Sunday, November 23, 2008

Supersoft Ensaymada

NOTE as of 2/23/09:
This has become a favorite of many of my readers, as well as mine. Easy to make, super moist and supersoft. Satisfaction guaranteed. :)

UPDATE: Sorry I was not able to come back yesterday to posting.
From supersoft ensaymada
I got busy cooking, (and experimenting yet again with my ensaymada recipe below. I am quite satisfied with the outcome I got with the recipe I am posting here, but I am currently waiting for the newest experiment to rise prior to baking. Once I get the results, I will post later today about comparison...)

This is dedicated to all homemakers like me, who have a life outside of the kitchen...I have tried to make my recipes easy to make and follow, with ingredients easy to find and not gourmet types which you will find in God-only-knows-what-specialty-store (and therefore they are very affordable) and which would not demand your whole day to make (unless you make several batches), yet will give you fulfillment and definitely will wow your friends, brown- or white-skinned. As one of my white co-workers told me after I made her taste a pinch of this roll minus the sugar and butter, "Hmmm, how come your rolls are always moist and pillow soft???".

But of course, if you have easy access to specialty items (like special cheeses) and you have the financial means, go ahead and do your own experiment in trying different ingredients.

Just kindly do me favor, my dearest readers/followers, if you know of people with whom you might like to share the recipes I have here, please point them to my website instead of giving them a copy of the recipe. I appreciate increased traffic to my website.

11-22-08
An absolute welcome give-away in any Filipino Christmas Party supersoft ensaymada that melts in your mouth(soft even without heating up in the microwave, even after two days. Yeah, we finished them after two days because I made a big batch trying to experiment with other ways to use the dough.)

The secrets:
(1) Potatoes
(2) Lots of butter
(3) No kneading!!! (You read that right!)

I have been telling some of those who have been emailing me that I have been experimenting with this ensaymada. I am posting this right before the Holidays, in time for preparing giveaways made with love. The recipe to be posted later...Gotta go grocery shopping first.

(I can hear you say..."Bummer! Whatta teaser!")
Ingredients:
5 cups bread flour (separate 1 + 1 + 3)
1/2 cup sugar
2 envelopes Fleischmann’s RapidRise Yeast (1 envelope is 0.25 oz = 2-1/4 tsp)
1 tablespoon salt
1 cup milk
1/2 cup water
2/3 cup shortening (also known as lard, purico in Philippines, strutto in Italy)
1 cup mashed potato
2 eggs
3 egg yolks
2-oz grated sharp cheddar cheese, added to the 3-cup flour above(I used Helluva Good brand, because it comes closest to the kind of cheese paired with ensaymada that I grew up with. It's up to you to experiment with other cheeses.)- [UPDATE 12-23-08: I tried 2-oz crumbled feta cheese and it was wonderful! I loved the cheesy effect on the dough. Save your cheddar cheese for topping instead.]
melted butter (approximately 1 stick)
softened butter (approximately 1 stick to 1-1/2)(for rolled method)
(Note: Before you turn your nose up with the shortening here, wait for my next post comparing the two).

Directions
Combine 1 cup flour, sugar, undissolved yeast and salt. Heat milk, water and shortening until very warm (120º to130ºF). Gradually add to dry ingredients. Beat 2 minutes at medium speed of electric mixer, scraping bowl occasionally. Stir in mashed potato, eggs and 1 cup flour; beat 2 minutes at high speed, scraping bowl occasionally. Stir in remaining flour to make a stiff batter. Detach dough hook and cover dough plus hook loosely with plastic wrap; refrigerate 2 hours. Remove from fridge and add the 3 egg yolks, stir setting on the mixer. Remove hook from the dough this time and cover loosely again with plastic then refrigerate for another 1-22 hours.

The next stage will make use of a method depending on how hardworking you are or how time pressed you are.

Coiled: If you got lots of time, do the old-fashioned way of coiling like katol by pinching off pieces from the chilled dough about the size of a small pandesal. Get only a few at a time and chill the rest of the dough again because it becomes harder to handle when warmer; it becomes too sticky. Sprinkling flour on work surface helps lessen the stickiness. Shape the dough into a long rope about a foot long and coil as previously illustrated in older posts. Place on greased baking pan and brush with melted butter. See this post for step-by-step slideshow on how to shape into coils.

Rolled (para sa tinatamad): Get a chunk of dough about the same as one that you have for 2-lb recipes of bread (or about the size of a grapefruit or suha). Flatten to disk, fold over the four edges like that of an envelope, and roll to make a rectangle about 8 x 10 inches. Place a generous layer of softened butter except near the edges. Roll tightly from the long end. Cut in 1 to 1-1/2 inch intervals. Dip one end of cut side in melted butter then place on baking pan. Brush the rest of the surfaces with melted butter. [UPDATE 12-23-08: This whole batch can be divided into 3. When shaped into logs after you place your filling, wrap tightly in cling wrap and freeze. After freezing, let stand in room temp for about 15-20 minutes and cut with a knife to end up with 8-9 pieces minus the ends. Place in baking pan, preferably where they will crowd together to compress so they rise upward; ex., in 8x8 or 9x9 or round pans. Brush with butter. Let rise in warmed oven for about 45 mins to 1 hr, or until doubled in size. Bake as directed below. Cool down some or completely before applying topping of choice.]

Let rise in warm, draft-free place until doubled in size, about 1 hour. (My favorite thing to do is place them in the oven and "start" baking then turn off after one minute then let rise for 30 mins to 1 hr. Once puffy enough, remove from oven and start heating up the oven).

Bake at 350ºF for 12-15 minutes or until done. Remove from pans; cool on wire rack for about 30 minutes or until completely cool if not consuming immediately, and store in ziploc bag.

To enjoy ensaymada the traditional Filipino way:
Brush softened butter to warm ensaymadas (not too hot that it melts the butter), dunk in a bowl of sugar (or sprinkle the sugar on top), and top with finely grated cheese (the finer grater gives you soft looking curls of the cheese like in the photo above).


TAGALOG VERSION:

Sangkap:
5 tasang "bread flour" (paghiwa-hiwalayin 1 + 1 + 3) = hula ko, eto yung primera sa Pilipinas
1/2 tasang asukal
2 pakete Fleischmann’s RapidRise Yeast (instant yeast din to)
1 kutsarang asin
1 tasang gatas
1/2 tasang tubig
2/3 tasang purico
1 tasang "mashed potato" (maaaring gumamit ng purong nilagang patatas, o yung tirang mashed potato)
2 itlog
3 pula ng itlog
2-oz ginadgad na sharp cheddar cheese o kaya ay gumamit ng "crumbled feta cheese" at ihalo ito dun sa nakahiwalay na tatlong tasa ng harina (pwedeng gamitin ang food processor para mabiyak nang husto ang feta cheese at mahalong maige sa harina)
tinunaw na "butter" (mga 1 stick, pampahid bago i-bake)
pinalambot butter (mga 1 stick to 1-1/2)(para sa nirolyong dough)

Paraan:
Paghaluin ang 1 tasang harina, asukal, yeast (lebadura) at asin (eto ang tuyong sangkap). Pagsamahin at initin ang gatas, tubig, at purico hanggang 120º to130ºF. Unti-unting ihalo ang mga likidong sangkap sa tuyong sangkap. Paandarin ang electric mixer sa medium speed ng 2 minuto (paminsan minsan ay kaskasin sa gilid ang bowl para mahalong maigi). Idagdag ang mashed potato, itlog, at 1 tasang harina at i-beat uli ng 2 minuto sa high speed (pinakamabilis); kaskasin uli para mahalo maige.Unti-unting ibuhos ang natitirang harin (na me halong keso) habang umaandar ang mixer. Sa puntong ito, kung hindi kaya ng mixer maghalo ng makapal na dough, pwedeng gamitin ang wooden spoon o kamayin hanggang maging malambot na dough. Takpan ng plastic (cling wrap) at ilagay sa ref nang 2 oras.

Ihalo ang 3 pula ng itlog. takpan uli at ilagay sa ref. Maghintay ng 2 oras o kahit abutin ng 22 oras pa bago ihulma.

Sa paghulma, pwedeng hugis katol o nirolyo. Kung tinatamad ka, irolyo mo. Kung matyaga ka, gawing parang katol.

Wisikan ang countertop/lamesa ng maraming harina. Ilagay ang dough. Budburan ang ibabaw ng maraming harina. Gamit ang rolling pin, i-flat ang dough (Budburan lang na harina sa madikit na parte.). (Mas mabilis ito kesa paisa-isang piraso na pinahaba ng kamay).

