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↓ Jump to Recipe ↓This is the bread my family fights over the most. It’s ridiculous.
It’s super addictive and tough to stop eating. I always have to make double the amount to make everybody happy!
Ensaymada is a soft, buttery sweet bread from the Philippines, topped with a creamy butter frosting and a mountain of salty cheese (leave the cheese off if you prefer to keep it sweet, or pile it on like my family and I do!). It started in Mallorca, Spain, as ensaïmada, and came to the Philippines during Spanish colonization.
It’s not the quickest bread to make, but it’s simple enough if you’re well versed in making bread. I highly recommend an overnight rest in the fridge so the dough is easier to handle.
How to Make Ensaymada
1. Make the dough. Mix the dry ingredients, then add the eggs and milk and knead. It’ll look shaggy at first, then come together into one ball that pulls away from the sides of the bowl.
It’ll still be sticky, but when you pull on it, it should stretch instead of ripping apart. That’s when you knead in the butter, a little at a time.
I highly recommend a stand mixer for this dough. Kneading times can vary depending on how warm your ingredients are and which mixer you use.
2. Rest it in the fridge overnight, about 8 hours. I highly recommend this, because cold dough is easier to shape. The butter isn’t seeping everywhere and the dough is way less sticky.
Short on time? Let it rise at room temperature until doubled, about 1 to 3 hours or more. It’s faster if your house is warm and slower if it’s cold.
3. Shape the spirals. Divide the dough into 12 pieces. Roll each piece into a long rope, coil it into a spiral, and tuck the end underneath.
Space them out on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
4. Let them rise again. Cover and let them rise for 1 to 2 hours, or until you poke the dough and it springs back only halfway.
5. Bake. Bake at 325F (160C) for 20 to 25 minutes, or until the center reads 190F (88C). Let them cool completely before topping.
I like baking at 325F so the ensaymada stays soft and doesn’t brown too much.
6. Top them. Whip the butter and sifted powdered sugar until creamy, then slather it on. Finish with a generous heap of grated cheese.
Tips
- Melty cheese: torch the cheese or put the topped rolls under the broiler on high for a few minutes. Work fast so the butter doesn’t melt and slide off.
More recipes to try
- If you liked ensaymada, make my pandesal next. It’s the base bread for this recipe, and it’s more versatile since it works for both sweet and savory.
- Ube coconut Hawaiian rolls, my take on King’s Hawaiian ube bread
- Filipino pork adobo, for something savory
- Ube crinkle cookies, my most popular cookie
FAQ
What kind of cheese can I use?
Any semi-soft or semi-hard cheese works, as long as you can grate it and it tastes salty. I prefer saltier cheeses to contrast the sweetness of the frosting.
I usually use Edam, Gouda, or a frozen block of Velveeta or Eden cheese* from the Philippines. Velveeta and Eden are soft processed cheeses, so freezing them first makes them WAY easier to grate.
*Velveeta is one of the closest substitutes for Eden cheese.
Can I freeze ensaymada?
Yes! Freeze the bread separately from the frosting, then top it after it thaws.
The butter and powdered sugar frosting freezes well too, for up to about 3 months in an airtight container. Thaw it in the fridge overnight, let it soften at room temperature, then re-whip it until smooth.
Why is my frosting gritty?
Granulated sugar doesn’t fully dissolve in butter, so it can leave a crunchy texture. I prefer powdered sugar for a smooth butter topping.
Some people actually like that crunch though! If that’s you, feel free to use regular granulated sugar.
How do I store ensaymada?
Keep it covered at room temperature for up to 2 days. For longer, store it in an airtight container in the fridge for 3 to 5 days.
Recipe
Ensaymada
Ingredients
Method
- In a stand mixer, mix in flour, sugar, yeast, and salt, keeping the salt from touching the yeast directly. Mix all the dry ingredients well together.
- Add the eggs and cold milk. Mix until all the flour is picked up, scraping the sides of the bowl as needed.
- Knead on low speed for about 8-12 minutes, or just until the dough passes the windowpane test.
- With the mixer still on low, add the butter a little at a time.
- Keep kneading on low just until the butter is fully worked into the dough, 5 minutes at most.
- Scrape the sides, cover, and rest in the fridge overnight, about 8 hours (recommended). Cold dough is easier to shape, less sticky, and the butter won't seep out. If you can't wait, let it rise at warm room temperature until doubled, about 1 to 3 hours or more depending on how warm your house is.
- Divide the dough by weight into 12 equal pieces, about 65g each. Roll each piece into a long rope, coil it into a spiral, and tuck the end underneath.
- Place the spirals on a parchment-lined baking sheet, spaced apart, and cover. Let them rise at warm room temperature for 1 to 2 hours, or until you poke the dough and it springs back only halfway.
- Preheat the oven to 325°F (160°C). Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until the center reads 190°F (88°C). Cool completely before topping.
- In a medium bowl, cream the butter and sifted powdered sugar until smooth. Spread evenly over the cooled rolls and finish with a generous heap of grated cheese.
Notes
- Cheese amount: plan on about 17g (about 2 heaping tablespoons) of grated cheese per roll, about 200g total for 12 rolls. Use more if you love it extra cheesy.
- Cheese swaps: any salty cheese you can grate, like Edam, Gouda, Eden or Velveeta.
- Sugar: powdered sugar gives a smooth topping. Granulated gives a little crunch.
- Bigger or smaller rolls: divide into fewer or more pieces, and adjust the bake time.
- Less butter: my family likes a LOT of butter on top, but you can halve the frosting if you want less.
Equipment
Ozeri Food Scale
Especially with baking, a food scale is extremely helpful as it measures weight, not volume, which is more accurate. You should use weight measurements if a recipe provides them.
KitchenAid Stand Mixer
I absolutely LOVE my tilt head stand mixer. I can’t imagine baking without it.
Diamond Kosher Salt
When you need salt, this is the one.