Ensaimada Especial

The Ensaymada is in many ways like the French Brioche but Filipino ingenuity makes it just so Pinoy – that sugar and grated Edam cheese (keso de bola) on top and it’s snail-like shape. I always say, ‘when I was a young child’ well, this is one of those again. I learned how to make Ensaymada from my mother and it was a whole day affair and it still is, but with the help of my Kitchen Aid, I do not have to shed so much perspiration to make it; the machine does that now. In the good old days, incorporating the butter was like preparing for a boxing match. Your hurled the dough against the marble slab to make sure the butter was taken in by the dough and this took a good one hour. Now, all you have to do is knead the dough by hand for the last 10 to 15 minutes just to refine it. I remember when I first made this on my own; they were as hard as baseball balls and bounced off the floor where I threw them in disgust! That’s many moons ago and this particular recipe is my very own from the hundreds of experiments that I have done. It’s easy to just buy it from your favorite bake shop but there’s nothing like doing it on your own when you have a whole day to spare. It’s very gratifying! Preheat oven to 300ºF or 160ºC fan forced Baking time is 15 minutes Makes 16 pieces of 100 grams each roll Grease pans with shortening Ingredients: Sponge stage: 2 tablespoons instant dry yeast 1/4 cup honey 1 cup warm milk or 1/2 cup warm water and 1/2 cup evaporated milk 100 grams cake flour Second stage: 3/4 cup (150 grams) sugar 1/2 cup egg yolks 300 grams cake flour 1 teaspoon salt Third stage: 1/2 cup whole eggs 400 grams bread flour 2/3 cup (165 grams) butter and 1/3 cup (85 grams) dripping (rendered fat from pork and beef) or just buy from the supermarket – both at room temperature Topping: 1 cup grated Edam cheese or Pecorino sprinkle with sugar Procedure: Sponge stage: In the mixing bowl of your Kitchen Aid or mixer, place 100 grams cake flour and yeast; mix. Pour in honey and warmed milk. Put the paddle attachment of mixer and mix on slow speed for 5 minutes. Stop and let it rest, covered with damp cloth, for 15 minutes. Second stage: Turn on the mixer at low speed and pour in the 1/2 cup egg yolks, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Mix in the sugar and mix well. Add salt to...