Ok guys, if there’s any Filipino bread recipe that I wanted to share with you, it’s this super-soft ensaymada (ehn-sae-mah-dah) recipe. Ensaymada is a brioche bread, topped with a combination of sugar, butter, and grated cheese. I mean, who can resist a buttery sweet bread that’s so tender, light, and fluffy? Perfect for a sweet breakfast or an afternoon snack, and a cup of coffee or tea. Trust me, it’ll be hard to eat just one.

What is Ensaymada?

Ensaymada is a type of Filipino soft and sweet bread covered with butter and sugar and topped with lots of grated cheese. In the 16th century, when the Philippines was colonized by the Spanish, they brought all sorts of changes. Changes that heavily influenced the Filipino cuisine, such as ensaymada

The Filipino ensaymada is an adaptation of the Spanish ensaimada. What’s the difference? Traditional Spanish ensaimada uses pork lard in their dough, called saim. Hence the name ensaimada. While in the Philippines, the base of their dough was butter. Now, in this case, we are not using eggs or dairy to make this ensaymada, but instead I am using my vegan milk bread recipe. It’s the perfect base for this recipe because it’s just as soft, and fluffy as a brioche.

I wanted to make this recipe because, for one, I haven’t seen a completely vegan version of this bread. And two, I was honestly just craving it. Just like the pandesal (Filipino bread rolls), ensaymada are sold at every Filipino bakery. Whenever I would visit my grandma, she would always wake up earlier than us, and fetch us baked goods from the bakeries and serve it to us for breakfast. I remember the joy and excitement I would get when I would open up that brown bag full of baked goods. I will definitely miss those moments.

How To Shape Ensaymada

• 

• 

Working with one piece of dough at a time, roll the dough into a 14-inch rope. Take one end of the dough and start to coil it from the inside out. Leave a space in the middle, as they rise it will fill in the gap.

• 

• 

Tuck the end underneath and gently place it on the parchment-lined baking sheet. Repeat for the rest.

Top tips:

• Using my vegan milk bread recipe. It’s not a brioche, but it’s the best bread that will give you super fluffy results. Don’t worry, I’ll provide it in the recipe below
• No need for molds. Ensaymada is known to have that classic scallop shape at the base. However, I don’t own those types of molds, and I know most of you won’t have those either. So, this will be a free form bread!
• Don’t add too much flour. This dough is quite sticky, however, I don’t suggest adding too much flour as you shape these. They might get too tough. Instead, add a bit of oil to your hands.
• Use a block of vegan cheese (if you can). Sometimes vegan cheese shreds are bit too thick and will not stick to the top. I prefer using a vegan cheese block, like the Chao Block from Field Roast, and grating it over the ensaymada. But if you can’t find those you obviously use what you have!

If you like this recipe, check these out:

• Pandesal
• Spanish Bread
• Ube Pandesal
• Siopao Asado
• Leche Flan (Filipino Style Creme Caramel)
• Puto (Filipino Steamed Rice Cakes)

If you’d tried this recipe out let me know in the comments! Don’t forget to follow me on Instagram @flouredframe and don’t forget to tag me when you create my recipes! Happy baking!

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Print