Super Soft Ube Ensaymada Rolls

 Super Soft Ube Ensaymada Rolls

This super soft ube ensaymada roll just takes the “Ube cheese” trend to the next level. If you are a fan of this trend, then this is absolutely a must try!

Ube cheese pandesal became such a popular breakfast and merienda dish here in the Philippines. The ube halaya and cheese just come together so perfectly. I, for one, am a fan but I wanted to take it to the next level. Ensaymada is another mouthwatering bread. It is super soft and topped with a light buttercream and grated cheese. Cinnamon roll is also great because it has all the flavors of cinnamon sugar in every bite because the filling is spread all around the dough and rolled into one perfect treat. So that is how I got the idea of creating an Ube Ensaymada Roll. 

What makes this super delicious?

 The buttercream is super light in taste but you can add more icing sugar to it if you want it sweeter. The buttercream in this recipe can also be used to frost vanilla cakes or chocolate cakes. 

The ube halaya was made by my sister but I promise you, I will try to get the recipe from her and make it as perfect as it was or even better. 

Isn’t this just an ube cheese roll?

Yes, I also call it ube cheese roll but I like to call it Ube ENSAYMADA Rolls because the dough used in this recipe is a basic ensaymada dough that is super soft and fluffy. It is different from my cinnamon roll dough recipe because this does not need the help of cream to make it soft and gooey. This dough stands perfectly on its own. The cinnamon roll dough has that classic  soft and gooey texture while this dough is soft all throughout. 

Another reason is because it is also topped with a buttercream and grated cheese just like how an Ensaymda is garnished. 

Preparing the dough

You can knead the dough by hand but it is much easier to knead this using a mixer because this dough is super soft and elastic. It will definitely stick to your hands so make sure to apply or rub some oil on your hands and on your work surface. It is also ideal to use a bench scraper to scrape the dough off the work surface when it sticks. 

If you are using active dry yeast, you must first activate it by combining it with warm milk and sugar and let it sit for about 10 minutes. The milk must be warm because the yeast needs that warm temperature and the sugar has to be present because it helps the yeast to activate. It is sort of like the yeast can use the sugar as its food. Normally, I always use instant dry yeast but I do this method either way because I like to make sure that my yeast is alive and a chef who once taught me told me that this helps to make the dough even fluffier.

Moving forward, after preparing the dough and letting it rise comes the rolling part. It is definitely your choice if you would like to do it this way or the classic way of shaping the Ensaymada. I prefer shaping it this way because it is much easier and faster. So when rolling dough, make sure to not roll it too much that you might end up having super thin rolls. This could affect the dough in the second rise. It might not puff up that much and the dough will not end up having a soft and fluffy texture. 

Also, make sure to not let your dough rise in the final proofing because it will create that yeasty smell and will also create a sour flavor. We absolutely do not want that!

                  

Before baking these, it’s important to brush these first with egg wash because not only will it give these rolls a beautiful color, but will also add extra flavor and softness to this dough. 

How to know when to stop kneading

If you are using a stand mixer, make sure to use the dough hook attachment. It usually takes about 6-7 minutes or until the dough is smooth and elastic. When kneading by hand, knead the dough for about 10 minutes. To not over-knead your dough, you can let the dough rest for about 3-5 minutes then start kneading again. This will prevent your dough from getting hard. To really make sure that your dough is ready to rise, do the windowpane test. Take a small piece of the dough and gently stretch it. If you are able to stretch the dough wide without breaking it, then that means you have developed enough gluten and your dough is ready to rise.

Buttercream and cheese

The Ube Ensaymada Rolls will not be complete without that perfect buttercream and grated cheese on top. The buttercream in this recipe is truly light but delicious because it has just the right amount of sweetness. You can also use this buttercream to frost cakes by just adding more powdered sugar. 

Recipe

Ube Ensaymada Rolls

Prep time: 30 minutes 

Rise time: 1 hour first rise

      45 minutes second rise

Cook time: 30 minutes

Total time: 2 hours and 45 minutes

For the Dough:

• 4 ½  cups flour

• 1 tsp salt

• 1 cup warm milk

• ½  cup sugar (95g)

• 4 tsp active/instant yeast (12g)

• ½  cup unsalted butter, melted (112g)

• ¼  tsp vanilla extract

• 2 eggs

• 1 ¼  cups Ube halaya

Buttercream

• ½  cup salted butter (112g)

• 1 ½  cup icing sugar (180g)

• ½  tbsp vanilla extract

• 1 tbsp cream/milk

• Violet food coloring or ube flavoring

Egg wash

• 1 egg yolk

• 2 tbsp milk

• ½  tbsp sugar

Others

Grated Cheese for topping - Eden Cheese 

If you have better cheese that is totally fine. 

Instructions:

1. For the dough: Prepare all your ingredients. In a bowl, add the milk, yeast, and sugar. Let the yeast activate at least 10 minutes. Then, add the melted butter, slightly beaten eggs, and vanilla extract and give a quick mix. 

2. In a separate bowl, sift the flour and sprinkle in the salt. Then give it a quick mix. Add the flour mixture to the yeast mixture by ⅓ at a time mixing it with a rubber spoon. When the mixture starts to form into a dough, start kneading it by hand. On your work surface, rub some shortening or oil so the dough won’t stick. Apply some oil on your hands as well. 

3. Knead the dough for a few minutes until the gluten has developed. (Read instructions above to know when to stop kneading)

4. After kneading, place the dough in a bowl that has been brushed with oil and cover with plastic wrap or a clean kitchen towel. Let the dough rise for an hour. 

5. After letting the dough rise, punch the dough a few times and place it on your work surface. Make sure to dust your work surface with some flour. 

6. With a rolling pin, roll the dough into a 10x24 rectangle. That is how I usually roll the dough but you can do it with a different size depending on what you desire. 

7. Spread your favorite ube halaya on the rolled dough. Then, start rolling the dough from one side to the other. After successfully rolling the dough, grab a floss or a knife and slice the rolls into 12 or 16 with equal sizes. 

8. Place the rolls in a prepared pan (oil and placed with parchment paper) with some spaces in between. Cover this again with a clean kitchen towel and let it rise for another 40-45 minutes. 

9. Meanwhile prepare the egg wash by simply combining the milk, sugar, and egg yolk. 

10. After the final rise, preheat the oven at 350F or 180C. Brush the rolls with the prepared egg wash generously. Bake the rolls for about 28-30 minutes or just until you achieve that golden brown color.

11. For the Buttercream: In a mixing bowl, add the butter and mix this until the color of the butter has turned light, almost like white. Then add the icing sugar ⅓ at a time fully incorporating the mixture after each addition. Then, add the vanilla extract and cream then mix again quickly. Add the violet food coloring or ube extract then mix gently. 

12. Frost the buttercream on top of the baked rolls while they are still a bit warm. Then, top it with some grated cheese and it is ready to be served.