(1) Katol: Gamit ang "dough cutter", maghiwa nang pahaba para makagawa ng "lubid" na kasingtaba ng hinlalaki na 1 ft ang haba.. Eto ang gawing parang katol. Ilagay sa baking sheet na pinahiran ng manipis ng purico. Yung dulo ng katol ay dapat nasa ilalim, para hindi hihiwalay habang umaalsa. Maglaan ng 2 inches na pagitan bawat piraso. (Pwedeng i-freeze sa puntong ito: ilagay sa freezer ng 3 oras, ilabas at ilagay sa makapal ng plastic bag/ziploc. Alisin ang hangin hanggang kaya. Pag handa na paalsahin, ilabas sa freezer, ilagay sa mold na me pahid ng purico, at paalsahin ng mga 4 na oras sa countertop/room temp, o ilagay sa pinainit (1 minuto) na oven para mas mabilis umalsa.)

(2) Nirolyo:
Itupi ang apat na gilid para makagawa ng parihaba (8x10 inches). Pahiran ng pinalambot na butter maliban sa pinakagilid para magselyo pag nirolyo. Irolyo nang mahigpit mula sa mahabang gilid. (Pwede i-freeze sa puntong ito: Balutin nang cling wrap nang mahigpit. Pag handa na paalsahin, ilabas sa freezer, palipasin ang 15 minuto bago hiwain.) Hiwain na mga 1 inch hanggang 1-1/2 inches ang kapal. Ilagay sa ensaymada mold na pinahiran ng purico/pinalambot na butter.

Pahiran ng tinunaw na butter. Hayaang umalsa sa lugar na mainit-init at kelangan, walang malakas na hangin (draft); takpan ng plastic na pinahiran ng purico. Pwedeng ilagay sa oven. Ganito: Painitin ang oven ng isang minuto, saka ilagay ang baking sheet (hindi na kelangan takpan ng plastic). Hayaang umalsa hanggan dumoble ang laki. Pahiran uli ng tinuna na butter. Ihorno (bake) sa 350 F ng 12-15 minuto or hanggang maging golden brown ang ibabaw. Pagka-alis sa oven, ilagay agad sa wire rack para lumamig nang mga 30 minuto. Kung hindi kakainin agad, ilagay sa ziploc.

Kung kakainin agad, pahiran ng pinalambot na butter ang ibabaw (ang iba ay gustong gawin to habang mainit pa ang ensaymada, kaya natutunaw ang butter. Ako, ang gusto ko ay makapal yung malabot na butter, hindi tunaw.) Maglagay ng asukal sa mangkok (bowl) at idukdok ang ensaymada na may butter. (Maaaring paghaluin ang malabot na butter at asukal, tapos eto ang ipahid sa ensaymada. Mas kakapit ang keso pag ganito.)

Kung gusto mo na me keso, maggadgad ng cheddar cheese sa ibabaw.


Variations for topping:

A. glaze/frosting
1 cup confectioners' or glazing sugar
2 tablespoons melted butter
1 tablespoon milk

better recipe from Spice Islands (good for 24 rolls)
# 6 1/2 cups powdered sugar
# 6 tablespoons butter, softened
# 6 tablespoons milk
# 1 teaspoon Spice Islands® Pure Vanilla Extract
# 1 teaspoon Almond Extract

B. cinnamon-flavored frosting
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, room temperature
2 cups confectioners' sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3/4 teaspoon salt
grated zest and juice of 1/2 orange
1 to 1 1/2 tablespoons hazelnut liqueur, such as Frangelico, or almond liqueur, such as Amaretto)

Why do I like this recipe aside from it giving me those tender, light-colored ensaymadas that very much reminds me of red ribbon or goldilocks (my previous recipes were only a bit more special than the ensaymada I grew up with, made by my Tatay or Manong)? Well, aside from those reasons mentioned above, this recipe also is pretty much like a slow cooker. Prepare then forget for a while until you are ready to cook. This recipe gives you a whole 24 hours to finally get going with the baking stage. Prepare today, put in the fridge, shape, rise and bake tomorrow. Or you can prepare today, shape hours later and refrigerate, bake the next day. Your choice. Just don't let 24 hours pass before you bake.

TIPS: For those who have a cellar with temps almost like that of a fridge, and you would like to bake several batches of this, I suggest you get a shelf (maybe 5-tier aluminum) and a damp sheet to wrap around the shelves once you have pans with the buns shaped already to keep them moist. You might want to experiment with just one or two pans and see how it turns out.

To those planning to give these away for Christmas (or maybe making a business out of it?), may I suggest baking them in Christmas baking boxes like those by KAF (star or tree).

UPDATE (12/11/08)
I tried to freeze some of the dough after rolling like a log, then tried to cut with a knife after about 20 minutes out of the freezer, as shown in the additional photos in the slideshow. I let it rise in room temp after brushing some more with melted butter, which maybe took one hour before I baked them. Taste-wise, they turned out perfect still, if not for the fact that placing them on baking sheet made them expand laterally so they looked flat. They probably would look better if placed in 8x8 or a tree-shaped pan, where they would be compressed and forced to rise upward.
Happy Holidays!

UPDATE as of 12-21-08:
From Holiday tree baking pan

I baked them in tree-shaped pan after freezing, and they rose after about 1-1/2 hour (would have been faster if I let them rise inside a warm oven, but I was baking something else that time). So this is how they looked like after baking. Beautiful, ain't it? Just add toppings of softened butter, sugar and grated cheese just before giving to your friends/relatives.

UPDATE: 1-24-09
Does this task seem daunting to you? Don't feel intimidated. Wena has tried making this and was very pleased with the results, too. And as you will see with the comments by Crystal, she found this very satisfactory as well. So shake off you fear and JUST DO IT!


UPDATE: 1-29-09
Anonymous EQ, a pastry chef, tried this recipe and states it is better than the ensaymada of goldilocks or red ribbon. Here's a photo of what pastry chef made. Pwedeng pang-business! Click on the photo to see a larger picture. Basing on his story in the comments section below, seems like he played with the dough (like it was Play-Doh, haha!), especially that he did not have his Kitchen Aid Mixer to prep the dough. I remember when I was just learning to bake from scratch (not play with dough, as that is something I have done since I was a kid), I was soooo scared to handle the dough that I myself produced, and it took time for me to get comfortable again to handle it like it was clay.

To EQ, Thanks a lot for your comment. It means a lot to me!

UPDATE as of 3-15-09: Joy L. also made these today and was very satisfied with the results. She is going to bring them the next day to her homeschooling group.

The next day she again emailed me about how these were received by his husband. "My husband said:"WoW! It's one of your best bread ever!! I can easily eat more but I have to watch my carb." My husband is diabetic but is addicted to bread and chocolates My 6 years old boy ate 2 for merienda while my little girl ate one whole piece too!! They want me to pack ensaymada for their lunch tomorrow."

Thanks Joy L for letting me know about your outcome!

UPDATE as of 4/3/09: Mai also baked these (first time for her to bake!), and was so nervous before placing the dough inside the oven to bake. The results brought joy both to her and to her husband. Her husband said, "masarap pa to kesa Goldilocks."

Thanks, Mai, for trusting me and giving this recipe a try!

UPDATE as of 4/21/09: I was at work when I received this email of Marlene's ensaymada photos.Truly inspiring! Thanks for sharing this photo of your gorgeous ensaymadas, Marlene! Glad your family enjoyed them!




143 comments:

Anna said...

waaahhh! defintely a teaser!hehe..Can't wait for the recipe, it's sunday here tomorrow, so I'll have time to experiment with it :)

iska said...

thanks for this link, manang :-)

i am still a newbie; baking cupcakes and muffins. planning to do a banana cake this weekend. but will definitely go to the next level which is... ensaymada!

Manang said...

Hi iska,
I hope that this particular recipe and method will not intimidate you at all...it is very forgiving -- from the no-kneading part to the waiting period.

mumayr said...

hi manang,i tried making some last year but it turned out to be a big disaster !!! i was so surprise with the use of potato ... will try this maybe this weekend .. THanks and keep posting :)

maloy said...

hi manang! i tried your supersoft ensaimada recipe, and it was really oh soooo good! my husband loved it, he kept asking for more. your blogs helped a lot to ease my boredom, thanks to you!=D looking forward for more recipes, and oh! i've tried a panettone recipe from one of my cook books and it turned out well, but still have to experiment it again to perfect it, someday i'm going to share it to you here. thanks again!

