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Author:
Franco Salzillo
Here’s a delicious type of baking treat you don’t hear about often; the ensaymada. The tasty two-biter is originally from Majorca, Spain, but it’s a traditional bake in Latin America and even in Southeast Asia.
The ensaymada goes back to the 17th century, which is impressive, and to think it has changed little means every time you try one; you go back in time. Yes, this is an historical type of bread that’s still super trendy!
Water, flour, eggs, yeast are basically all you need to make an ensaymada. Still, there are dozens of varieties, both sweet and savory making the bake a complicated project. Below you’ll find a recipe for a Philippine-style cheese ensaymada.
If you wanted to make yours sweet, just substitute the filling with pastry cream or add nothing for a plain ensaymada, also known as ‘lisa.’
This specialty starts like any other bread, combining the dry and wet ingredients separately and then bringing them together to form a dough. We’ll knead and stretch the dough before rolling it and dividing it into single-serving-sized pieces.
Then you just have to fill the dough with anything you want and coil the dough to form a spiral — the shape that makes ensaymadas instantly recognizable. Shaping the bread might be tricky, but watch some pictures online, and you’ll know precisely how your ensaymadas should look; it’s no biggie.
Let’s make ourselves some classic ensaymadas. Make sure you enjoy these warm straight out of the oven. There’s nothing better than freshly baked bread, especially if it’s an ensaymada!
For the wash and garnish:
Warm the milk for a few seconds in the microwave and add the sugar and yeast. Mix well.
Soften 1/2 cup of butter and combine it with the flour and salt in a mixing bowl. Incorporate the milk-sugar mixture. Add the eggs one at a time while mixing to form a dough.
Preheat the oven to 350°F and line a baking tray with parchment paper.
Flour a surface and knead the dough. Cut it into four equal parts and roll them into cylinders. Cut each cylinder into four equal pieces.
Roll each piece and roll it in the shape of an ensaymada placing the grated cheese inside.
Combine the butter and sugar for the wash and brush the ensaymadas.
Bake for 15-20 minutes and cool in a rack a little before serving. They’re best enjoyed warm!
