Mallorca Bread: Soft Puerto Rican Sweet Rolls

ByNatalya Syanova
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One of the most exciting discoveries recently has been these Soft Puerto Rican Sweet Rolls called Mallorca. A very talented chef, Javi Martinez, was generous enough to share this beautiful recipe with me, and from the very first bake I completely understood why these rolls are so loved.

I’ve baked many soft and sweet breads and rolls before, but this bread truly stole my heart. It is incredibly soft, moist, buttery, and perfectly sweet, making it ideal for breakfast, dessert, or simply enjoyed with coffee. The texture is delicate and fluffy while still rich and comforting at the same time.

I adapted the recipe into a sourdough version by adding stiff sourdough starter, which gives the rolls even more depth of flavor and wonderful texture. However, the original version of the recipe was made with dry instant yeast. If you plan to make the yeast version instead, simply use 1% dry instant yeast based on the total flour amount in the recipe.

One of my favorite ways to enjoy Mallorca rolls is lightly dusted with powdered sugar and served warm. They are absolutely irresistible fresh from the oven and stay wonderfully soft for days.

Thank you, Javi — I am truly in love with this recipe now and know I’ll be making it again and again.

Ingredients

Stiff Sourdough starter 

Dough

  • 340g bread flour 
  • 60g stiff starter 
  • 125g milk 
  • 125g water
  • 3 egg yolks
  • 55g soft butter 
  • 90g sugar 
  • 7g salt 
  • 0.5g yeast (optional) to reduce sourness

Spread 

  • 50g melted butter

Dusting

  • 3 tbs of powdered sugar

Directions 

Day 1

Starter 

  • 10 pm add starter to the water and whisk together, add flour, mix well, form a ball, then roll it into a tight roll, place in a jar, cover with water, make sure it is covered with water, let sit at room temp 74-76F until it increases in size and starts to float on the top of the water.
  • In about 8-10 hours the top of the starter will dry and the bottom will start to melt in the water. We will need only the center part of it.
  • Keeping stiff starter in the water helps to reduce its acidity and sourness of the final product (learn how to make starter from scratch here).

Day 2

Dough

  • 8 am mix starter, milk, egg yolks, flour, sugar, yeast (if using), let it autolyse for 30minutes.
  • During the autolyse period the flour becomes fully hydrated. This process activates gluten development.
  • 8.30 am mix the dough on low speed of your mixing machine for 2-3 minutes, or KitchenAid on speed 3 for 3-4 minutes until well incorporated.
  • Add salt and mix for a couple more minutes. The dough should form a ball.
  • Add soft butter, increase the speed, mix for 10-15 minutes until the dough comes up together. If its not coming up together, feel free to add a little more flour (10-20g).
  • 9 am  cover and let it proof for 3- 4 hours at 76-80F/ 24-28C.
  • During that time perform 2 stretches and folds.
  • The dough should become slightly puffy.
  • 12 pm transfer the dough to the fridge for cold fermentation until next morning.
  • 7 am sprinkle work surface with flour. Release the dough from container. Roll it into 8×15 inches rectangular.
  • Cut the dough into a 6 stripes along the length.
  • Generously spread melted butter all over each strip.
  • Roll each stripe into a tight roll and hide the tail under.
  • With a palm of your hand press each roll down, and transfer to a baking tray, lined with parchment paper.
  • Cover and let them proof for 2-4 hours until bigger and puffier. 
  • Preheat oven 375F.
  • Bake Mallorcas for 10 min at 375F, then lower temperature to 350F and bake for 10-15 min more until top will get golden brown.
  • When Mallorcas are done, remove them from the oven, let them cool down and generously sprinkle them with powdered sugar.

Enjoy!

