Ensaymada Cheese Bread (Filipino Sweet Cheese Brioche)
Quick answer
- Active time
- 65 min
- Waiting
- See the steps
- Level
- Hard
- Servings
- 4 servings
- Ingredients
- 9
About this dish
Ensaymada traces back to the Spanish ensaimada of Mallorca, but the Filipino version turned into a soft, buttery brioche finished with butter and salty cheese.
Read more
Each bun rises tall with visible spiral layers because the dough is rolled into ropes, coiled loosely, and baked in muffin tins. Powdered Parmesan stands in for the grated cheddar or Edam common in the Philippines, giving a lighter salty edge against the sweet crumb. The butter and cheese wait until the buns have cooled completely, or the cheese turns soggy. It shows up at Christmas, and the rest of the year as a breakfast bun with coffee or hot chocolate.
Ingredients
Instructions
- 1
Stir 160 ml warm milk with 6 g instant dry yeast and 1 teaspoon of the sugar.
Let it stand for 5 minutes, then use it once small bubbles cover the surface.
- 2
Combine 300 g bread flour, the remaining sugar, 4 g salt, and the egg, then pour in the yeast milk.
Mix with a spatula until no dry flour remains and the dough gathers into a rough mass.
- 3
When the dough looks rough, knead in 70 g unsalted butter in 2 to 3 additions over about 10 minutes.
It should become smooth and elastic; if too sticky, add flour only 1 tablespoon at a time.
- 4
Cover the dough and let it rise in a warm place for 70 minutes.
When it is nearly doubled and feels airy, press out the gas, divide into 6 pieces, and roll each piece into a long rope.
- 5
Coil each rope loosely into a spiral and place it in a muffin mold.
Proof for 30 minutes more, until the dough looks puffy and fills more of the mold without tearing at the edges.
- 6
Bake at 180°C for 18-20 minutes, until the tops are lightly browned.
Cool completely so the topping stays dry, then spread with 35 g soft butter and finish with 25 g grated parmesan.
Use-up ingredient planner
Turn these ingredients into two more meals
The overlap excludes basic seasonings. Open the next recipe and your selected dishes will stay with you.
Pandesal Milk Rolls
bread flour, warm milk
Doenjang Maple Pull-Apart Bread
bread flour, warm milk
Dried Persimmon Cinnamon Rolls
bread flour, warm milk