August 23, 2007

Bicho-Bicho & Goldilocks Bakeshop®-style & Spanish Ensaimada Recipes

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I received several email asking for the recipe for the Filipino donuts, bicho-bicho, which I wrote about when I reviewed Michael Chabon's new novel.
This recipe is quite large and may be halved. I prefer eating these donuts simply rolled in white sugar. They have to be consumed right after frying, which I think won't be a problem because they are very good.

Bicho-bicho
1. Put in a mixing bowl:
1 cup lukewarm water
1 tablespoon active dry yeast
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups bread flour

2. Beat thoroughly. Cover and let rise for ½ hour. Add:
¼ cup melted butter or grape seed oil
1 cup light brown sugar
2 well beaten eggs
1½ cups bread flour

3. Beat well. Cover and let rise again until dough is light, about 1 hour. Punch down.

4
. Add more flour if dough is too soft to handle. Turn out into a well-floured surface. Divide the dough into 2 parts. Cover each and let rest for 10 minutes.

5.
Roll dough to ½-inch thickness and cut into 6 x 1-inch strips. Set on baking sheets, cover and let rise for 1 hour.

6.
Fry in hot oil until golden brown, roll in granulated sugar. Enjoy!

There were also a lot of readers who emailed me for the Goldilocks Bakeshop ensaimada which unfortunately I don't have. I don't think anybody, except for the people who work in that bakeshop, has the exact recipe. I have one from my cookbook FAVORITE FILIPINO RECIPES by Pat Limjuco Dayrit which comes closest to the Goldilocks Bakeshop ensaimada in taste and texture. It takes the whole day to make, though.

Ensaimada
½ cup lukewarm water
1 teaspoon sugar
1 level teaspoon dry yeast
1 cup flour
6 egg yolks
9 tablespoons sugar
6 tablespoons butter, softened
2 cups bread flour
extra butter, softened
1 cup grated cheese, preferably queso de bola
sugar
  1. Put lukewarm water in a stand mixer bowl. Add sugar and yeast. Let stand for 10 minutes.
  2. Add flour and mix with a wooden spoon.
  3. Cover with a damp towel and let rise in a warm place for 40 minutes to 1 hour or until double in bulk.
  4. Add egg yolks, sugar and butter to flour mixture. Add to this the 2 cups of flour and knead with dough hook attachment.
  5. Cover and let rise again in warm place for 3 hours.
  6. Divide dough in 12 portions. Roll each portion to ¼-inch thick. Spread butter and sprinkle with grated cheese.
  7. Roll up, starting from one end and twist like a knot.
  8. Place into an ensaimada mould or large muffin pan lined with parchment then greased.
  9. Keep in a warm place to rise for 4 hours.
  10. Bake in a preheated 350°F oven for 10 - 12 minutes.
  11. Brush with butter and sprinkle with sugar and grated cheese.
Ensaimada (Spanish)
And for Spanish nationals who live outside Spain and would like to make ensaimada, here is the recipe adapted from THE CUISINES OF SPAIN by Teresa Barrenechea. This one doesn't have a single pat of butter, it uses lard and she explains that in Majorcan saim means lard. I have made this ensaimada and I think this is the best recipe.

Makes three 8-inch diameter coils
4½ teaspoons yeast
2/3 cups whole milk, heated to lukewarm
3½ cups flour, sifted
½ teaspoon salt
¾ cups sugar
2 eggs
6 tablespoons olive oil, plus extra for oiling rolling pin, work surface, and baking sheets
½ cup melted and cooled lard
½ cup confectioner's sugar
  • In a small bowl, dissolve the yeast in 1/3 cup of the warm milk and let stand for 5 minutes. 
  • In a large bowl, stir together the flour, salt and sugar. Make a well in the center and add the remaining milk, eggs, olive oil, and the yeast mixture into the well. Using a spoon, gradually pull the mixture into the well, stirring as you do. When a uniform dough has formed, turn it out onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 10 minutes until the dough is smooth and no longer sticky; if dough is too sticky work in a little more flour. Gather the dough into a ball, cover with a kitchen towel and let rise at room temperature for 1 hour.
  • Divide the dough into 3 equal portions. Oil a work surface, a rolling pin and 1 or 2 baking sheets. Roll out 1 portion into a 10 x 6-inch rectangle. Brush with lard and fold in half lengthwise. Brush with melted lard and fold again in half lengthwise. Roll again into a 10 x 6-inch rectangle and starting from the long side, roll up into a tight 10-inch cylinder. Shape it into a snail-like coil. Repeat with the 2 remaining dough portions.Place the coils on the oiled sheets, cover with kitchen towel and let rest in a warm spot overnight.
  • Preheat the oven to 350°F. Bake the coils for 30 minutes, or until they are airy and golden and springs back when pressed with a fingertip.
  • Remove from oven and let cool on wire racks. Dust with confectioner's sugar and cut into segments just before serving.

