Ensaymadas

A rich Filipino sweet bread roll made with butter and topped with grated Parmesan cheese and sugar. These soft, fluffy pastries are coiled into a distinctive snail-shell shape and baked until golden brown.

12 servings

6 hr 40 min

Published October 4, 2025

Ingredients

•2¼ tsp active dry yeast
•½ cup sugar
•½ cup lukewarm milk
•6 large egg yolks
•3 cups all-purpose flour
•1½ tsp kosher salt
•12 tablespoons unsalted butter
•1 spray Nonstick vegetable oil spray
•½ cup grated Parmesan
•2 pans jumbo muffin pans

Cooking Instructions

1.
Combine yeast, 1/2 tsp. sugar, and 3 Tbsp. lukewarm water in the bowl of a stand mixer. Cover bowl and let mixture sit until foamy and active, about 10 minutes.
10 min
2.
Whisk milk, 3 egg yolks, 3/4 cup flour, and 1/4 cup sugar into yeast mixture until smooth. Cover and let sit until very bubbly, 1-1 1/2 hours.
90 min
3.
Add salt, remaining 3 egg yolks, 1/2 cup sugar, and remaining 2 1/4 cup flour to mixture. Fit mixer with dough hook and mix dough on medium-low speed until smooth and elastic, 6-8 minutes (it will be sticky). Add 8 Tbsp. room-temperature butter 1 Tbsp. at a time, mixing until completely incorporated after each addition (about 1 minute each time). Dough should be very easy to stretch. Cover bowl and let dough rise in a warm draft-free place until doubled in size, about 2 hours.
120 min
4.
Preheat oven to 325°F. Coat muffin cups with nonstick spray and line with 4" squares of parchment paper. Punch down dough; divide into 12 pieces. Working with 1 piece and covering the rest, roll out to a 14x3" rectangle. Brush lightly with melted butter and sprinkle with a little cheese (about 2 tsp.). Working at an angle so dough wraps down the length of dowel, roll dough toward you around dowel. Slide dough off dowel (it will scrunch up a bit). Stretch out to 8-10" long and coil around itself to make a snail-shell shape; place in a muffin cup. Repeat with remaining pieces of dough. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise until puffy and dough springs back when gently pressed, 25-35 minutes.
35 min
5.
Bake ensaimadas until golden brown and puffed, 20-25 minutes. Brush with remaining melted butter; sprinkle with more Parmesan and remaining 6 tsp. sugar.
25 min
6.
Dough can be made (do not let rise) 12 hours ahead. Cover and chill. Let dough come to room temperature, then let rise until doubled before proceeding, 1-2 hours.
120 min

Cooking Instructions

Combine yeast, 1/2 tsp. sugar, and 3 Tbsp. lukewarm water in the bowl of a stand mixer. Cover bowl and let mixture sit until foamy and active, about 10 minutes.

10 min

Whisk milk, 3 egg yolks, 3/4 cup flour, and 1/4 cup sugar into yeast mixture until smooth. Cover and let sit until very bubbly, 1-1 1/2 hours.

90 min

Add salt, remaining 3 egg yolks, 1/2 cup sugar, and remaining 2 1/4 cup flour to mixture. Fit mixer with dough hook and mix dough on medium-low speed until smooth and elastic, 6-8 minutes (it will be sticky). Add 8 Tbsp. room-temperature butter 1 Tbsp. at a time, mixing until completely incorporated after each addition (about 1 minute each time). Dough should be very easy to stretch. Cover bowl and let dough rise in a warm draft-free place until doubled in size, about 2 hours.

120 min

Preheat oven to 325°F. Coat muffin cups with nonstick spray and line with 4" squares of parchment paper. Punch down dough; divide into 12 pieces. Working with 1 piece and covering the rest, roll out to a 14x3" rectangle. Brush lightly with melted butter and sprinkle with a little cheese (about 2 tsp.). Working at an angle so dough wraps down the length of dowel, roll dough toward you around dowel. Slide dough off dowel (it will scrunch up a bit). Stretch out to 8-10" long and coil around itself to make a snail-shell shape; place in a muffin cup. Repeat with remaining pieces of dough. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise until puffy and dough springs back when gently pressed, 25-35 minutes.

35 min

Bake ensaimadas until golden brown and puffed, 20-25 minutes. Brush with remaining melted butter; sprinkle with more Parmesan and remaining 6 tsp. sugar.

25 min

Dough can be made (do not let rise) 12 hours ahead. Cover and chill. Let dough come to room temperature, then let rise until doubled before proceeding, 1-2 hours.

120 min