International Inspirations: Ensaymada

Bread and baked goods have sales of $3 billion which are the fifth-largest gourmet food category and are up 18% over the past two years.⁴ In foodservice, global bread varieties are among the fastest-growing bread on the menu, including the potato roll with a growth of 54% in the last 4 years.⁴ The timing is right to expand global bread offerings and utilizing the benefits provided by the potato.

Another global delicacy is the Ensaymada; one of the most desirable sweetbreads in the Philippines. The Ensaymada is often topped with butter, sugar, grated cheese, or filled with a range of tasty fillings. This treat was adapted from the Spanish ensaïmada but has evolved throughout the years to become what is now loved by Filipinos.

Ensaymada is based on a yeast dough which can benefit from potato ingredients in many ways. Potatoes help add a crisp and golden crust with a soft interior. When potatoes are used in baked goods, there is even browning due to the natural sugars found in potatoes. Tackiness in producing yeast dough can create problems in production; however, the addition of dehydrated potato flakes absorbs extra moisture in the mixing stage. This then produces a very smooth, moist, and pliable dough for easy ensaymada formation and portioning. When baked, it will produce a beautiful crumb due to the potato starch that provides a beneficial structure in the dough.

While potato ingredients are often overlooked for sweet applications, they offer many benefits, such as acting as a shelf-life extender, adding buoyancy and pliability to the bread, enhancing texture, and creating a softer product.

Ensaymada Formulation

Procedure

1. Mix yeast, warm water, and sugar; set aside for 10 minutes.
2. Beat butter, egg yolks, sugar, and salt. Add the bread flour and mashed potatoes, alternately, with lukewarm milk and water. Beat well, then add in yeast mixture; set aside for 30 minutes.
3. Cream butter with sugar, add egg yolks. Add AP flour and mixture from Step 2. Knead and toss until a ball is formed. Meanwhile, add pork lard onto the table while kneading. Knead until smooth and elastic. Set aside for 30 minutes.
4. Cut dough into four portions, then divide into the desired number of pieces; form into round balls. Roll each ball into a paper-thin rectangle, brush with softened butter and sprinkle with cheese. Roll lengthwise into a cylinder to seal in the cheese. Twist and form into a shell shape; place on a sheet pan. Let rise for 1 hour.
5. Bake at 300ºF for 10 to 15 minutes. Remove and let cool.
6. Once cool, brush with butter and additional grated cheese, sprinkle with sugar.

Resources

1. Top Ten Trends for 2019, Sweets and Snacks, Innova Market Insights, January 2019, slides 3–4.
2. Packaged Facts. 2018b. Organic and Clean Label Food Consumer in the U.S.
3. McCorquodale, A. “Asian on the Ascent.” Frozen and Refrigerated Buyer 10(7): 46-50.
4. 2018. Datassential’s Menu Adoption Cycle Projections. August. Datassential, Los Angeles. datassential.com.
5. 2017. Health and Wellness 2017. The Hartman Group, Bellevue, WA. Hartman-group.com
6. 2017. “Realigning for Growth: Win by Innovating across CPG Market Segments.” September. Information Resources Inc., Chicago. Iriworldwide.com.
7. The Number of Americans Going Gluten-Free Has Tripled Since 2009, Forbes, January 17, 2017. https://www.forbes.com/sites/niallmccarthy/2017/01/17/the-number-of-americans-going-gluten-free-has-tripled-since-2009-infographic/#454ea5ea32f2.

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