Manang said...

hi maloy,
thanks for the comment! glad you and your hubby liked my recipe :)
Now you got me curious about panettone...I will be waiting for you to share that with me!

batchie said...

hi manang! just found your site and i can't wait to try out your ensaymada recipe which really looks gorgeous and yummy! may i just ask what is the measurement of 2 envelopes of yeast?? bcoz we don't have fleischmann brand here.. thanks a lot and more power!

Manang said...

Hi maloy,
Wow, thanks for the recipe! Giniginaw ako while reading your post, and I can just imagine how comforting it would be to have this panettone with the hot cocoa (tablea). I have tried tablea only once c/o a friend na tubong Iloilo. Not sure if it tastes the same as yours, but that was really good!
I don't mind the long post. In fact, I wam going to make a post on it, to try then update as I have tried them...and I think that's what I am gonna do everytime I receive a recipe shared by friends and readers...will label as "recipes to try" prior to my actual attempt.
Thanks a bunch! Merry Christmas! (Di pa naman ganong huli!)

Beng said...

Hi manang,
My husband gave me a Kitchenaid stand mixer for Xmas. I think I'll try your ensaymada recipe this weekend. My daughter loves ensaymada but we can't get any here in GA (as far as I know). Did you use potato flakes or already prepared mashed potato?

Manang said...

Hi Beng,
I used leftover mashed potatoes as well as freshly mashed (unflavored and pure) mashed potatoes. Both are good, but the leftover MP resulted to more stickier dough (maybe because of increased liquid).
Have fun with your stand mixer!

mumayr said...

very creative christmas tree ensaymada!!!

manang i have a question regarding the mashed potato part is it the mashed potato with the milk,butter,as the side dish or just boiled potato that has been mashed ? thank you very much !

how's the weather up there?

Manang said...

hi mumayr, I usually use the leftover mashed potatoes with the usual butter and cream, but I have used pure mashed boiled potato also. the former is stickier, but both are good!

Beng said...

Thanks for the reply. Huwag sana akong pumalpak. After I make the ensaymada this weekend, I'll try your pandesal naman. I just love your website. I miss living back in Guam and PI.

Manang said...

Hi Beng, good luck!
After ensaymada, pandesal will be a breeze to you!

mumayr said...

hi manang, thank you very much for the info !!!! have a good day ! :)

ing said...

hello...
i would like to do this one someday. i have a question though, nalilito pa kasi ako when it comes to measuring butter. what is the right way of measuring butter and ano po ba yung 1 stick of butter? isang buong butter po ba yun? ang alam ko po kasi yung butter may guide, isang buong butter is equivalent to 1 cup then meron po division nkaprint sa wrapper divided into 8. nalilito pa rin ako until now how to properly measure butter.
hope you can enlighten me.
thanks. ingats.

Manang said...

Hi ing,
A whole 1-lb butter is usually divided into 4 sticks (although I have seen in Canada butter that is not divided as such). Each stick (1/4 lb) then is equivalent to 1/2 cup = 8 tbsp. Here, each stick of butter has markings on the wrapper as guide. Maybe what you saw as 1 cup butter was 1/2-lb pack.
I hope this helps!

cindy said...

Hi manang,
Looks really yum... Taga dto po ako sa new zealand and i got your link from ate stel"baby rambutan". I would like to try this. Just looking for the bread flour. dto kasi what i saw from the supermarket, is bread mix, yun na kaya yun? then yung rapid rise yeast, dko alam if it is the same as the breadmakers yeast, kasi yun ang meron dto. it has the tiny brown balls and some white powder with it. have used this breadmakers yeast though in making siopao and in another ensaymada recipe.
thanks in advance for your answers.
i can't wait to try this recipe.

cindy said...

Hi Manang,
Thank you for the links, what a clever idea for leading me to the experts. I just need to wait for their answers.
With regards to doing apprenticeship, the company offering is actually close to our place but I might not be leaning to doing actual baking for a living. I love baking for my family and my friends, though and I definitely love eating what I bake. Trying to stop myself to eat all my baked stuff all at once. hehehe... Tataba talaga ako...
I'm looking in to becoming an early childhood educator, so it would fit to my schedule of taking care of my kids. Sobrang layo na ng work ko right now, sa pinag-aralan ko ng uni, but my kids come first... :-)
Kakatempt sana, kasi sabi dun sa website, bakers usually work early morning and are free the rest of the day, kaso wala naman maglook after sa kids ko early morning if ever...
Thanks so much.....

Manang said...

cindy,
Hope you will have your answers soon so you can enjoy baking!

Anonymous said...

Hi Manang,
I am a newbie in baking and I have tried some recipes before but failed...i am so glad to see ur site while i was searching for ensaymada recipe...my husband loves ensaymada and when i see ur recipe, i said this is it...hopefully, it will be a success when i try it...

i am so inspired to bake now that i found your site! thank you...

Luz said...

Hi Manang,
Is it hard mix the using electric hand mixer only? I do not have a kitchen aid mixer yet, and if it's ok... how many minutes approx. to know if it's ready. Please advice.Thanks.

Manang said...

Hi Luz,
If you are going to use th electric hand mixer, use it only during the mixing before you add the final batch of flour (habang thin pa). Pag nilagay mo na yung flour na panghuli, wooden spoon na gamitin mo. okay lang yun

Ashley said...

Manang,

I was wondering what kind of cheese do you use to top the ensaymada? Is it just regular cheddar shredded finely?

Anonymous said...

Manang,

Thanks for the recipe, I have one question. How come the bread hardens the next day? What is the
best way to keep it soft?

Thanks again,
A/R

Manang said...

Hi Ashley,
Sorry for the late reply. I had been on a marathon at work in the past week and did not have internet connection last night.
I used the Helluva Good sharp cheddar cheese shredded finely.

Hi A/R,
The best way to keep bread/rolls soft in the next days is to place them inside plastic bag/ziploc when they have cooled down enough so they do not sweat inside the bag. That is the right moisture to keep. If exposed to air and it dries up, it hardens. If too hot/warm (placed inside bag too soon), it sweats then that invites mold formation. Here in my area it takes about 10-30 minutes (depends on the size and space around) to do that. If I forget then do it too late, I never quite get back to the soft stage; the only solution then would be the microwave/oven toaster, after which if it cools down it becomes too tough already.

Anonymous said...

Hi manang im a pastry chef by trade but havent been practicing in the passed few years. I tried out your recipe an I have to say....its better than those ive tried at goldielocks and red ribbon which is local to me. I made small mega melt mulach size and they turned out awesome
Taste Awesome too the potatoes do the trick...in keeping it moist thanks for sharing... Cheers heres a link http://i163.photobucket.com/albums/t305/chefejq/ensay.jpg

Manang said...

Hi Anonymous,
Coming from a pastry chef, I feel honored that you even tried my recipe, and your comments certainly made my day!
Those look yummy. Did you make some sort of creamed butter for topping? And I love the effect of the contrasting colors of the cheddar cheeses (I presume you used cheddar cheese?)
Oh wow...
I am borrowing your photo to show off here in this blogpost.
Thanks a lot for your feedback!

EQ said...

Your more than welcome to use the photo. I used montery jack and cheddar. It was some work i left my kitchen aid at my home on maui and currently being in california i put some sweat into doing manuel labor with a sticky dough...it turned out well though. I practiced with the ropes and the rolls as well as freezing. I rolled the dough to the diameter of cupcake tins and froze and cut 1/2 of the size of the depth of the tins the next day. And baked for 10mins. First time to tabble with sweets from my filipino heritage other than being creative in the hotels with macaroons style san rival... Cheers to continue success...

Manang said...

Thanks, EQ!
BTW, you mentioned sans rival...can you share your recipe with me? Or is it top secret? It's ok if you cannot; I understand. I still would like to experiment on sans rival.

EQ said...

yes its actually just baked eggs whites similar to macaroon. rather than piping you make rectangles with a spatula to your desired parameter and a good butter cream. When i have a moment ill rummage through my recipes and see if I can find it. its been a good 6 years since Ive used the recipe. Btw whats wonderful with your ensaymada is when its refridgerated it doesnt need to be heated up in the microwave all you have to do is leave out for 30mins till its at room temp. and its just as delicious and the sugar gets to do its science and is absorbed by the bread...awesome tried it this morning...

EQ said...

btw i have a wonderful pan de sal that stays super moist and soft for days. I was searching online for different variations and after a week of development I came up with different ratios and ingredient that make a pan de sal that I enjoy. However its a secret for now but you may have done things similar so it may not be a secret. Only a secret cuz it took me 7days and 10+ batches which my taste tester was my grandma. I open to sharing it with you since you gave me a wonderful ensaymada recipe and you can give me your feedback. Please send me a email at chefejq@yahoo.com so i can have your private email and will send my recipe if like.. Cheers

Manang said...

