Recipe for a Traditional Easter Mona

Mona de Pascua is one of those sweets that taste of tradition, home, and shared moments. Its spongy texture and orange blossom and orange aroma make it a perfect recipe to enjoy with family during Holy Week.

To achieve that tender result, we will start the night before by preparing a pre-ferment. You just need to mix the flour with water and yeast until you get a simple dough, without the need for kneading. Cover it with film and let it rest in the fridge until the next day.

The next day, take out the pre-ferment to let it come to room temperature. In a large bowl, mix the bread flour with the crumbled yeast, add the pre-ferment and the lightly beaten eggs. Stir everything until the ingredients begin to combine.

Next, gradually add the sugar and oil, mixing gently. When the dough is more homogeneous, add the orange zest, orange blossom water, and a pinch of salt. Now it's time to knead with your hands until you get an elastic, soft, and slightly sticky dough. If you need to, you can add a little flour, but be careful not to overdo it to maintain a spongy crumb.

Form a ball with the dough and place it in a lightly floured bowl. Cover it with a cloth and let it rest in a warm place until it doubles in volume.

Once it has risen, divide the dough into two parts. Form two balls and, with your fingers, make a hole in the center of each, gently enlarging it with circular movements. Place an egg in the center of each mona and let them rest again until they grow again.

Before baking, brush the monas with egg white. Mix a little sugar with a few drops of orange blossom water and spread it over the top to give it that traditional finish.

Bake in a preheated oven at 180 ºC for about 25 minutes, placing the monas on the lower rack of the oven. When they are golden, take them out and let them cool on a wire rack.

The result is a tender, aromatic, and flavorful mona, perfect for sharing and enjoying tradition in every bite.

INGREDIENTS

For the pre-ferment (the night before):

100 g bread flour
60 ml water
12 g fresh yeast

For the dough:

All the pre-ferment
400 g bread flour
12 g fresh yeast
3 eggs
150 g sugar
80 g mild olive oil
Zest of 1 orange
15 ml orange blossom water
1 pinch of salt

For decorating:

2 eggs (one per mona)
Egg white (for brushing)
Sugar + a few drops of orange blossom water