Soft Puerto Rican Sweet Rolls

Mallorca Bread: Soft Puerto Rican Sweet Rolls

465kcal
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Prep 35 minutes
Cook 22 minutes
Rise & Rest Time 1 day 1 hour
Total 1 day 1 hour 57 minutes
An incredibly soft, moist, and sweet traditional Puerto Rican pastry that makes a wonderful breakfast or dessert. This specialized recipe uses a unique water-submerged stiff sourdough starter technique to drastically minimize acidity, yielding an ultra-plush sweet roll that finishes with a generous dusting of powdered sugar.
Servings 6 Large Mallorca Rolls
Cuisine Puerto Rican

Ingredients

The Acidity-Reducing Stiff Starter (Night Before)
  • 10 g Sourdough starter culture
  • 25 g Water
  • 50 g Bread flour
  • Extra room-temperature water Sufficient to fully submerge the starter ball in a jar
The Enriched Sweet Dough (Next Morning)
  • 340 g Bread flour
  • 60 g Prepared stiff starter Gathered cleanly from the core of the floating starter ball
  • 125 g Milk
  • 125 g Water
  • 3 Egg yolks
  • 90 g Sugar
  • 7 g Salt
  • 55 g Unsalted butter softened completely to room temperature
  • 0.5 g Dry instant yeast Optional: include strictly to accelerate the rise and reduce natural sourness
The Authentic Bakery Finish
  • 50 g Melted butter Reserved exclusively for brushing and interior layers
  • 3 tbsp Powdered sugar For a dense snow-like topping

Equipment

Method

Day 1 – Submerged Stiff Starter Ignition
  1. 10:00 PM: In a small bowl, whisk your 10g of starter culture into 25g of water. Add 50g of bread flour and mix thoroughly. Knead briefly with your hands to form a tight, solid dough ball, then roll it into a firm cylinder.
  2. Place the cylinder into a tall glass jar and fill it completely with room-temperature water 74–76°F (23–24°C) so the dough is completely submerged. Let it sit out overnight for 8 to 10 hours. As it ferments, it will expand, trap gas, and eventually float safely to the top of the water.
Day 2 – Enriched Autolyse & High-Speed Mixing
  1. 8:00 AM: Carefully fish the floating starter ball out of the water jar. The exterior will look wet and slightly dissolved; discard the mushy outer layer and scale out exactly 60g from the firm core center to use in the dough.
  2. In your stand mixer bowl, combine the 60g of extracted stiff starter, 125g of milk, 125g of water, 3 egg yolks, 340g of bread flour, and 90g of sugar (add the optional 0.5g of dry yeast here if using). Mix briefly until a shaggy mass builds, cover, and let autolyse for 30 minutes.
  3. 8:30 AM: Lock your mixer’s dough hook in place. Run it on the low speed of your machine for 2 to 3 minutes (or if using a KitchenAid mixer, run it on speed 3 for 3 to 4 minutes) until uniform.
  4. Sprinkle in the 7g of salt and continue mixing for 2 minutes until a clean ball takes shape.
  5. Increase your mixer speed to medium-high and begin introducing the 55g of soft butter a tablespoon at a time. Knead intensely for 10 to 15 minutes until the dough builds enough gluten strength to gather up smoothly away from the bowl walls. Note: If the rich dough remains unmanageably sticky after 12 minutes, sprinkle in a small 10g to 20g adjustment of flour to help it clear the bowl.
  6. 9:00 AM: Cover the bowl and let proof for 3 to 4 hours at a warm ambient temperature of 76–80°F (24–28°C). Perform 2 separate rounds of structural stretch-and-folds during this window; the dough will become light and slightly puffy.
  7. 12:00 PM: Transfer the covered container directly into the refrigerator for a long cold fermentation rest until the next morning.
Day 3 – Strip Rolling, Coiling, and Staged Baking
  1. 7:00 AM: Lightly dust your workspace with flour and tip the cold dough out. Use a rolling pin to flatten and stretch it into a clean, wide rectangle measuring exactly 8×15 inches (20×38 cm).
  2. Using a pizza wheel or sharp knife, cut the rectangle lengthwise into 6 equal, long strips. Generously brush your 50g of melted butter over the entire surface of each strip.
  3. Roll each buttered strip up lengthwise into a tight, compact coil, cleanly tucking the loose tail end underneath the base to secure it.
  4. Using the flat palm of your hand, press firmly straight down on top of each coiled roll to flatten it slightly, then arrange them onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Cover loosely and let proof on the counter for 2 to 4 hours until they look visibly wider and puffier.
  5. Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C). Slide the tray inside and bake at 375°F (190°C) for exactly 10 minutes to lock in the oven spring.
  6. Lower the oven temperature down to 350°F (175°C) and continue baking for an additional 10 to 15 minutes until the tops turn a uniform light golden brown. Remove from the oven and let them cool down completely. Once cool, dust the tops generously with your 3 tablespoons of powdered sugar before serving.