EQ, I sent you an email...thanks in advance!

ellen said...

oh my goodness. i made this today and is very very soft and ensyamada tlga unlike my first 2 tries before. thanks so much for this recipe. i have one question though, i put the rest on the freezer, if i want to eat some ill just heat it on microwave, will it still be good? thanks.

Manang said...

Hi ellen,
Glad you liked it!
I have not tried freezing the baked ones, but if you would like to experiment, I would suggest that you place each one in cling wrap to tightly seal (less air trapping) then place them in thick freezer bags. No toppings or cheeses kasi when you microwave, melted lahat yun). I usually microwave a chilled/rm temp ensaymada for about 10-15 secs. Not sure how long it would require to zap frozen ones.

ellen said...

i already did freeze it and then took it out today and tried it, it is still soft and still good even if i don't heat it. i loved it so much. u are really a great cook. i mean i tried other recipes for ensaymada but this is the best one and is more better than the ensaymada that we have in pinas. i want to know if u know how to make ensaymada with red mung bean as palaman or pan de monggo? if so, how do u make the fillings? thanks

Ebie said...

Hi, Manang, there are a lot of very nice compliments of this recipe (btw, the read the whole comments section). I have tried another recipe and it did not turn out soft. Will try this one and will subscribe. Thanks for sharing your experiences and expertise. You are a good addition to the baking and cooking community!

Bits said...

Hello :) I tried your super soft ensaymada recipe for our food technology class :) it was the first time i made ensaymada and it was a hit! our teacher gave my group a perfect score and that was with out the cheese topping! :D thank you for posting this :)

Bits said...

Yea, I'm in the Philippines. I didn't get to find shortening in the supermarket so i used equal amounts of butter. and for the yeast, i just used normal yeast and tinantsa ko lang kasi di ko alam kung gaano ka rami yung 2 envelopes. haha!

Manang said...

Bits,
shortening is aka vegetable lard, which is plenty there (we used big cans of that in our bakery). I should try using butter too instead of shortening!
Galing mo magtantya ng yeast ha!

Elvira said...

Manang,
I am not a baker but your ensaymada looks good so I would like to try baking it. I can't find my attachments for my old kitchenaid, so I am wondering if I can just use a hand mixer? or just mix by hand? will that work?
I am also wondering if you have a tried and tested dough recipe for empanada and a filling recipe that is delicious?
I am also looking for a job, so for the meantime ,my hobby is experimenting on new recipes of my favorites!

Manang said...

Hi Elvira,
Yes you can use a hand mixer only up to the point before you put in the rest of the flour because once you do, it will be too hard to mix, kamayin mo na lang or use a wooden spoon.
For empanada, I use the recipe for the dough for the pie crust I use in apple pie (love that one!), and I use leftover roasted chicken for meat, make gravy out of that (I actually use the gravy now for empanada), add diced carrots and potatoes, peas, and raisins. I let them sit in the fridge before making empanadas para mas buo, and para umalsa yung raisins (which is optional).

Manang said...

Elvira,
Good luck nga pala looking for a job!

elaine said...

Manang,
I want to say thank you for the ensaymada recipe. I tried baking it last night and it was good even if i burnt it a little. I'll try making the hopia next time.
Thanks again!

Manang said...

Hi elaine,
Glad you liked the ensaymada! Enjoy making the hopia (caution: damihan mo yung ube filling mo...kaka-addict! Nabitin ako eh!)

Manang said...

Hi sharon,
I actually used Crisco brand. :)

Anonymous said...

Hi Manang!
I always read your blog. And thankful that all your recipes are my favorites...yung mga lasang hinahanap ko, kaya nagagawa kong gawin at lutuin maski na malayo ako sa Pinas. I am here in Switzerland at talaga namang nakakamis ang mga lutong Pinoy. Superhit talaga itong Supersoft Ensaymada mo! Sana huwag kang magsawa sa pag-post ng mga recipes! God Bless!

Manang said...

Hi Anonymous,
Thanks for letting me know it was a superhit :) Such comments propel me to keep on posting.
I actually end up having more Fiipino food posts here than American, mainly because my husband's taste is so simple that I have a few all-time favorites that I just rotate cooking. The rest of the time, I recreate Fiipino recipes I miss, kahit matikman lang once a year, ok na.

Anonymous said...

hi manang,

ano po ba ang shortening?ano pued i substitute

thank u sa mga recipes mo naka ka njoy

Anonymous said...

HI MANANG

THANK FOR THE QUICK REPLY
BAKA NGA SA YEAST AKO NAGKAMALI,PERO INFAIRNESS ANG SARAP LINUTO KO PARIN MASKI NA HINDI GAANONG NAG RISE SUPER SARAP TALAGA;MAHIRAP PALA ANG ENSAYMADA.
NORMAL BA YUNG DOUGHT NA ANG ANG HIRAP E MIX SA HAND MIXER KASI ANG TIGAS SA DOUGH NA GINAWA KO
ANYWAY I HOPE I CAN SHARE A PHOTO OF MY COCO CINNAMON ROLLS. MY DAUGHTERS SO LOVE IT AND AKO RIN

Manang said...

HI Anonymous,
mahirap talaga sa hand mixer yun basta ihahalo mo na yung final flour addition. Pag ganon, you can use your hands to gradually add flour hanggang maging soft dough (very sticky and messy). You can use wooden spoon, pero I like the control you have with hands.

Anonymous said...

hi manang,
alam ko na kung bakit matigas ang dough na ginawa ko,kasi instead 120°f ,120°c(europe) ang ginawa ko,hehhehe.sorry to bother you,anyways i make siopao right now,sucess ang dough ko...have a nice day;thanks a lot sa mga recipe ha,naka katulong talaga

anna

kriz said...

Hi Manang,

ask ko lng po kng pwede din ba ung recipe ng supersoft ensaymada para sa spanish bread???

Tahnk You po!!!

jeimz said...

hi...i'm newbee here on ur site..nandito sa UK at the moment...i asked my fiance to send me the rapid rise yeast kase wala po talaga dito..meron lang active dry yeast which i used in your pandesal recipe na ang sarap..thanks...wala ba alternative dun po sa rapid rise yeast?..i tried doing it with the other yeast and hindi nga nag rise...and wala ako candy thermometer...how can i be sure na reach ko po yung right temp. dun sa initial proofing???

jeimz said...

ohhh myy..thanks alot for offering to send me some....but i just called my bf and he went straight to the grocery then to the post hehe...thanks alot for a quick reply...i'm expecting it by wed......wish me luck :)...salamat ulit....

Anonymous said...

Hi Manang,
Firstly, I would like to thank you for providing us with your wonderful recipes. I'm so happy when I found your food blog. I live in Florida State and how I missed eating Filipino food. I'll be trying your delicious recipes soon. I would like to try your Super Soft Ensymada and I have some questions:
1. In your second instruction on how to shape it you said first to fold it like an envelope, how do you shape it like an envelope, I'm quite confused on this one, would you please clarify.
Do you roll it with rolling pin after folding it?

2. After cutting it, does it come out like cinnamon rolls?

3. What kind of pan do you use when baking the ensymadas.

Thank you and more power to you.

jess said...

hi manang...just want to let you know that i'vee tried your ensaymada and it turned out really good...my husband and kids love it! thanks for sharing your recipe...your blog is really a heaven sent to those new in baking and cooking alike.. :) more power..

Joy Grace said...

Hi Manang, I have tried your super soft ensaymada recipe.. Oh my gosh, ang sarap!!! My husband ate 3 after it came out of the oven, since he cant stand the aroma of freshly baked bread.. thank you for sharing your recipe. i am thinking giving this away for christmas for friends and family.. i use to make homemade almond roca candies(which is also a hit!!), but this is gonna be a sweet variation to that.. i even posted the pictures of my finished product on my facebook. my friends are getting crazy just looking at the pics and not being able to taste.. oh well.. haha.. if you want pictures, just let me know.. thank you po ulit! Joy

Manang said...

Hi Joy Grace!
Sure I would love to have pictures of your ensaymada to add to this post! Thanks for letting me know how much you liked this!
I myself am currently preparing ensaymada (although I am trying now using sweet potatoes instead of the regular potatoes, and 4 egg yolks -- only because I am gonna use the whites to make almond dacquois). I will bring them tomorrow to a birthday party (the hostess is going to prep lechon) along with sapin sapin.

Joy Grace said...

hi manang, paano po magsubmit picture..

i have several friends ask me for the recipe.. i gave them the link to your website.. =D

hmm.. lechon, sarap!!

