Jump to Recipe· 4.5 from 2 reviews

Pan de Mallorca is a fluffy and soft, spiral shaped Puerto Rican sweet bread made with eggs. After rising and shaping, this delicious yeasted bread bakes up in the oven, and is dusted with powdered sugar. With an irresistible texture and a fun recognizable shape, these make a wonderful side to just about any meal. This recipe makes 12 Pan de Mallorca rolls.

A sweet bun on a plate

Allow me to introduce you to my favorite Puerto Rican bread: Pan de Mallorca! This soft, fluffy sweet bread is known for it’s lofty spiral shape and powdered sugar topping.

This sweet yeasted bread makes an awesome breakfast with a cup of cafe con leche and, despite the powdered sugar topping, also works great in savory sandwiches.

They originated in the Spanish island of Mallorca (hence the name), but are a beloved staple in Puerto Rican cuisine.

They’re commonly found across the island, used as the base for ham and cheese sandwiches, cubans, and more. Any leftovers make a truly special base for bread pudding (budin).

While the dough requires 2 separate rises to get that impressive spiraled height, this recipe is actually quite simple and totally worth the wait. There’s nothing quite like biting into one fresh out of the oven, and feeling the powdered sugar melt in your mouth.

If you enjoy this sweet bread, be sure to check out more classic Puerto Rican desserts like this homemade Puerto Rican flan. And if you end up with leftover day old bread, be sure to try using it in this Puerto Rican-style bread pudding (budin).

A sweet bun on a plate

Ingredients

Here’s what you’ll need to make Puerto Rican sweet bread:

  • active dry yeast 
  • warm water
  • whole milk
  • egg yolks
  • white granulated sugar
  • melted butter + melted butter for brushing the mallorca
  • bread flour (all purpose will work too)
  • salt
  • powdered sugar 

See recipe card for exact quantities.

Bread Flour vs. AP Flour

I recommend using bread flour for this recipe as bread flour has more gluten content than your average all purpose flour.

That said, I’ve also tried this recipe with AP flour and the pan de mallorca came out pretty great. The biggest difference I noticed was the height of the bread and overall rise.

If all you have is AP flour, don’t stress.

A sweet bun on a plate

How to Make Pan de Mallorca

a bowl of yeast and water
In a large mixing bowl combine yeast and warm water. Let the yeast proof for 5 minutes. 
a bowl of bread batter
To the yeast mixture add milk, egg yolks, sugar, melted butter and whisk together until consistent. 
a bowl of bread batter
In another large bowl, mix together the bread flour and salt. Slowly start incorporating the flour, one cup at a time, mixture into the bowl with the wet ingredients. Mix with a wooden spoon until a dough forms, adding more flour if it’s too sticky.
dough on a counter
Transfer the dough to a floured surface and knead for a few minutes before transferring to a clean, lightly greased bowl with room for the dough to rise.
dough under a towel in a bowl
Cover with a towel and let rise for at least 2 hours. 
dough being rolled into a bun
Transfer the dough to a flour dusted surface again and split in half, then split each half into thirds, then in half again to make 12 even sized balls.
twelve sweet buns on a counter
Roll the balls out into long strips (about a foot in length) then coil into a circle.
butter brushing over a sweet roll
Transfer the mallorca rolls to the parchment lined pans, leaving room for them to rise, and brush with melted butter. Cover again with a clean kitchen towel and allow the rolls to rise for 45 minutes. 

Important: Make sure to tuck tail end of the strip of dough when coiling your Pan de Mallorca. This step helps to ensure they don’t unravel while baking.

A sweet bun on a plate
Preheat the oven to 350. Bake sweet rolls for 20-30 minutes or until golden brown on the outside.
A sweet bun on a plate
Dust with powdered sugar and enjoy! 

If you enjoy Puerto Rican baking, be sure to also try pan de agua!

Special Equipment

The first time I set out to bake bread, I almost talked myself into buying a fancy stand mixer.

I’m so glad I didn’t pull the trigger on that purchase because not only do stand mixers take up an incredible amount of space, they are also super expensive and not necessary for most recipes.

Here’s the only special tools you need to make this yeasted sweet bread:

  • light aluminum baking sheets – there is something about dark baking sheets that can turn the bottom of your sweet rolls dark. If possible, use light aluminum baking sheets to avoid this.
  • parchment paper – parchment paper or any kind of silicone mat will help prevent any sticking.
A sweet bun on a plate with a bite taken

Buen Provecho!

Salima written in cursive
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A sweet bun on a plate with a bite taken

Fluffy Pan de Mallorca (Puerto Rican Sweet Bread)

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star 4.5 from 2 reviews
  • Author: Salima Benkhalti
  • Prep Time: 2 hours
  • Cook Time: 20 minutes
  • Total Time: 3 hours 30 minutes
  • Yield: 12 rolls 1x
  • Category: side dish, side, dessert, bread
  • Method: baked
  • Cuisine: Puerto Rican, Latin
  • Diet: Vegetarian
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Description

Pan de Mallorca is a fluffy and soft, spiral shaped Puerto Rican sweet bread made with eggs. After rising and shaping, this delicious yeasted bread bakes up in the oven, and is dusted with powdered sugar. With an irresistible texture and a fun recognizable shape, these make a wonderful side to just about any meal. This recipe makes 12 Pan de Mallorca rolls.

Ingredients

Units Scale
  • 1 tbsp active dry yeast
  • 1/2 cup warm water
  • 1/2 cup whole milk
  • 8 egg yolks
  • 1/2 cup white granulated sugar
  • 1 cup melted butter + 2 tbsp melted butter for brushing the mallorca
  • 5 cups bread flour (all purpose will work too)
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1/4 cup powdered sugar

Instructions

  1. In a large mixing bowl combine yeast and warm water. Let the yeast proof for 5 minutes. 
  2. To the yeast mixture add milk, egg yolks, sugar, melted butter and whisk together until consistent. 
  3. In another large bowl, mix together the bread flour and salt. Slowly start incorporating the flour, one cup at a time, mixture into the bowl with the wet ingredients. Mix with a wooden spoon until a dough forms, adding more flour if it’s too sticky.
  4. Transfer the dough to a floured surface and knead for a few minutes before transferring to a clean, lightly greased bowl with room for the dough to rise. . Cover with a towel and let rise for at least 2 hours. 
  5. Transfer the dough to a flour dusted surface again and split in half, then split each half into thirds, then in half again to make 12 even sized balls. Roll the balls out into long strips (about a foot in length) then coil into a circle.
  6. Transfer the mallorca rolls to the parchment lined pans, leaving room for them to rise, and brush with melted butter. Cover again with a clean kitchen towel and allow the rolls to rise for 45 minutes. 
  7. Preheat the oven to 350. Bake sweet rolls for 20-30 minutes or until golden brown on the outside. Dust with powdered sugar and enjoy! 

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