Super Soft Ensaymada Bread Rolls

These Super Soft Ensaymada Bread Rolls are the best! It’s light, fluffy, butter-rich and exceptionally delicious. This is the best and easiest homemade Ensaymada recipe you’ll ever make! Skip using the rolling pin or coiling the dough. You won’t need a special molder either. Make it easier by shaping it into classic bread rolls.

I have made Ensaymada at home plenty of times for my friends and relatives. I (used to) call it a labor of love because the whole process is quite extensive. It literally takes me one whole day from making the dough, proving, rolling and then coiling. I still can’t believe I used to do that.

This recipe, on the other hand, is easier, beginner and idiot-proof. Try it to believe it!

Soft Ensaymada Ingredients

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• Egg yolks: No egg whites. This is the secret to a really soft and fluffy dough.
• Pure unsalted butter: There’s no substitute for this. The better the quality of the butter, the better your Ensaymada will be.
• Bread flour and All-purpose flour: Mixing these two kinds of flour allows us to control the protein content of the bread. Which just means that it will give the bread a soft and delicately chewy texture.
• Sugar: We Filipinos love our buns sweet. Sugar is needed to make the dough and also for the butter topping.
• Milk and Water: These will serve as the base liquid for the dough. The water is combined with the yeast to activate.
• Active Dry Yeast or Instant Dry Yeast: Both can be used interchangeably. Activate in lukewarm water until foamy.
• Cheese: Ensaymada will not be complete without cheese. As simple as processed cheddar cheese will work wonderfully for this recipe. Of course, you can also use natural cheese if available (e.g. Gouda, Edam, Cheddar, Swiss).
• Salt: A crucial ingredient that makes any bread taste good.

Tips on How to make Super Soft Ensaymada Bread Rolls

1. 1. Use egg yolks only and pure unsalted butter. Lots of it. See the recipe card for the exact amount.
   2. Warm the liquid ingredients such as water and milk. Microwave for 30 to 40 seconds. The water needs to be at a lukewarm temperature around 40c/105f. If it’s too hot the yeast will die. If it’s too cold, the yeast will not activate. Don’t forget to add a teaspoon of sugar to activate quickly.
   3. Softened the butter and cut into cubes. Cubed softened butter incorporates better with the dry ingredients.
   4. Add additional flour as necessary, about 1/4 cup at a time until the dough is slightly sticky and pulling away from the sides of the bowl. Knead the dough with the stand mixer after every addition and then feel and test the texture after.
   5. Cover the bowl with a plastic wrap and seal the edges. I find that the yeast activates more quickly when moisture is locked-in in the bowl.

1. Let it rise in a warm place for 1 to 2 hours or up to 3 hours during cold months. For colder months, I use the oven. Pre-heat it at the minimum temperature for 5 minutes, turn it off then place the bowl inside. Warning: Use a heat-proof cling wrap or a wet towel instead of a regular cling wrap if you’re proving in a warm oven.

Make-Ahead tip! I do this all the time.

Making Ensaymada is easy. Waiting for the dough to rise, twice at that, is actually the hardest especially if you’re keen on making it in one whole day. But I don’t. Waiting makes me tired and more impatient. So what I always do is make the dough ahead of time then refrigerate it overnight.

In the fridge, the dough will slowly rise and double in size overnight. Once you’ve finished making the dough, just get on about your day and forget about it for a while. On the day of baking, remove from the refrigerator 30 mins before you’re going to shape them into rolls.

Another option is to make the dough and finish the first rise on the same day. Shape them into rolls then do the second or final rise in the fridge. Bake them the next day and you’re done! After spreading the topping of course.

Just make sure you have enough space for your baking dishes. Once the shaped dough rolls have proved, you can’t remove or touch it in the pan. Otherwise, it will lose its shape.

These Ensaymada Bread rolls are a perfect gift to yourself, friends and loved ones as you don’t have to make an extra effort on individually wrapping them. You just need one big plastic wrap, tie a ribbon and it’s good to go.

I would love to serve this for Christmas and New Years Celebration. Just look at how pretty they are!

MUST TRY Filipino Recipes!

• Baked Embutido
• Brown Pandesal
• Pork Ribs Caldereta
• Homemade Puto Bumbong
• Easy Pork Belly Sisig
• Brown Butter Puto Cheese
• White Puto Flan (Leche Flan Puto)
• Pork and Shrimp Lumpiang Shanghai
• Oven-Fried Crispy Lechon Kawali
• White Puto Flan (Leche Flan Puto)

Watch the video on how to make Super Soft Ensaymada Bread Rolls

Print Recipe

Soft Ensaymada Bread Rolls

Recipe Video Above: The softest Ensaymada you will ever have! It's light, fluffy and butter-rich. This is the best and easiest homemade Ensaymada you'll ever make. Skip using the rolling pin or coiling the dough. You won’t need a special molder either. Make it easier by shaping it into classic bread rolls.