Marlene said...

Hi, Manang!
I've just chanced upon your website when I was looking for an ensaymada recipe, and boy, i was very LUCKY!!! I am fairly new to baking but I can cook, well, my family does not complain, hehehe!!! Anyway , I tried your supersoft ensaymada recipe the first time and it turned out PERFECT! It was truly, heavenly soft and oh, soooo yummy!!!! Just the way I remember the ones made by Goldilocks and Red Ribbon, only HEAPS better. My husband said "mas masarap pa ito dun sa goldilocks sa atin" and my son said "wow, napakasarap!!!" at first bite and coming from a 9-year old boy, I take as an honest to goodness 100% compliment. Even my Tatay who's visiting said "parang original!" (lol)..I can't thank you enough for this recipe. We are here in New Zealand and we are missing the Filipino food immensely. Your website is a blessing esp. to immigrants like us wanting a little taste of home without the cost! Again, many thanks!!!

Manang said...

Hi Joy Grace!
Just email the photos to me at manang.kusinera@gmail.com then i will edit this blogpost to include your ensaymada photos. :)

Manang said...

Hi Marlene,
Welcome to my site and thanks for leaving a feedback about my ensaymada recipe! Glad you all enjoyed it!
I hope what I have here currently will be enough database for you to start indulging yourselves once again with Filipino goodies despite being away from the Philippines. :)

Anonymous said...

Hi Manang,

Good day to you! It's really so nice of you sharing everything you know with regards to cooking and baking and for sharing your recipes, tips and secrets. Not everyone does that good gestures. I'm from California and really love cooking and baking, so I really found your website interesting and really helpful for me. I've tried making your ensaymada recipe last saturday. I followed everything and turned out fine the next day, which was yesterday. I used pure mashed potato. I also used the coiled method and they looked good. I put them in the warmer drawer of my oven and set at low temperature for the second stage of proofing. They rose well but after I baked them, they turned out to be flat They really taste so good though! Could you let me know why? Did I do something wrong? One more thing, they got nearly burnt under. I baked them on a non stick jelly roll pan since I don't have a baking sheet. Should I only use a baking sheet?

I also have a question on the pandesal recipe. Do you have a recipe not for bread machine? I don't have a bread machine, I only have kitchen aid mixer. Can I use the recipe for BM for kitchen aid or manual use?

I also tried your Spanish bread using the other ensaymada recipe. They really taste good! I put them in a ziplock bag so they would stay soft, as you've said. But the next day they were not that soft. Is there any other tips that you could give to make them stay ssoft? Or did I mess up somthing while making them?

Sorry for the many questions and somewhat negative comments here coz I really wanted to achieve a very good result as what everyone else does.

Thank you!

Anonymous said...

Hi Manang!

Thanks for the quick response. Regarding the ensaymada, I think I over-rose them. I placed them in the warmer drawer for over 10 minutes as I was still coiling the remaining batch. I never thought of it since I got a good result after the final proofing and I was so excited achieving it... It's nice to know that I was not the only one who experienced the burnt bottoms using a non-stick pan. haha! I thought I over baked them. I have read somewhere that if you are using a a non-stick pan, you need to lower your oven temp to 25 deg. Like, when the required temp is 350, you need to change it to 325 so as not to burn your breads even your cakes since the coated pans produce more heat than a regular non-stick and aluminum pans. Maybe I should buy an aluminum baking sheet/pan so i wont get burn bottoms again next time. One more thing, what butter should i use for the toppings so that it would look like a more creamier butter? just like muhlach's? they have a creamier butter on top. is there a recipe to make creamier butter?

Re pandesal, I will try making it this weekend. I have a question though, can you freeze the dough after kneading and forming? or should I freeze it after rising? When frozen, up to how long should I thaw before baking? My dad really love pandesal and we can't find anything here that suits our taste. We have tried goldilocks and red ribbon, they are good and soft but they cost too much!

I think I under-rose the spanish bread as i noticed, they didn't rise enough as i didn't put them in a warm place.

I hope I wont get negative results next time. don't mind those give negative comments you thought that are trying to sabotage your website or your recipe... inggit lang sila! haha!

Manang said...

Hi anonymous,
about the creamy butter, I think all you have to do is let the butter stand in room temp then whip it so it becomes creamy (that's how they make creamed butter in restaurants, but I am not sure whether muhlach's is like that because I never got to try a muhlach ensaymada.
Freezing pandesal (not sure why you want to freeze that family-size recipe; we finish our pandesal within 3 days). I would think you can freeze them after cutting. Just place them in the pan like you would before baking, but place the pan in the freezer right away and freeze for about 3 hours, then take out the freezer, place in freezer bags and try to squeeze out as much air as possible, then place back in the freezer. Thawing will depend on how warm your environment is, but I think once you place them back on greased pan and inside a warm oven, it will probably take about 1-1/2 to 2 hrs to rise.
Well, with enough practice you will get to know your baking/rising conditions better. I myself tend to produce bad results if I had not baked a certain recipe for a long time. Then I try to look at how I did it during posting, and see if I used the same pans or placed in the same oven rack, etc. just to see what made it a success as of the posting. (That's also a reason why I blog, so I have a record of procedures that will duplicate a successful recipe).

Anonymous said...

I was just thinking of making a big batch and freezing them for future use.

Thanks so much!

Anonymous said...

Good morning Manang,
ang bread flour po ba at self rising flour is the same? kc po d2 sa UK 2kinds lang ang flour sa grocery, plain and self rising lang po. will wait for your reply before trying this recipe. salamat po. Riza

Bobong said...

Hi Manang, I havent tried this yet but I was wondering that this dough would be great for pastel bread (very famous in Camiguin.) FYI pastel is formed like pan de coco but with a yema filling. Hope you can experiment on this.. Thank you so much.

Manang said...

Hi Riza,
Here i go again...I just posted an answer to your question and it has not appeared here yet. My answer was that bread flour is one with higher protein content and rising is better because of that. Self-rising flour is one with added leavener (like baking powder, maybe), so the two are different.

Manang said...

Bobong,
My ensaymada dough with yema filling is in the freezer right now (will bake on another day). I think I should have made the yema a tad more runny. Not sure how it will turn out once I bake...I will let you know.

Anonymous said...

Hi Manang!
I applaud you for having such a wonderfully helpful site. I tried your ensaymada recipe, taste and texture were great. I used the "tamad" method of rolling it and the baked goodies came out in varying shapes. How do i make them come out picture perfect like yours?BTW don't have brioche molds yet. Thanks!

Manang said...

Hi Anonymous,
The "picture-perfect" ensaymada is one using the coiled method (see this post for slideshow on that). In rolled method, you should cut swiftly so the dough won't seal and the swirl will be apparent. Or you may want to freeze them before you do final rising, as I showed on the slides, so the cut will be better. And placing them in baking pans where they will be sort of compressed once risen will prevent them from opening up at the seams (like the tree pan I used; try to click on that to see a larger pic. You can also use square pan).

Bobong said...

Hello Manang!
How did your experiment with the yema filling go? Hope you can teach us your style of making "yema", too. Actually I did a lot of experiment with the supersoft ensaymada dough and had very good results. It only had quite a sticky dough when I was molding bcuz I did some shortcuts of the procedure like letting it rise in a refrigerator.
Also, I am curious about making bread using bread enhancer, but I think they are only available in the Philippines. Are this the same with "gluten flour" sold locally? Does this really help make my bread more softer even after a day or two in the shelf?
Thanks a lot for your blogpost Manang. It really help me a lot on my new hobby of breadmaking and eventually I would venture into selling some of my perfected product (hopefully, hehe!) from your great ideas being shared.
Happy cooking and heres wishing you an advanced "HAPPY MOTHERS DAY".. Keep smilin'.....

jean said...

good day manang, pasenxa na po . d kc talaga ako kagaling mgbake but im really trying harder to bake , ask k lng po ano ung shortening? ano ano ung mga klase ng shortening? ung envelopes of yeast ano p ung estimated measurement nya 1 tsp? kc po alang brand nyan d2. gusto ko po try ung ensymada nyo lalo na ung meron filling ... thank you sana po reply nyo ako. thank you

Merienne said...

Hi Manang!

Gusto ko ang website mo dahil sinobukan ko ang recipe ng ensemada mo. Masarap! Pasenya walang pix dahil sira ang camera ko. Next time ha? Bakit ilagay mo ang mash potato? Para maging moist ba?

