Recipes

Ensaymada – 2025

Filipino Ensaymada are fluffy, pillowy, cloud-like, buttered brioche buns meant to be enjoyed for breakfast or snack, with coffee or tea. I’ve heard other people new to this pastry describe them as a cross between a cupcake and a donut, though I couldn’t personally say because ensaymadas have always existed as its own unique pastry to me. A Spanish colony for over 300 years, it’s no surprise the Philippines would have a coiled pastry influenced by “Ensaïmada” from Mallorca, Spain, though my knowledge of that version is very little. The Filipino Ensaymada is all I’ve ever known.

Traditionally sold in Filipino bakeries, I grew up eating these as a child, particularly the ones from Philippine Bread House on Newark Blvd in Jersey City, NJ. The bread was pillowy, completely coated in a thin layer of butter and then encrusted in granulated sugar all over the bun, and then sprinkled with soft shredded cheese on top. This cheese melted perfectly in the microwave (unlike some brands that didn’t). They were large, so we’d actually microwave them, and then slice them like cake to share between the four of us, and eat them that way. Even after moving to Virginia, I loved these the best. They’re my favorite traditional ensaymadas. So many other bakeries make them, but those by PBH are the top tier originals in my mind. A close second fave are those found at Mary Grace in Manila, that my mom introduced me to when visiting in 2024.

In 2013, I tried the artisanal and modern buns from Ensaymada Project in San Clarita, California. These are like pillowy clouds, and made with love that you can taste (God bless you, Chari). They’re a different class, and remain etched in my mind forever for a different reason than the nostalgia of PBH Ensaymadas. These are a step above, in the same way Georgetown Cupcake ruined all other cupcakes for me. E-Project actually uses a buttercream instead of just butter and sugar, and has broken out from just cheese or ube flavors, into Americanized and trendy toppings like Nutella, cookie butter and red velvet. They’re amazing, but they’re pricey (deservedly so) and you still have to pay shipping across the country.

I’m inspired by the pillowy quality and traditional toppings of E-project and have tried to get somewhere close to that ever since. I’ve tried four recipes in the last decade with many failures, and this one below takes the best of each. It’s not exactly E-project, but I’m proud of it, regardless.

Ingredients

Dry Ingredients (For dough):

4 cups bread flour
1 cup all-purpose Flour
¼ cup instant mashed potato flakes
1/4 tsp Salt

Wet Ingredients (For Dough)

½ Cup Warm Water (105-115°F)
½ cup Warm Milk (105-115°F)
¾ cup sugar
1 tbsp Instant yeast (3 tsp or 1.5 packets; make sure it’s not expired)
6 Egg yolks
2 Whole eggs

Butter for dough

¼ cup Shortening
¼ cup + 2 tbsp salted butter, softened

For Snailing:

¼ cup Butter, softened

For Buttercream:

1 cup Powdered Sugar
1 cup unsalted butter, softened
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla

Toppings:

1 cup Dubliner Cheese, Shredded (or hard aged cheddar/gruyere/edam of choice. Filipinos use queso de bola)
2 cups Grated Parmesan Cheese
1/4 cup granulated sugar

Instructions

Combine the Dry: In a Large bowl, sift together the flours and salt. Add potato flakes and combine with a wooden spoon. Set aside
Mix the wet and create dough: Place together Warm Milk & Water, Sugar, yeast, egg yolks and eggs in kitchenaid mixer with wire whisk. Mix all ingredients until well blended. Slowly add flour/dry mix as it mixes. Switch to a dough hook, mixing on medium for 12 minutes.
Add butters and knead dough: Once above ingredients are combined, add the shortening and butter to the mixture, 1 tbsp at a time. Knead in the mixer on Medium/high for another 10-12 minutes. Note: dough will be super sticky, but do not add extra flour. This should be a supersoft brioche with a cloudlike texture, and adding extra flour will make it hard.
Form and Rise: Dump it onto a greased surface, and with greased hands, form into a smooth ball. Grease a bowl in oil, and transfer the ball of dough to the bowl, flipping once so it gets greased on the top. Cover with plastic wrap and place in a warm area to rise for 2-3 hours or until doubled in size.
Divide the Dough: Lay out two large pieces of parchment paper on your surface. On a greased surface, using greased hands, roll the dough into a log and cut into 2, keeping one half of the dough between the 2 sheets to keep from drying out. From there, cut the dough into small pieces, and you can use a food scale to weigh your dough (I created 48 mini/small rolls using 1 oz pieces, or 2-oz pieces for 24 large rolls). Depending on how large you want to make your rolls, please use the chart below for the weight of dough used. Keep each weighed piece between the two parchment paper sheets to keep them from drying out. Repeat until all is divided.
Snail & 2nd Rise: Using a rolling pin, roll a divided piece of dough into a rectangle and brush the surface with softened butter. Roll it from one end of the long side (buttered surface inside) to the other end, creating a long, thin log. Then shape into a coil (spiral/snail) with the end tucked under. Place each snailed dough bun in a greased mold or pan, cover, and let it rest in a warm place for about 1 ½–2 hrs until it has risen to almost double its size.
Make the buttercream: In a separate bowl, whip the softened butter with the powdered sugar until smooth. Add salt and vanilla, and set aside.
Bake: Bake them in a preheated oven at 300°F for 12-13 minutes for 1oz small rolls, 15-16 minutes for the 2 oz large rolls (refer to chart below). They should be baked to a pale or light gold, and not a toasty golden brown, if you want it to be soft. Let them cool down for a few minutes before removing from molds.Then let them cool completely.
Top the Rolls: Place about a 1-2 tbsp dollop (and 2-3 tbsp dollop for the larger sized buns) of the buttercream on top of the rolls, sprinkle with the shredded dubliner cheese. Then take each roll and dunk topside down into the grated parmesan so that the buttercream flattens around the top. Sprinkle with a light dusting of granulated sugar.
Enjoy and Store: These buns are traditionally wrapped 1 per sheet of cellophane/parchment paper each to preserve and to prevent from drying out. Store in a sealed box/container in the refrigerator and consume within 5 days, or freeze the box/container and keep in the freezer until ready to eat. These are best enjoyed at room temperature, but pro tip: Microwave 7-8 second, enjoy with a fork, and be in heaven.

Weight	Yields	Size	Bake Time in 300°F degrees
1 oz	46-48 buns	Small	12-13 min
1.5 oz	30-32 buns	Medium	13-14 min
2 oz	23-24 buns	Large	15-16 min

Maria Candelaria Daugs

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