Authentic Ensaymada Malolos

Eurobake: protecting Bulacan’s native foodways

The brand name Eurobake was established in 1982.  From its beginnings as Panaderia La Concepcion in 1945 in San Vicente Malolos, this outfit emerged as famous for inipit, a concoction of Salome P. de Ramos, which is imitated widely but never quite approximated. Aside from this famed sponge cake with custard filling, Eurobake offers traditional ensaymada Malolos.

From a recipe handed down by matriarch Salome Ramos,  Rene “Boy” Ramos developed family techniques of handling daily batches of dough for ensaymada and kept this secret.  He shared this recipe with his wife Bessie Poblete-Ramos until he felt it was time to pass it on to his sons Raymond and Richard and daughter Nina.   The family actually scales and measures the ingredients in secrecy, to protect the uniqueness of their formulas.  In the late hours each evening, or in the early hours before dawn, the elder Ramos used to mix batches for the day’s bread before allowing bakery workers to assist in portioning and shaping, then baking and finishing the products.

This Malolos-style ensaymada has been a favorite among locals and visitors alike.  Topped with salted duck egg, sliced ham and cheese, this distinctively browned bun seems to bear a closer kinship to the savory Eurpoean kugelhopf and the yeasty brioche, rather than the smaller and sweeter regular Mallorca-influenced ensaimada.  The generous sizes of the ensaymada reflect the attitude of festive hospitality, perfect for entertaining guests and sharing with a sizable group.  Even if a Filipino family gets only one large ensaymada Malolos, one could serve this in pieces to be shared informally.

“Walang nakasulat na formula. We know it by heart. Kami lang ang nagtitimpla.” said Raymond Ramos. Have they altered recipes over the years?  What changes have they made, if any? “Hindi kami nagbabago ng formula, doon kami sa masarap.” Cinnamon ensaymada sans savory topping has also been introduced.
(‘We don’t change formulas, we stay with what is delicious.”)  “The influx of American, European and Chinese bakery products in the local market has affected local bakery products as a whole.  We take pride knowing that we maintain the steady patronage of clientele who truly appreciate our products.  We will maintain product lines and improve.  We are confident we can compete amid all of this because Eurobake is truly ‘Sariling Atin’.” said Nina Ramos-Calero.

Owned and run by the Ramos family with about sixty employees, this business owes its success to nurturing customer loyalty and employee growth.  Some of their staff have stayed for ten to fifteen years.  Packaging may be unassuming, with gingham-print boxes recalling old-fashioned linen. However, its products appeal to the Filipino brought up on panaderia-style breads.  “Many of our customers grew up knowing this type of bread, so they return as adults and pass their love on to the next generation.”  This is the kind of loyalty that is kept by consistently respecting the memory of palates and legacies of community taste.

The value of handmade breads is in the proof of eating.  Artisan baking techniques live on in the hands of trained workers in the bakery commissary.  The slower, labor-intensive methods may not yield anything close to the quantities produced by automated facilities, but this outfit is focused on protecting a part of Bulacan’s traditional foodways.

“We don’t use preservatives or chemicals.” confides Nina. Eurobake ensaymadas may not appear to have the same bulk as commercialized products because no chemical enhancers have been added.  It takes an educated eye and an educated palate to appreciate that baking the traditional way yields a product that not only looks different, but also has a distinct texture and flavor compared to machine-processed breads.  Each has a place and a season in the hearts of Filipino consumers.

Eurobake products are available in the following centers: the Lifestyle Center in Greenhills mall, Ayala center Glorietta 4 and Greenbelt 1. Eurobake also offers local and international cuisine in the bakeshop restaurant in Guiguinto, Bulacan.

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Published in edited form in Baking Press Magazine, 2005