Salamat sa recipe mo! Masarap.

switduchess said...

hi manang! if im going to half this recipe, how many egg yolks should i need? should i put 2 or 1 instead? thanks a lot!

im really exciting to do this kse theres no kneading :) more power!

leng

Anonymous said...

hello manang,

this is len again here in texas. i made half of the recipe. (because i'm afraid i might mess it up) i just added the egg yolks. so now i refrigirated it and will wait 22 hours before i bake it.(crossing my fingers)
thank you very much for your immediate response. i appreciate it.

len

Manang said...

hi len,
I wanted to reply to this yesterday during break at work but I could not open my site. Anyway, I wanted to tell you that you did not have to wait 22 hrs. After 1 hr is ok, and I recommend max of 22 hrs. Beyond 24, the dough tends to get sour because the yeast uses up all sugars as they multiply and flatter because of too much air.

Anonymous said...

Hi Manang,
I want to thank you so much for sharing your supersoft emsaymada recipe. Not one person who tested these buns did not ask for the recipe! I tried your pandasel with sweet potatoes and they turned out totally awesome! I said to my Filipino friends, "I cannot speak the language but I can make Filipino buns!!" They say these buns are better than those bought from the store. Thank you again and God Bless. Janie

Manang said...

Hi Janie,
Wow! That's something new to me -- a non-Filipino baking Filipino buns for Filipino friends! How thoughtful it was of you to do so! I can imagine how much you enjoy the company of your Filipino friends! And I can imagine how popular you are to them! They must love you so much!

Help! :( said...

Manang, instead of mixing the milk + shortening + water before the mashed potatoes, I mixed them all at the same time. :(

Manang said...

Hi Help,
Just try proceeding as directed, kahit nauna yung mashed. Let's see how it turns out.

Help! :( said...

My dough didn't rise, but i think it's because my yeast was dead. haha! well, i still baked it and it tasted the same, it's just the texture that's different.

Toto said...

I was one of those lucky enough to stumble upon your website and oh boy, what a find! Your ensaymada, Jeeeesus! Heavenly! Your site is the best in the wide wide web, no one even come close. Take it from me, who spent several years googling and searching the net for Filipino recipes. You're God-sent. Thank You!

Manang said...

Hi Toto,
That was just the best email that I received this morning while I was at work!
Well, thanks for your compliments! Such words of appreciation are what motivate me to try more recipes and post them here...

Mitzi said...

Hello Manang,

As you recommended, I tried making supersoft ensaymada. This is my first attempt at baking tinapay. Sad to say, medyo flat ang kinalabasan ng finished product pero gustong-gusto ng husband ko (in fact, nagbaon sya sa work nito at nag request pa for more!) ang lasa at texture. Half way thru the preparation ay kinamay ko ang pag mix ng dough. Hindi kinaya ng hand mixer ko. I will try and try again until I perfect this recipe.

Manang said...

Hi again Mitzi,
First let me thak you for trusting my recipes and trying them.
Some troubleshooting tips for the flat tinapay:(1) do not over-rise (especially at the final rising). (2) squeeze out air good when shaping; do not be afraid to handle the dough. This will allow you to shape nicely, and dough will expand following that shape. If you shape while there is too much air left, it starts as loose and not compact, so as it expands more, it tends to flatten.

Hope these help! With experience and conquering your fears on yeast doughs, you will eventually learn to handle it properly.

Just a note: I still sometimes get lax and end up with palpak tinapay, especially if I forget to time the rising.

Mitzi said...

Dear dear Manang,

My 3rd try at this recipe is a huge success! Mas masarap pa nga kesa sa Goldilocks or Muhlach ensaymada. This time I used mozarella cheese. Parehong masarap with cheddar cheese (1st try). Now, I am thinking about a good filling like Mung beans or sweetened coconut next time. I have asked my sister in the Philippines to send me a kudkuran ng niyog for this. I am getting excited to try again with filling variation.

Eto ang dadalhin ko sa next na Filipino gathering dito.

Thank you, thank you for encouraging me to try supesoft ensaymada. This is definitely my family's favorite.

Finally, I hope your husband is doing okay now.

Manang said...

Hi Mitzi,
I am glad you finally have success making these!

I think my hubby will be just fine. He has been working hard (still, as always). Thanks for asking :)

Where are you based right now? Marami bang Filipinos dyan?

Mitzi said...

Hi Manang,

My family and I are based in Carlsbad, NM. Been here for 5 years. Kokonti lang mga kababayan dito kaya madalang ang get-together. I try my best to cook Filipino dishes at home to savor memories when my husband and I were still in the Philippines. I also want my 2 sons who were born here to grow up eating Filipino food. Your site has been helpful in that regard. Thanks.

Anonymous said...

Hi Manang, musta po? Ask ko lang, yang po bang recipe nyo very similar sa gawa ng Mulach ensaymada or supermelt? Curious lang po ako..kc may plano akong maggawa later on pag naka annual leave ako. Thanks po...

Manang said...

Hi Anonymous,
Hindi ako nagkaroon ng chance matikman ang Mulach supermelt ensaymada; only Goldilocks at Red Ribbon. Yung mga naka-try nitong recipe ko, they say mine is better than G or RR.
It is an original recipe of mine that I am truly very proud of.

Anonymous said...

hi. i just want to know if the potato is unflavored or like the ones in the menu.. na may milk, butter, pepper, salt, etc. na ??? or simply mashed potatoes? thanks, manang.

Anonymous said...

Hi Manang! I tried your super soft ensaymada and its realllyyy good! my friends loved it they even told me to sell some. I replaced the bread flour with all purpose flour since thats what i have in my pantry (and bread flour is much expensive than APF) next time I'll try this using bread flour since using all purpose flour gives very good result then maybe using bread flour would taste even better! Cant wait to try this again! By the way I posted your website in my facebook account (hope ok lang sayo) since my friends are asking for the recipe its easier to point them to your website than giving them the recipe myself. Thanks a lot!!!

Anonymous said...

hi manang. i followed your recipe. it's yummy.. but it doesn't smell nice. i think it's because of the potatoes. pls help

Anonymous said...

Hi Manang, may I know if shortening is the same as Crisco Vegetable Shortening here in the States or different? If so, what brand of lard are you using? I live in Florida state I hope to have access to what's in the recipe. Thanks!

Anonymous said...

Manang, thanks for answering my question re Crisco Shortening. By the way, can I use real butter instead of Shortening? May I know why you used shortening instead of butter is it better for the Super Soft Ensaymada?

Anonymous said...

Hi Manang,
I'm planning to send this ensaymada to my sis in West Virginia and it takes about 3 days to get there. Do they keep moist and soft for 3 days? Will it get spoiled during the mailing process? Do you have any suggestion on how to pack it? For Christmas, I'd like to send this to many of my friends and they live out of state, is it possible to do it? I like your Christmas Tree packaging, may I know where you ordered it? Thank you very much. More power and God bless!

Anonymous said...

Hi again Manang,

After tasting my ensaymada from your recipe, my friend, Rowena begged me to teach her. She bakes these super soft ensaymadas almost twice a week now and shares with her friends. She gave some to our parish priests and nuns, and I think she is their favourite now, haha. She said she had not bought bread since she learned to make these buns. She is very thankful for your recipe, and so are all her friends who ate the buns. God Bless, Janie

Manang said...

HI Janie,
Nice to hear from you again!
I am glad you were able to teach Rowena how to make these. A lot of Filipinos (I take it she is one?) are afraid to bake because of lack of exposure to oven/baking, although we usually had access to yeast rolls/breads because of the many bakeries in the Filipino neighborhood. That's why once a Filipino is uprooted from our country, we miss these buns soooo much! Only with hands-on training will a Filipinos usually take courage to actually learn baking. Kudos to you for taking the time to teach Rowena!

justme said...

Hi Manang it's me again. I asked you few questions about your ensaymadas before. I haven't had any chance to make this it's because I thought it would be too much for just 2 person and a 2 year old. So I was wondering if I could ask you a favor. Pwede po ba i half nyo yung measurements of the ingredients for the SS ensaymada. I don't know what to do with the rest that's why I'm asking you if you could half the ingredients for me. I am sorry if I'm asking yo too much. I would greatly appreciate your help Thank you so much

Manang said...

Hi Ailen,
Here it is:
2-1/2 cups bread flour (separate 1/2 + 1/2 + 1-1/2)[- you may want to use the 1/2 cup measurer for this]
1/4 cup sugar
1 envelope Fleischmann’s RapidRise Yeast (1 envelope is 0.25 oz = 2-1/4 tsp)
1-1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup milk
1/4 cup water
1/3 cup shortening (also known as lard, purico in Philippines, strutto in Italy)
1/2 cup mashed potato
1 egg
2 egg yolks
1-oz grated sharp cheddar cheese (or use crumbled feta cheese, which is my favorite to use now)

melted butter for brushing prior to baking

softened butter plus sugar for topping

finely grated cheddar/monterey jack cheese for extra topping

NOTE: You can freeze half of this dough before shaping as I noted in the above post, so you can let them rise (for final rising) and bake as you need. In any case, you probably will consume this easily enough within a week anyway.

justme said...

