The Fresh Loaf

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Variations on Hensperger's Sweet Vanilla Challah: The Ensaymada

cake diva's picture
cake diva

Variations on Hensperger's Sweet Vanilla Challah: The Ensaymada

Fall has arrived.  It's been a gloomy, drizzly few days in SW Ohio.  I should really go out and finish preparing the garden for the long winter ahead. Something's holding me back, though.  Maybe I'm avoiding the feeling of melancholy that comes with pulling the last tomato plant off the ground.  No more sweltering hot days, busy bees, giant zucchinis, crisp green beans, sweet eggplants;  no more grilled Pizza Margheritas, kabobs, and sipping mojitos in the patio...  In the end, I think what I really try to deny but can't is the stark parallel that the seasons have to our own lives, and the inevitability of where we all must go as others before us have.

And so I turn to baking.  This time, I'm piggybacking on to PMcCool's endeavors to create a sweet bread popular in the Philippines, the ensaymada.  It's a brioche type of bread, most likely brought by the Spaniards who colonized the country and stayed there for 300 hundred years before turning it over to the Americans after the Spanish-American war. The bread is exponentially richer than any brioche I've had (a typical batch made with 7 cups of flour also contains 22 yolks and butter), but the presence of grated Edam cheese nicely balances the richness of the bread and the butter-sugar glaze that comes with it.

Where I differed was how I treated the dough after the bulk fermentation.  At this point, I divided the dough into 10 boules, then let rest for 10 minutes.  The rested boules were then deflated and rolled into thin, almost transparent rectangles.  About 2 tbsp. of grated aged Edam cheese were sprinkled on the dough;  the dough was then rolled into skinny logs.  The logs were wound into the characteristic brioche shape, sprinkled with more cheese on top, then allowed to double in volume (about 45 minutes).  The rolls got an application of Vanilla glaze before baking in a 350F oven for 40 minutes.  Once cooled, the brioche received the final treatment- a light frosting of room temperature butter and sugar.  So here it is.

ensaimada

And the crumb shot.

ensaimada crumb shot

The bread isn't as sweet and rich as I remember it, but it's a perfect treat for the calorie and cholesterol-conscious.  Me- I throw all caution to the wind, so next time, I'll try being truer to tradition.  Maybe when they have eggs on sale at Jungle Jim's.

Comments

Paddyscake's picture
Paddyscake

I can't even imagine how incredibly rich it must be. I must say that the Ensaymada looks awesome. The crumb looks pillow soft. The edam cheese and sugar/butter topping sound intriguing.

Betty

foolishpoolish's picture
foolishpoolish

Woaah - that is some fine looking bread. I too am intrigued by the use of edam. The flavour combination is strange to me but if the appearances are anything to go by - I'll bet it's fantastic. 

FP

hansjoakim's picture
hansjoakim

NOW we're talking bread. You say 22 yolks? And butter? AND edam? Sounds like something I'd like too... *drool*

How do you mix a dough like this?

By the way, what are you planning on doing with the egg whites? 22 whites will make you lots of meringue...

tabasco's picture
tabasco

Just the perfect comfort food for a moody day like today (here in Cincinnati)! 

And like everyone else, my head is swirling with the thought of 22 yolks, edam and butter and I can't imagine where you found a recipe like that.  Definitely not in the South Beach Diet Cookbook!

I was just curled up reading through Peter Reinhart's BBA and 'Rich Man's Brioche' caught my eye, but the french have nothing on the richness the Philipino's can dream up!

For us, I was a bit too health conscious (and boring) I think and baked a buttermilk rye ww  loaf for our steak sandwiches tonight (to serve with the last of the garden's heirloom tomatoes).   j.

p.s.  I really enjoy your blog & photos.

 

 

 

koloatree's picture
koloatree

those like outstanding!

cake diva's picture
cake diva

Hi everyone!

Trust me- the edam cheese in the brioche works.  And the Filipinos' repertoire of baked goods has its provenance in Europe, again thanks to the Spanish conquistadors.  So here is what a real ensaymada recipe looks like. Let me know how it turns out.

Hansjoakim, I always end up with plenty of egg whites from my ice cream making and baking.  I freeze them and when I have to find space in the freezer, I just dedicate a whole day to making Parisian macarons such as the batch below.

Parisian macarons

Tabasco, we should do a bake together- even better, with Dan di Muzio.  Paging dghdctr....