Prep Time20 mins

Cook Time20 mins

Cuisine: Filipino

Keyword: buttery rolls, ensaymada recipe, filipino brioche

Servings: 20 -24 rolls

Calories Per Serving: 243kcal

Author: Mella

Equipment

• Stand Mixer
• Baking Pans

Ingredients

• 8 small egg yolks
• 1/2 cup lukewarm water (temp 40c/105f) mix with 1 teaspoon sugar
• 2 1/4 teaspoons instant dry yeast
• 2 cups bread flour add more if needed (see notes)
• 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 cup whole milk lukewarm or room temperature
• 227 grams /1 cup unsalted butter softened and cut into cubes

Topping

• 50 grams unsalted butter
• 1/4 cup superfine white sugar
• 1/2 cup grated cheese I used cheddar, add more if preferred

Instructions

For the Dough

• Separate the egg yolks from the whites. Set aside. In a medium-size bowl, combine lukewarm water, 1 teaspoon of sugar, and yeast. Stir until completely dissolved. Let it stand for 5 to 10mins until yeast begins to foam.
• Meanwhile, in the bowl of your stand mixer, combine flour, sugar, and salt. Mix thoroughly.
• Add warm milk, yeast mixture, egg yolks, and butter to the dry ingredients. Stir with a spatula until just combined. Attach the dough hook and turn the mixer on to the lowest speed and mix until flour is incorporated, scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary.
• Increase the speed to medium and beat for 2 minutes. Add additional flour as necessary, start with 1/4 cup and go from there. Continue beating for 5 to 6 minutes until the dough is slightly sticky and soft and pulling away from the edge of the bowl. Be careful not to add too much flour.

Rise # 1 Warm rise or cold rise

• Cover the bowl with a plastic wrap and seal the edges. Let it rise for 2 hours or to 1 1/2 hour at room temperature until double in size. To make ahead, do a cold rise by placing the dough in the refrigerator. The dough will slowly double in size the next day. See notes for more information.

Rise #2 Shape the rolls

• Remove the plastic wrap and punch the dough down. Transfer onto a lightly floured surface. Divide the dough and form into the desired size of rolls (see video). For an evenly sized dough, use a kitchen scale. Mine was about 50g or 2 ounces each. Adjust based on your preference.
• Transfer the rolls in a greased baking pan lined with a parchment paper. Cover with a towel and let it rise for 45mins to 1 hour at room temperature.

Baking

• Meanwhile, preheat oven at 180c/350f, 15 minutes before the dough rolls finish rising. Bake the Ensaymada bread rolls for 18 to 20 minutes until the top turns light brown. If you're using two racks, switch the trays after 12 minutes so all the rolls will brown evenly.
• Let the bread cool completely before removing from the pan. To take it out of a pan, place a wire rack or plate over the top of the bread and flip. Peel off the parchment paper from the bottom then transfer to a serving plate.

Topping

• Mix butter and sugar. Spread over the Ensaymada bread rolls.
• Sprinkle grated cheese on top. Serve with coffee, hot chocolate or tea. Enjoy!

Notes

• Don't add too much flour. Add additional add about 1/4 cup at a time until the dough is slightly sticky and pulling away from the sides of the bowl. Knead the dough with the stand mixer after every addition and then feel and test the texture after.
• Cover the bowl with a plastic wrap and seal the edges. I find that the yeast activates more quickly when moisture is locked-in in the bowl.
• For colder months, I use the oven to prove the dough. Pre-heat it at the minimum temperature for 5 minutes, turn it off then place the bowl inside. Warning: Use a heat-proof cling wrap or a wet towel instead of a regular cling wrap if you're proving in a warm oven.
• Make-ahead Tip1: Make the dough ahead of time then place in the fridge. The dough will slowly rise and double in size overnight. On the day of baking, remove from the refrigerator 30 mins before you’re going to shape them into rolls.
• Make-ahead Tip2: Another option is to make the dough and finish the first rise on the same day. Shape them into rolls then do the second or final rise in the fridge. Bake them the next day and you're done! Just note though that once the shaped dough rolls have proved, you can’t remove or touch it. Otherwise, it will lose its shape.
• Storage: Cover with a plastic wrap and tightly seal the edges at the bottom of the serving plate.
• Re-heating: Ensaymada is best served warm. Re-heat in the microwave for 30 to 40 seconds. Serve immediately and enjoy with coffee, hot chocolate or tea.

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Last Updated on December 12, 2019