Manang, Thankyou so much. I will definitely try to make this soon. I really miss ensaymada especially it's so hard to find a filipino store where I live (belgium). Thank you again...I will let you know. have a good day

Anonymous said...

Hi Manang,

First time kong nakabisita sa site mo. Andito ako sa Dubai at gusto kong itry ang ensaymada recipe mo. Nag-try din ako na iba kasi ang gusto ko ay yung super soft.Request ko lang manang puwede bang may video ka ng pag-prepare ng ensaymada para mas madali siyang masundan. Itry ko rin yung recipe mo and I hope makuha ko siya.

Manang said...

Hi Anonymous,
Welcome to my kusina!
Gusto ko rin sana mag-video, pero mahirap dahil (1) dalawa lang kamay ko at walang matinong assistant (my son usually makes funny comments at nagpapatawa when I try asking him to do a vid), (2) baking takes several steps kaya several video clips ang kelangan (at madalas, makakalimutan kong i-video yung ibang steps), (3) these video clips will need editing to make one video combining all of them, which I am not too knowledgeable with, and I don't have the time for.
I am just banking on the possibility that people who will find this recipe of SSE and the overwhelming rave reviews I get for it will be intrigued enough to try. I did my best to illustrate how to make them with the slideshows, and to be as clear as possible (even now with Tagalog version) in my instructions.
If you are familiar with Panlasang Pinoy, we talked about him trying out my SSE recipe and making a video of it. At least sya, assistant nya misis nya sa video recording. abangan mo na lang siguro. :)

Anonymous said...

Hi Manang! I'm a newbie in baking and want to try your supersoft ensaymada çoz my daughter loves it. I just have some questions before I make the ensaymada:
1. Do I need a thermometer in heating milk, sugar and shortening? If yes, what kind of thermometer do I need (candy or meat thermometer).
2. I can't find an instant yeast here in NZ. What I see in supermarket is Edmonds Surebake which is a blend of active dry yeast and bread improvers. Ang color nya parang mix white & brown. Yun ba ang instant dry yeast? If I use this, do i need to proof it or mix it directly to the dry ingredients?
Thanks and God bless!

Manang said...

This is a comment made by josie under pork roasted in mang tomas sarsa:
"dra.
thank u very much for your recipe supersoft ensaymada and pandesal GRABE ang sarap masarap pa sa goldi . kala ng mga nurses dito sa work ko profnal ako sa baking di ni la alam first time ko nag bake. pag katapos ko i bake col ako agad australia sa sis ko search kusina ni manang. nagluto na rin. thank you for sharing it 2 us salamat at may blog na ganito.. josie"

Manang said...

Josie,
Thanks for your wonderful feedback! It was a nice "good morning" greeting for me! Now if only I can get my sister to try making these...

Anonymous said...

Hi again! Thanks for the quick reply to my query. I've already found an instant dry yeast (Edmonds) here in NZ. Ask ko lang kung diretso ko na bang imimix sa dry ingredients yung instant dry yeast? Problem ko na lang e yung meat thermometer çoz the one i have starts with 140F. Maybe I'll try looking for a new one. Excited na kong itry ang supersoft ensaymada recipe mo! Thanks again! - sync

Anonymous said...

Hi Manang! Thank you so much for your SS ensaymada recipe. I tried it and it's really good. Kala ko nga papalpak ako dahil yung 1st batch na gawa ko ang tigas at sunog yung bottom. Sumobra pala init ng oven ko sa last stage ng rising. Pero try pa rin ako at sabi ng husband ko masarap daw. First time daw nyang nakarinig ng ensaymada na may potatoes. Hayun, baon niya sa office. Pati daughter ko na bihirang kumain ng binake e nasarapan at gusto rin nyang baunin sa school. Again, thank you and God bless! - sync

Manang said...

Hi sync,
Sorry medyo na-late sa reply at super busy...
I am so glad to hear your success in making SSE. You should also try the spanish bread. Mas gusto pa ng mga anak ko yung SB kesa SSE.
Actually, after I posted this recipe and many readers have tried and liked it, there was one who told me that they supply potato flour to Goldilocks and Red Ribbon, and he was guessing it was because of the soft and moist effect on these ensaymadas.

Anonymous said...

Thank you Manang for this recipe,Im very excited to make this ensaymada.This is my first time to bake,I have a bread machine that I have'nt use yet can I make this ensaymada using the bread machine,I'll be waiting for your reply thank you.

Anonymous said...

manang i really need your help. i really want to make your super soft ensaymada but is there any substitute to shortening? i tried your pichi pichi and pandesal super like ng mga kaibigan kong filipino dito sa wichita masarap daw...thanks a lot

Anonymous said...

oh yeah i think i saw that crisco brand vegetable shortening nkalagay yun na yun cguro i'll go to wallmart again.. definitely i'll try your buttery pati siopao and other breads, weakness ko talaga kasi tinapay eh..lalo na nung nasa pinas pa ako. dito kasi di ko magustuhan ang tinapay kaya buti nlng andyan ka ate your so good..dulz

Anonymous said...

by the way ate sa pag hulma mo ba ng dough na parang envelope kung nirolyo ang shape na gagawin pano nyo po ba ginagawa yun? i mean ang isang buong dough po ba ang gagawin mong envelope? so isa lang di na kelangan pa syang idivide ng ilang part bago mo ishape na envelope pasensya na po ate ha i just want to clarify ayoko ko kasi mgkamali gaya nung sa pandesal ko na mali mali ako nung una pero nakuha ko rin..saka yung sabi mo po na pwede i freeze pgnagawa mo na na log ibig sabihin pwede ko po i freeze after ko na magawa na log hanggang sa ready na ako na i bake ito? thanks po talaga ate cenxa na po sa istorbo

Manang said...

dulz,
merong butter flavored crisco in blocks, 3 in one pack.
Totoo, hindi rin ako mapakali pag alang tinapay eh. Di naman ubra yung white bread or burger buns or hotdog buns. Di masarap.
Yung pag-shape na parang envelope, hatiin mo muna yung dough into 3. Then, i-flatten mo each of them using rolling pin. Since medyo rounded ang edges, itupi mo para maghugisrectangle (kaya parang envelope), at i-flatten mo uli, bago mo pahiran nung softened butter at budburan mo ng asukal bago mo irolyo. Eto yung pwede mo nang i-freeze.

Anonymous said...

wow super! claro na. ok ate i'll try it and i'll tell you if it's successful. Bless you 'te. Super thank you talaga the best and site mo! Dulz

Anonymous said...

hello, just wanna ask kung pwde active dry yeast. tapos any substitute for bread flour kasi hirap hanapin dito sa uae.
thanks po.
ingat... :)

Anonymous said...

hi ate! i'm super duper excited to tell you that finally i made my ensaymada of course using your recipe "supersoft ensaymada". it comes out really really good taste like goldilocks nga. pero ate i cut down the measurement of salt. please don't mind i just wanna i ask if it is really 1 tbsp or just 1 tsp? i just used 1 tsp salt instead of 1 tbsp. yun lang naman binago ko ate kasi iodized salt gamit ko. but thank you so much mwaah! because of you i know now how to make ensaymada that taste like that special one at goldilocks. the best ka talaga ate. by the way saan po sa pinas ang pngmulan nyo? God bless poh! dulz.

Anonymous said...

Hi Manang, I've prepared the dough last night and can't we wait to be home to coil and put them in the oven!!! I'm just hoping it turns out right becauze I missed a step, instead of mixing the sugar with 1 cup of flour and yeast, I've mixed it with the 3 cups of flour. It was too late when I realized that I haven't put any sugar yet. I'm keeping my fingers crossed. Thanks for this recipe! I hope I do it justice. :)

justme said...

Hi Manang, I tried your ss ensaymada and it was success. My hubby likes it. I have a question for you hope you can help me. I have a recipe with the ingredient of dry yeast my question is ok lang po ba gamitin ang "highly active yeast" ?

Anonymous said...

Hello manang! The ensaymada I made last week was a blast! :) With the missed step, it still turned out right. It's soooo soft. And with some of the dough, I tried making the spanish bread as that's what my husband fancies. He loved it! :) Thanks for this gorgeous recipe. :) I'll actually be doing it again tonight.

