Ensaymada Cheese Bread (Filipino Sweet Cheese Brioche)
Quick answer
- Total time
- 65 min
- Level
- Hard
- Servings
- 4 servings
- Ingredients
- 9
About this dish
Ensaymada is a Filipino sweet brioche descended from the Spanish ensaimada of Mallorca, transformed over centuries into something entirely its own.
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The dough is enriched with a generous amount of eggs and butter, kneaded until it pulls away from the bowl in smooth, elastic sheets, then given a long rise that results in a pillowy interior with a cotton-like, pull-apart crumb. After baking, the buns are brushed with softened butter while still warm, rolled in granulated sugar, and blanketed in a thick layer of grated cheddar or Edam cheese. The contrast between the sweet, buttery bread and the salty aged cheese is not incidental but central to the character of ensaymada, reflecting a Filipino fondness for pairing sweet and savory within a single bite. Bakeries across the Philippines produce them in enormous quantities during the Christmas season, when they are given as gifts and served at holiday gatherings, though they appear on breakfast tables year-round alongside thick hot chocolate or coffee.
Ingredients
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Instructions
Read the steps as a cooking flow: prep, heat, seasoning, doneness control, and finish.
- 1Control
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.
- 2Season
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.
- 3Season
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.
- 4Control
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.
- 5Step
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.
- 6Finish
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.
Practical Cooking Checks
The cues that matter most while cooking.
- Key technique
- Ensaymada tops a rich egg-and-butter brioche bun with softened butter and a cloud of grated cheese.
- Finish cue
- Cool completely so the topping stays dry, then spread with 35 g soft butter and finish with 25 g grated parmesan.
- Avoid this
- If dough is too wet, add flour 1 tbsp at a time to avoid over-correcting.
Cooking decision evidence
Calculated Charim data and applicable official cooking and food safety guidance.
This recipe
65min, 9 ingredients
Category median
55min, 8 ingredients
Based on 248 recipes
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