Recipe of Pajaritos (sweet breads)

Ingredients

• 500 g plain flour, without baking powder
• 125 ml whole milk
• 7 g dried baker's yeast (or 20 g fresh yeast)
• 100 g granulated sugar
• 60 g melted, lukewarm butter (or margarine)
• 2 egg yolks, at room temperature
• Finely grated zest of 1 orange
• 2 cloves and 1 cinnamon stick to scent the milk
• 1 pinch of salt
• 1 extra egg yolk beaten with 1 tablespoon of milk, for brushing
• 2 egg whites (about 60 g), for the meringue
• 120 g granulated sugar, for the meringue
• 1 pinch of salt, for the meringue
• Coloured sprinkles, to decorate (optional)

Directions

1. 1

   Heat the milk with the cloves and cinnamon stick until it boils, turn off the heat and let it stand covered for 10 minutes. Strain it and wait until it is lukewarm, about 35 °C: if you use it hot, you kill the yeast.

2. 2

   Dissolve the yeast and a teaspoon of the sugar in two tablespoons of that lukewarm milk and let it foam for 10 minutes. If it does not foam, the yeast is dead and the dough will not rise.

3. 3

   In a large bowl mix the flour, the remaining sugar, the salt and the orange zest, and make a well in the centre.

4. 4

   Add the melted butter and the yolks to the well and pull the flour in from the edges with a wooden spoon.

5. 5

   Add the foamed yeast and the rest of the milk little by little, until the dough comes together and stops sticking to your hands; if it feels dry, add milk by the tablespoon.

6. 6

   Knead for 8 to 10 minutes on the counter until smooth and elastic, shape into a ball, cover and let it rise for 60 minutes in a warm spot, until doubled in volume.

7. 7

   Knock the dough back, cut it into 16 pieces of about 50 g and roll each one into a ball on the counter.

8. 8

   For the bird shape, split each piece into two balls, one 6 cm wide for the body and a 3 cm one for the head, snip two notches on the sides with scissors for the wings and join the parts with a toothpick.

9. 9

   Place the pajaritos apart on a tray lined with baking paper, brush with the yolk beaten with milk and let them rise for another 30 minutes.

10. 10

    Heat the oven to 200 °C and bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until golden and the base sounds hollow when tapped.

11. 11

    Pull out the toothpicks and cool completely on a rack: if you pipe the meringue onto hot buns it melts and slides off.

12. 12

    For the meringue, heat the egg whites with the sugar and pinch of salt over a bain-marie, stirring until the sugar dissolves (about 5 minutes, without boiling); take it off the heat and whisk for 8 to 10 minutes until stiff and glossy. Crown each pajarito, decorate with sprinkles and serve them the same day.