Manang said...

HI Ailen,
thanks for letting me know aboutyour sse.I think that highly active yeast is the same as dry yeast (or is it like instant dry yeast?). Anyway, check on the instruction on the package then adjust accordingly how you will "proof" the dough.

Manang said...

A transcript of fb chat I had:

Rosel
manang, panalo ensaymada mo!
me umoorder na agad!
maigi talagang giveaways ang pagkain
10:30amManang
hi rosel, ibi-business mo ba?
10:30amRosel
malamang...
kaya lang, di ko pa alam magkano ko ibebenta
10:30amManang
sulit ba ang kikitain sa effort? ano sa tingin mo?
10:30amRosel
matagal na ksi din akong nagbebenta ng siopao dito e
10:30amManang
ang goldilocks ata, nasa $1.75 per pc
10:31amRosel
yun nga sabi ng asawa ko
is it worth the effort daw ba?
10:31amManang
mabenta naman siopao?
10:31amRosel
yun ang mabenta noon
usually mga 100+ orders nakukuha ko every 2 wks
10:32amManang
wow...grabe...san ka ba at marami atang pinoy dyan???
10:32amRosel
dito ako sa south wales, sa UK
likas lang talaga silang matatakaw!
10:32amManang
haha!!! at nasanay bumili instead gumawa...
10:32amRosel
yup which is to my advantage
10:33amManang
try mo rin kaya hopia...tapos gawin mo, rotation...
10:33amRosel
sabi nga ng asawa ko, parang siopao land daw ang kusina pag me mga order ako...
pero sha, ayaw i try yung siopao
10:34amManang
dito sa Maine, hindi ako makakahirit ng bentahan kasi konti lang naman pinoy
naku, yung MIL ko gustong-gusto yung beef siopao..pero asawa ko hindi rin titikim
10:35amRosel
pihikan nga to sa pagkain
buti na lang mga bata, sanay kumain ng rice
10:35amManang
mga anak ko rin, di ko na-convert sa mashed potato
rice pa rin ang hinahanap
10:35amRosel
tsaka hindi mapili sa pagkain
makatarungan kayang mas mahal ang ensaymada sa siopao?
10:36amManang
anyway...sige na at kelangan ko na umpisahan ang paggawa ng dessert pang-Christmas...sans rival tapos brazo de mercedes
10:36amRosel
ganun ksi kinalabasan ng computation ko
ok
thanks ulit!
10:37amManang
tingin ko hindi dapat mas mahal sa siopao, pero kung gagawin mong buttercream ang frosting ng ensay, baka ma-justify
you're welcome!!!

Anonymous said...

Hi Manang! If I want to make a small batch, will it still work if I cut the ingredients into half (including the yeast)?

Manang said...

Yes, anonymous. Half the recipe will be ok.

Lynne said...

hello manang,happy new year to you and your family..i tried your supersoft enseymada dough,im so happy to tell you na success on first trial..it came out so soft and delicious and the smell while it was baking made me kinda teary eyed kasi my nanay used to bake pandesal,ensemada and all kind of goodies,it made the house smell heavenly..i divided it into 3,one i coiled,the second i just rolled into a ball and arranged it in a round pan,the third i made into cinnamon rolls,i decide to bake it all so when my sons friends come over tomorrow they can snack on it before dance practice....
i also made the brownies and its also a success,my son almost finished the whole batch,i had to stop him,hahaha..tho i ran out of choco squares,only had 4,so i added 1/2 cup of hershey cocoa with the flour,it came out so chewy on the side,the top came out kinda like a crunchy topping,manang it was a big hit with my son and nieces,they asked when im making more so the very next day i made 2 more batches,with one i added white chocochips and almonds which i toasted lightly and cooled,they were both a hit with the kids,i was so inspired with my initial success that i dared try you supersoft dough and im in heaven....now i got 2 more goodies to bring during basketball practice and games...
maraming salamat manang,ususally when i try out a recipe,it doesnt always come out good on the first try,kaya minsan nawawalan ako ng gana,pero ang recipe mo 2 out of 2 came out realllly good,maraming salamat uli,more power to you.
greetings from ontario canada

Manang said...

Hi Lynn,
Wow, that was a truly inspiring comment! Kakagising ko lang and you made my day right away!
Now you have made the brownies twice...I myself have not tried making it! Nakakalamang ka ha...haha!

Anonymous said...

First of all thanks manang for sharing the recipe of your ensaymada, i made it on the first trial kulang ang yeast ko dhil walang fleischmann d2 sa kuwait, i used the saf instant yeast and just used only 2-1/4 tsp so hindi sya nag-rise.the second time is perfect and masarap talaga.i tried for the third time now because i want to make ube ensaymada, but nagkamali ako nai-mix ko kagad ang egg yolk sa last addition ng flour n cheese.i don't know what will happen.will it affect the rising of the dough n the softness of ensaymada.i hope hindi,i will bake it tomorrow and see what will happen.anyway thank you very much for the recipe

pal_kmae said...

Hi Manang!
I made this recipe and super sarap! My husband liked it very much. I only used half of the recipe and substituted butter for the shortening. Mahirap kasing makahanap ng shortening dito sa Japan. Anyway, I used active dry yeast and proofed it for 10 minutes in warm water, milk and sugar mixture (at 40C) bago ko hinalo sa dry ingredients. Food processor din ang ginamit ko then transferred the dough to a bowl bago pa man siya maging stiff batter. I added the rest of the flour manually. Siguro next time, i-try ko na ihalo agad yung egg yolks rather than after 2 hours of refrigeration. Medyo mahirap kasi kapag manual. I baked these pala in a toaster oven and came out wonderfully.
I stored the baked ensaymada rolls in the freezer. Then naglabas ako ng 4 pcs sa room temp kanina to thaw. Just put the topping at ready na for my husband's breakfast tomorrow.
Hindi ko na maalala kung ano ang lasa ng ensaymada ng Goldilocks at Red Ribbon pero panalo talaga itong recipe na ito.
Thank you Manang for sharing this recipe!

Faye said...

First, I just want to commend you for a wonderful blog- I'm pretty sure I'll be coming back for more recipes and most of all, thanks a million for an awesome ensaimada recipe. I did the coiled version and followed the recipe with very minimal changes in the topping. I am so proud of my first try because it was so successful - even softer than those of the two bakeshops famous for ensaimada.

Manang said...

Faye,
Thanks so much for your feedback. I am glad you liked my ensaymada recipe, to the point of sharing the link to that blog post in a forum, soompi.com! I really appreciate it!

Faye said...

You're very welcome Manang! Did you see the pictures of my ensaimada? They came in different sizes though but they're evenly delicious. Just last night I prepared another batch for baking later today. I want to try the other variations next time. Thanks again and more power!

cusinera said...

hi manang, thanks sa advice for the ice candy sa blog ko=)....that ensaimada pic is so yummy, will try this recipe soon as I get a dough hook from ebay para doon sa secondhand kong kenwood mixer na nabili, i love your blog as most of them are filipino recipes that i haven't cooked yet...more power ate!!!!!

Cheryl said...

Hi Manang,
I can't wait to make your ensaymada! But I went to all the groceries to look for the Helluva Good cheese but no luck. Which store do you buy it from? I'm from Toronto, Canada.
Salamat po.
Cheryl San Miguel

Faye said...

thanks you for sharing Manang!:) will try this on friday :)

Aiye said...

Unfortunately, until now di ko pa na-ta-try ito...One day I will...

Ronnie said...

hi manang, i would like to try this on saturday but before that i just have two questions; 1. i only have dry yeast here, is it okay to use it and if so how? (that's actually two already, hehe) 2. i don't have lard as well, is it okay if i just use butter instead?

thanks and will be looking forward to your answers.

Anonymous said...

Hi, manang. I would like to try your supersoft ensaymada, but as i was going over your ingredients, it calls for 1 tablespoon of salt. Should it be just teaspoon and not tablespoon?

Thanks in advance for your response.

Lory said...

Hi Anonymous,
I only used the 1 tbsp because that gave me the right contrast to the sweetness of sugar. HOwever, when I used crumbled feta cheese, that added to the saltiness. I suggest you use 1 tsp only if you are using salty types of cheeses.

Anonymous said...

manang super yummy sya:) manang let me know kong may ensaymada with monggo inside:) masarap din yun

Anonymous said...

hi manang! i just want to ask if it's possible to substitute bread to all purpose flour? also is it a must to use shortening? can't it be switched with regular oil or butter instead? thanks much in advance!

Custom Search