Ensaymada

Ingredients

Dough

• 500 gstrong white flour
• 10 gdried yeast
• 100 gsugar
• 1 tspsalt
• 180 mlwarm milk
• 4egg yolks
• 1whole egg
• 120 gbutter, softened

To roll

• 150 gsoftened butter, for spreading

To finish

• 100 gbutter, melted
• 100 gcaster sugar
• 100 ggrated queso de bola, or a hard salty cheese such as Edam

Sometimes

• salted egg
• ube or cheese filling

To serve

• at Christmas, with hot chocolate

Directions

1. Allow three to four hours for the first rise, and longer in a cold kitchen. Do not force it with heat, which gives a yeasty taste and a coarse crumb.
2. Knead the dough for ten minutes before the butter goes in, then work it in a piece at a time. Keep working until it is smooth, glossy and elastic. Refrigerate the risen dough overnight, or for at least four hours.
3. Divide the dough and roll each piece into a very thin rectangle. Roll it as thin as you can, ideally thin enough to see through faintly. Spread softened butter generously over the whole rectangle. Be generous, since that butter is what separates the layers and keeps the bun moist.
4. Roll it tightly from one long edge into a thin rope. Pick up the rope and stretch it gently until it is considerably longer and thinner. Set each coil in a greased mould or on a lined tray.
5. Let them prove until visibly puffy, which takes an hour and a half to two hours. They should look full and soft rather than tight. Bake at 170°C for fifteen to twenty minutes. Bake at a moderate rather than hot temperature, since the high sugar content browns fast. They should be pale golden rather than deeply browned.
6. Brush the buns generously with melted butter as soon as they come out. Brushing them hot lets the butter soak in, which is what keeps them soft. Sprinkle caster sugar over the buttered tops while they are still warm. Grate the cheese over generously once they have cooled slightly.
7. Add the cheese after the sugar, not before, so both are visible and neither melts away. Now serving them with hot chocolate. Serve them with tsokolate, the thick Filipino hot chocolate made from tablea. They keep two days and they are best on the day.

Technique

• The name comes from saïm, lard, which the Filipino butter version no longer uses.
• Chilling the dough overnight is what makes it possible to roll thin.
• Stretching the rolled rope is what creates the fine layers.

Substitutions

• Edam or any hard salty cheese in place of queso de bola.
• A muffin tin in place of ensaymada moulds.

Variations

• Filled with cheese or ube.
• Topped with salted egg, which is popular.
• The Mallorcan original, made with lard and icing sugar.

History

Descended from the Mallorcan ensaimada, remade in the Philippines with butter and salty cheese for Christmas.

Frequently asked questions

What is Ensaymada?

Ensaymada is a bread & pastry from Philippines: soft brioche coil brushed with butter, sugar and grated cheese. Descended from the Mallorcan ensaimada, remade in the Philippines with butter and salty cheese for Christmas.

How long does Ensaymada take to make?

Ensaymada takes 1 hr plus overnight chilling and 3 hr rising of preparation and 20 min of cooking. The recipe makes 12 buns. It is rated hard to make.

What can I substitute in Ensaymada?

Yes, within limits. Edam or any hard salty cheese in place of queso de bola. A muffin tin in place of ensaymada moulds.

What is the most important thing to get right in Ensaymada?

Allow three to four hours for the first rise, and longer in a cold kitchen. Do not force it with heat, which gives a yeasty taste and a coarse crumb.