23 comments:

Gitta said...

I like them even when they're stale and cold. ^__^

Oggi said...

You are as weird as Big Nate! Eating stale bicho-bicho is like munching on fried cardboard.:)

Sidney said...

You see me salivating again!

Oggi said...

Haha, you're too funny, Sidney.:D

Anonymous said...

in Naga City-sa Bicol, we call Bicho-bicho as "chakoy", "chakuy" or "chacoy" depending on how you pronounce your "k" or "c". Ha! I printed the recipe. Mabalos sa-imo "icandothat"!

Imelda Irene (aka "ang nanay ko loyalist" ni Marcos.)

Oggi said...

Imelda Irene, let me know how the bicho turns out.:)

Cherublu said...

Hello Oggi! Thank you very much for posting this recipe. I've been craving for it since tasting it while visitting family in the Philippines when I was wee little girl. I've been scouring the internet for a bicho-bicho recipe and am really glad to have stumbled into your blog. Thanks again! Looking forward to coming often.

Goldilocks Bakery said...

Love the bicho-bicho because its not too sweet.

-Ava

Oggi said...

Cherublu and Ava, thanks for visiting and happy baking!:)

Maus said...

thanks for sharing these recipe.i need to try bicho bicho...im craving this for a long time...thankss

Goldilocks Bakery said...

I taste Bicho-Bicho and it was so yummy. I love to cook and I will cook my own Bicho-Bicho and Ensaimada (Spanish). Thanks for the post. Love your blog.

Seth Rodriguez

Oggi said...

Maus, you're welcome.:)

Seth, thanks for dropping by.:)

Anonymous said...

Thanks for the recipe:) There's a lady who sells bicho bicho with cheese inside in our place but she only pass by a bit late in the morning. I just hope i can cook it right. and i wanna put more cheese strips inside ^_^ yum yum.

art is in the kitchen said...

Hi Oggi,
I made the ensaimada but used butter instead of lard. I finished it off to
look like the Filipino one with aged edam,butter and sugar for topping.
I was delectable. Thank you for presenting them both. I wonder if
Sfogliatelle and empanada combination would work? Flaky dough and
savory filling.

Arthur

Oggi said...

Arthur,

I'm glad the ensaimada recipe worked great. I usually brush half of the dough with soft butter and the other half with lard.

The sfogliatelle look almost like the deep-fried empanadas from the southern Philippines province of Iloilo. I'm tempted to challenge myself and make a thicker version with ground beef or chicken empanadas. Thanks for a wonderful idea.:)

Anonymous said...

Thanks for posting the Bicho-bicho recipe....

Anonymous said...

Hi oggi, i want to fry my bicho bicho before i serve them so it would still be hot. Is it ok for me to leave the dough in the baking sheet for about 2hrs before i fry them? Thanks.

Oggi said...

Anon@5/3/12,
I don't recommend it as the dough might collapse if overproofed. You can retard the shaped dough in the refrigerator for a few hours/overnight then let rise at room temperature for 1 to 2 hours before frying.

Unknown said...

hi where can i buy active dry yeast? i can't find it in supermarkets. they only have instant dry yeast. or are they just the same? thanks :)

Anonymous said...

i really want to make donuts but i dont have the dry yeast but here in france its difficult to complete the ingredients.THANKS

Oggi said...

Evelyn
You can use compressed fresh yeast if you can get it.

Lhuisa Villaflores said...

Is it okie to make a dough and stored it overnight in the refrigerator ?i want to fry them the nxt morning? I want to.know if they will rise again before i fry it.

Oggi said...

Unknown @ 8/8/18
You can try but let the dough rest for at least 1 to 2 hours it to come to room temperature before shaping and frying. I've never retarded this particular dough in the fridge so I wouldn't know the result. Good luck.

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