Filipino Cheesy Ensaymada

Soft and fluffy, generously coated with sweet buttery cream, this Filipino Cheesy Ensaymada is finished with a shower of rich cheddar cheese. It’s sweet, savory, creamy, and cheesy all at once!

INGREDIENTS:

Dough

• 1 ½ cups All-Purpose Flour, sifted
• 2 cups Bread Flour, sifted
• 1/3 cup caster sugar
• 1 tsp Salt
• 2 tsp Dough Improver
• ½ cup Unsalted Butter
• 5 pieces Egg Yolks
• 1 cup Whole Milk
• 1 tbsp Instant Yeast

Vanilla Buttercream Icing

• 150 grams Unsalted Butter
• 1 ½ cups Powdered Sugar, sifted
• 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
• 350 grams Cheddar Cheese

PROCEDURE:

1. Preheat the oven to 140 degrees Celsius. 
2. In a mixing bowl, add the all-purpose flour, bread flour, caster sugar, salt, dough improver, unsalted butter, egg yolks, whole milk and instant yeast. Set the mixer on low speed and mix until dough is formed. increase speed to medium for 4-5 minutes until dough is smooth, elastic and not sticky.
3. Do a windowpane test on dough to check if it is ready to rise.
4. Transfer the dough to a greased bowl. Cover and place dough in a warm place. Let it rise until it has doubled in size. Proofing time is 80 minutes. Once ready, knock down the dough to remove air gas bubbles for easy shaping.
5. Prepare some melted butter and baking tools. Grease the molder and the working table with melted butter. Give the dough a good fold. Cut 65 grams from the dough for each ensaymada. 
6. Start shaping your ensaymada by flattening the dough. Fold it down slowly and then roll it for about 13-inch long. Shape your dough and make sure to tuck the tip at the bottom.
7. Put everything on a tray and let it proof for 60 minutes. 
8. Prepare the buttercream icing. In a mixing bowl, add the unsalted butter, vanilla extract and powdered sugar. Whisk well until the icing is thick, fluffy and smooth.
9. Bake in the oven for 14 minutes with a temperature of 140 degrees Celsius. Once baked, cool down the ensaymada first before frosting.
10. Start frosting the ensaymada. Apply generously the buttercream frosting on top of the ensaymada. 
11. Sprinkle the top of ensaymada with cheddar cheese. 
12. Dust with powdered sugar upon serving.