Nutrition

Calories465kcalCarbohydrates67gProtein11gFat18gSaturated Fat10gPolyunsaturated Fat1gMonounsaturated Fat5gTrans Fat1gCholesterol139mgSodium152mgPotassium128mgFiber2gSugar16gVitamin A604IUVitamin C0.04mgCalcium54mgIron1mg

Notes

  • The Secret Behind Underwater Starters: Storing a stiff starter completely submerged in water is a classic pastry technique used to control acidity. The water bath naturally leaches out the sharp, sour acetic acids as they develop, while allowing the mild, sweet lactic acid bacteria to thrive. This ensures your sweet pan dulce items retain a clean, milky, and purely sweet aroma without any aggressive sourdough tang.
  • Managing Dough Consistency and Humid Climates: Because this formula features a highly hydrated, enriched dough matrix, ambient humidity can cause it to behave loosely during mixing. If you find your dough struggles to clear the bottom of the mixer bowl during step 7, add up to an extra 20g of bread flour. This adjustment stabilizes the structure without drying out the crumb.
  • The Authentic Sandwich Application: While Mallorca rolls are fantastic eaten fresh as a sweet pastry, they are famous in Puerto Rico for creating an iconic sweet-and-savory breakfast sandwich. Simply slice a cooled, powdered sugar-dusted Mallorca roll cleanly in half, layer it with sliced tavern ham and sharp Swiss cheese, and press it firmly inside a hot buttered sandwich press until toasted and melting.
  • Straight Commercial Yeast Shortcut: If you don’t maintain a sourdough culture but want to bake these immediately, you can bypass the starter steps entirely. Omit the stiff starter build and increase your commercial leavening agent to 3.5g of dry instant yeast added directly to the milk mixture. This modification will condense your primary room-temperature bulk rise down to about 2 hours, skipping the overnight fridge rest.

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47 Comments

      1. Natasha, I’m proud to say I am Puerto Rican 🇵🇷 and the mayorcas from the island are delicious. I just find you and looking at your recipes probably doing more than one of them. 🥰 I hope this ones take me back to Puerto Rico. They look delicious and something else… we make ham and cheese sandwiches with them 😉

    2. The dough recipe says 125g of what’re but the directions never mention it? Is it just milk or do you add water when you add the milk? Thank you!

      Reply

      1. Yes I agree. Buy a scale and start baking with it. Forget what they use in the USA because it’s inferior!

      2. I agree wholeheartedly. I have been baking bread and other things for at least 60 years. At first, I used a cup to measure, because that is what my mother taught me. Every time I baked, the recipe needed adjusting, too much flour, or too much liquid, it drove me crazy. I don’t remember at what point or what encouraged me to switch to a scale with grams. I was thrilled that my recipes no longer need adjusting, just mix, allow to rise, bake and I am done! Even my sourdough recipes are spot on every time. I also use the scale when I bake cakes and cookies as well. Makes a world of difference!

