and has a firm, crispy and brittle texture.

Dough spiral

The underside is smooth, firm, and slightly greasy to the touch, which is related to the build-up of lard in this area.

The inside is soft, not crumbly, fairly pressure-resistant, not very elastic and the puff-pastry-like interior is clearly visible, whereby the various layers of the dough that emerged during the rolling process are clearly visible. In the ensaïmada de Mallorca, which is filled with angel hair, you can also see the individual threads of angel hair inside.

If the ensaïmada de Mallorca has been sprinkled with powdered sugar, it takes on a whitish tint.

Ensaïmada de Mallorca is offered in different sizes, the weight can be 60 to 2000 grams, according to the protection regulations, that of the ensaïmada de Mallorca with angel hair is 100 to 3000 grams.

The moisture content should be 10 to 20 percent for the simple ensaïmada de Mallorca and 15 to 35 percent for the ensaïmada de Mallorca with angel hair.

The fat content must be 20 to 45 percent for the simple and 15 to 40 percent for the ensaïmada de Mallorca filled with angel hair.

The small ensaïmada de Mallorca is traditionally eaten for breakfast or as a snack. The saying goes: An ensaïmada must be consumed by 10 a.m.

The larger ensaïmades de Mallorca are sold as whole pieces, wrapped in a protective material or presented in the traditional octagonal cardboard boxes.

All the containers in which the Ensaïmadas de Mallorca are sold bear a guarantee seal and a special, numbered label issued by the Control Council of the Protected Geographical Indication Ensaïmada de Mallorca in accordance with the protection regulations.

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