Recipe: Tortells (Basque Almond Rolls)

Tortells Almond Rolls

15 grams pressed yeast
1 teaspoon sugar
4 tablespoons warm water
500 grams flour
1 teaspoon salt
3 eggs
100 ml. hot water
200 grams sugar
2 tablespoons oil
1 small potato
125 grams finely ground almonds
1 teaspoongrated lemonrind
50 grams butter, softened
sugar

Dissolve the yeast in the 4 tablespoons of warm water with a teaspoon of sugar.

Mix in 100 grams of the flour.

Put in a bowl and cover with a damp cloth and leave to rise in a warm place.

In a large bowl mix the remaining 400 grams of flour, salt, 2 lightly beaten eggs, hot water and 80 grams of the sugar.

Add the yeast mixture to it, turn out onto a floured board and knead until very smooth, adding the oil a little at a time.

Place the dough in a lightly buttered bowl, cover with a cloth, and leave in a warm place to rise for an hour.

Meanwhile, prepare the filling.

Cook the potato, peel it, and put it through a mincer and whip it with the remaining sugar.

Add the ground almonds and the grated lemon peel.

Divide the filling into six portions and set aside.

Divide the dough into pieces of about 150 grams.

Roll each out on a lightly floured board into a rectangle and smear it with softened butter.

Place a strip of filling across one end and roll the dough up.

Bring the ends together, forming a circle, and pinch them together.

Place on buttered baking sheet. Proceed to fill and roll the remaining dough.

Cover with a damp cloth and put in a warm place to rise until nearly doubled in bulk (about one hour).

Then brush with remaining beaten egg and sprinkle with sugar and bake in a medium-hot oven until golden, about 20 minutes.