  6. I live in California, just so you know that I also am an American. In the past, I used cup/spoon measurements for baking breads or cakes, but finally switched to a scale about 6-7 years ago. It really helps with more accurate measurements. I find that using grams helps my bread dough be more consistent. You don’t need an expensive scale. Mine is an Escali Digital that has grams and ounces. Before using a scale, I thought I was measuring accurately, but my measurements of flour and liquid would be slightly off, enough that one time the dough was too dry or another time too moist. Constantly having to adjust was frustrating and took extra time as well. Once I used the scale the bread dough or cakes come out the same each time.

    Reply

      1. I also live in California and use a scale. I didn’t believe it made that much of a difference but then weighed cups of sugar. I tried 6 times and got different weights every time. I’m definitely a convert. My first scale was $15.00 and was fantastic (until my grandson thought it should swim in the potty). I absolutely recommend getting a scale. You will be amazed at how consistent your baking becomes.

  7. If I want to use yeast instead of starter, how would I go about this? Do I still do the stiff starter but replace sourdough starter with yeast? How much yeast? I would love to make this but it’s difficult for me to understand the instructions if I want to use yeast instead of starter. Your recipe also looks much more plush than others online so I’d love to use this one if I can just understand it. Thanks!

    Reply

    1. Hi!
      Just skip the starter part at all, use only yeast (2-3g) and off course with only yeast fermentation will go faster.

      Reply

  8. Hi! Im so excited with this recipe.
    I saw 125g of water in the ingredients but not when is incorporated.

    Thanks for the recipe

    Reply

  10. Where does the 125g water in the dough ingredients get added in? I might be missing something but I cannot see where it should be added

    Reply

      1. I added the water and milk, and the resulting dough is *much* looser than the corresponding pic. (even after adding extra KAF bread flour and extended kneading). Do I need high gluten flour for it to come together? What flour did you use?

  12. I made them with sourdough and a tiny bit of yeast as recommended. The result turned out really good. Thank you for the recipe.

    Reply

  15. Hi dear , I tried this recipe but my dough failed to rise .
    Am sure I must have goofed up at the time of converting my starter to stiff starter mainly at the time or pulling from the center.
    It was floating in the water but the bottom had melted so I couldn’t pull the center as it was not enough.
    I weight 60 gm the top and the center to of the SS to use for the recipe.
    Can you share a video of how you separate the SS after it has risen to use in the recipe.
    Many thanks
    Jui

    Reply

  16. Hello Natasha. I love your website and recipes. Thank you for sharing your great ideas. I wonder, is there any freezing instruction for this bread? I want to make a really large batch, but can I keep it in the freezer for about 1-2 months?or will it go bad?

    Reply

  17. Thank you for sharing this recipe! Testing it right now.
    The only feedback so far is to emphasize that this is 3 day process (at least in this case with sourdough).

    Reply

  19. Hello Natasha, i would like to know if this would be your preferred recipe over Japanese sweet bread. I need to choose which one of the two would be better to take as a gift. Please let me know your honest thoughts. Thank You!

    Reply

  20. I love the way this recipe comes out, as i am half Puerto Rican and love to get closer to my roots through baking! I am making them for the second time now, as the first time i added water after the autolyse due to the error in instructions. This time i added the water with the milk. Also, i find that in order to achieve a nice ball, i have to add nearly 100g more flour, is that due to me living in southern florida? I added the extra flour the first time and they came out great, even with adding the water later than supposed.

    Reply

    1. Thank you for sharing your experience with the recipe! It’s wonderful to hear that you are enjoying getting closer to your Puerto Rican roots through baking. The adjustments you made to the recipe based on your location and personal preferences are perfectly fine. Living in a humid environment like Southern Florida can indeed affect the consistency of dough, so adding more flour to achieve the desired texture is a common adjustment. It’s great to hear that your past batches still turned out well despite the slight deviation from the instructions. Keep experimenting

      Reply

  21. Hi!
    This looks gorgeous!!
    Could you pls tell me what is a stiff starter?? And sourdough starter?? And where could I get both?

    Thank you!!☺️

    Reply

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