The Controversial Pan de Regla

When I posted in Facebook that I was baking Pan de Regla, I received comments immediately!  Some were curious and intrigued and the others started remembering what this bread is.  It's amazing to read their reactions to the name of this bread.  They began searching for pics and one of my friends and a former collegue even posted them on her FB wall.  They also shared the bread's different names --- kalihim, kabukiran, pan de pula, ligaya, floorwax etc.

When my husband asked what is the meaning of the name, I had to explain it hehehe...he said "of all the names, why that? yuuuck!" But what's in a name anyway?  As long as it tastes good, that's the important thing...and my husband proved it true...because he was the one who ate most of the bread.

Ingredients

no. 3 basic dough recipe
1 egg beaten for glace
Filling
7 pcs stale bread (edges removed)
1 1/2 c fresh milk
2 - 3 eggs
1/2 c granulated sugar
2 tsp vanilla
food color

Procedure
While the dough is set aside, start preparing the filling.
Pour in the milk in a bowl. 
Add in the rest of the ingredients (except bread and food color) and mix.
Add in the bread (just shred using your hands) and make sure that they absorbed the liquid.
If you have a food processor, puree the filling there. 
If you're using a blender, you need to use a colander with bigger holes to remove the tough bread.

You can also use your electric mixer and then use colander afterwards.

Transfer into a non stick pot and add the food color (half a teaspoon will do or you can add more if you want).
Put the stove on a low fire and keep stiring the filling mixture until it becomes thick.
Let it cool for a bit.
Transfer the filling in a cling wrap (length size of a ruler or a foot). 
Roll the filling and seal the cling wrap.
Refrigerate for until it sets.

Assembly

Roll out the dough (about 2 inches longer than the rolled filling).

Place the rolled filling in the middle of the flattened dough.

Fold the shorter sides of the dough.

Fold the longer sides of the dough towards the top covering the filling.

Seal with beaten egg.

Use a fork in making holes in the dough.

Brush with the beaten egg on both sides.

Place in a pan with the folded sides on the bottom.

Bake for 35 minutes in 180C or until the top looks like this.

A comment or two will be appreciated...

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Cinnamon Bread Pudding w/ Sultanas

I was trying to bake hot cross buns but I have used the wrong type of bread flour that they turned out like rocks --- too tough actually even for adults to chew.  I really did not want to waste anything so I decided to recycle them into a nice bread pudding.  The result was delicious!  I think this is the easies pudding I have made so far because I did not need to mix much.

Ingredients
10 hot cross buns (or any stale raisin bread)
1 egg yolk (which I got from the egg I used for the empanada egg wash)
3 c fresh milk

Caramelised Sugar
1 c granulated sugar

Procedure
Chop the buns into small pieces and soak them in milk until they become really soft.  Use a metal spoon to do squash the buns.
Add the egg yolk.
Pour the caramelised sugar onto a loaf pan.
Pour the pudding batter onto the loaf pan.
Steam bake for 1 hour.

A comment or two will be appreciated...

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Spiced Cinnamon Bread Pudding with Dried Apricots and Sultanas

As I have promised, this is my second installment of my Bread Pudding series.  This one is different from the first one.  The texture is not as soft as the Pinoy Bread Pudding recipe but it's a bit firmer because of the amount of bread added to the mixture. 

In this recipe I have used a dozen of pieces of bread instead of 6 to 7.  I also added condensed milk and brown sugar instead of white to add a sweet taste to the pudding (a treat to those who have sweet tooth).  I thought my little daughters wouldn't like it but I was surprised to see them eating this one without making any fuss.  Even my hubby said this recipe that I have created is really good.  I think this would make me more inspired in experimenting with the ingredients...as long as my tasters are loving my pudding recipes.
Ingredients
3 c fresh milk
1/2 c condensed milk
1/3 c brown sugar
1 tbsp cinnamon
1 tsp nutmeg
12 pcs stale bread (cubed)
1/2 c raisins
1 c dried apricots (or any dried fruit of your choice)
80 g  butter, melted

Procedure
Soak the bread in the milk (fresh and condensed) for 30 minutes.  Mash with a big metal spoon to make it smoother.
Put in all the other ingredients in the soaked bread and blend well.
Caramelise sugar in a saucepan and pour onto a grased square pan.
Pour the batter onto the square pan.
Steam-bake in a preaheated oven at 180C for 40 minutes to an hour.

Note:  If you decide not to put caramelised sugar on the pudding, just bake it for 30 to 40 minutes or until the toothpick comes out clean when you poke on it.

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Pinoy Bread Pudding

My first of my bread pudding series.  A delightfully steam-baked breadpudding that will melt in your mouth.

What do you do with old bread sitting on your kitchen benchtop or freezer?  This has always been a problem in our house.  My husband tends to buy lots of bread not realizing that we still have plenty at home.  Most of the time, we would just feed the birds in the back lawn with bread...worst they would end up in the bin.  Each time we do this, I can't help but thinking of those in the Philippines that would not even have the money to buy a loaf of bread or tasty (as they are called famously in the Philippines). 

I remember the tasty bread at Caroline's Bakeshop at the town center in Hagonoy.  I have always loved them until the size gets smaller and smaller but the price gets bigger and bigger.  It is interesting to note too that every Christmas and New Year, no matter how much or how small or big these breads are, the Filipinos would always buy them.  Most tables won't be complete without them during these celebrations.  People would even resort to panic buying just to make sure that they would get some.  Funny, whenever I went to the town center years ago, all I could see were tasty breads.  I must say that they are that popular.

There is not really a fixed recipe for a bread pudding and anyone can create theire own recipe.  The only basic ingredient in all the recipes would be the stale or left over bread.  You can be as creative and adventurous as you can be.

Ingredients
3 c milk (fresh or evaporated)
2 cups (7 pcs) white bread,cubed
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
1/3 c sugar
2 tsp vanilla
1 c jackfruit or any fruit that you like
3 eggs
4 tbsp melted butter

Procedure
Heat up 3 c of milk until bubbles form.  Remove from fire. 
Add the cubed bread and soak them for 40 minutes.  Mash the bread with a big metal spoon to make the mixture smooth.
Put in all the other ingredients (except the fruits) and blend well.  You can use an electric mixer if you want. 
Fold in the fruits ( I used jackfruit by the way).  Set aside.
Caramelise 1/2 c sugar and pour onto a loaf pan or round pan.  Pour the batter mixture onto the baking pan.  Make sure that you grease the side of the pan before you do this.
Put the bread pudding pan on top of a bigger pan.  Pour hot water (about 1 inch deep) onto the bigger pan. 
Steam - bake for 1 hour in a preheated oven at 180C.

A comment or two will be appreciated...

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