Ensaymada: Filipino Brioche with Butter, Sugar, and Cheese
Recipe Guy
Filipino bakery | Sweet bread | Butter and cheese
Ensaymada gets its character from two kinds of butter: butter kneaded into the dough for richness, and a soft layer spread on the cooled rolls. Sugar and grated cheese finish the bread with a sweet, salty contrast.
Why make it: This version uses a manageable enriched dough and muffin tins for home shaping.
Fresh From the Kitchen
These photos show the colors, textures, and serving style to look for when making Ensaymada.
About This Recipe
Bread flour, eggs, milk, and yeast form the dough before the butter is worked in gradually. That sequence gives you a manageable starting mixture, then a richer dough that needs time to become smooth. Let the first rise reach the stated doubled volume.
Coils or simple rolls both suit the greased molds. After shaping, look for puffiness before baking. The topping belongs on cooled bread, where the butter can stay spreadable and hold the sugar and grated cheese instead of soaking straight into the crumb.
Cooking Notes
- Add the softened dough butter in small portions, working each one in before adding more. A greasy-looking patch needs more mixing, not an immediate handful of extra flour.
- Divide the dough evenly before coiling it. Similar portions proof and bake more consistently, and leave each finished roll with a comparable amount of butter, sugar, and cheese.
Ingredient Notes
For dough
Enriched dough needs kneading and patience because butter slows gluten development.
For topping
Soft butter, sugar, and salty cheese create the classic finish.
Ensaymada Recipe
This version uses a manageable enriched dough and muffin tins for home shaping.
Shopping List
- bread flour
- yeast
- milk
- eggs
- sugar
- butter
- cheese
Ingredients
Dough
- 3 cups bread flour
- 2 1/4 teaspoons instant yeast
- 1/2 cup warm milk
- 1/3 cup sugar
- 3 eggs
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 6 tablespoons softened butter
Topping
- 1/2 cup softened butter
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1 cup grated cheese
For Serving
- Coffee or hot chocolate
Instructions
- Mix dough ingredients except butter until combined.
- Knead in butter gradually until smooth.
- Rise until doubled.
- Divide into 12 equal pieces, about 65 g each depending on flour measurement, and shape into loose coils or rolls. Use 12 muffin wells or individual molds about 3 inches across and at least 1 1/2 inches deep, each holding at least 1/2 cup; do not use mini-muffin tins.
- Use 1 teaspoon from the measured topping butter to lightly grease the molds, keeping the rest for finishing. Place one piece in each and cover loosely. Proof until noticeably expanded and puffy, about 45 to 75 minutes depending on room temperature. Preheat the conventional oven to 350 F during the final proof.
- Bake on the center rack at 350 F for about 18 to 24 minutes, checking at 18 minutes. Tops and undersides should be light golden and a center roll should have a set, airy crumb rather than a gummy band. If browning too quickly, tent loosely with foil and continue until the center is baked.
- Cool 5 minutes in the molds, then move to a rack and cool completely. Divide the remaining topping butter, 1/2 cup sugar, and 1 cup grated cheese among the 12 rolls.
Nutrition Estimate
Approximate values per piece based on the listed ingredients and yield. Actual nutrition will vary by brand, exact portion size, and cooking changes.
Tips For The Best Ensaymada
- Add butter slowly: The dough absorbs it better.
- Proof enough: Enriched dough needs time.
- Top after cooling: Butter melts too much on hot bread.
- Use salty cheese: It balances the sweet bread.
How To Serve And Store
Serve the day it is made or reheat gently. Freeze unfrosted rolls.
Common Questions
Can I use all-purpose flour?
Yes, but bread flour gives more structure.
What cheese works?
Edam-style cheese, cheddar, or processed cheese can work.
Why is my dough sticky?
Enriched dough is tacky; knead before adding extra flour.
Why is the topping butter melting into my ensaymada?
The rolls are probably still warm. Cool them before spreading the topping, and use softened rather than melted butter. It should sit on the surface and catch the sugar and cheese.
Do I have to shape the dough into coils?
No. The dough can be shaped into coils or simple rolls and proofed in greased molds. Whichever shape you use, keep the portions even and give them room to become puffy.
Do you like ensaymada with lots of cheese or just a little? Share your family version or testing notes in the comments.
Recipe inspiration and technique reference: Filipino dessert and bakery source research from Panlasang Pinoy, Kawaling Pinoy, The Dusky Kitchen, and Filipino-American dessert sources in the site roadmap.
Technique and food-safety references: panlasangpinoy.com; foxyfolksy.com.
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