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Last Session


Breads proofing, Day 1 of my Hands on class which i call the Pandesal session. I decided to do some tweaking with the regular varieties i usually do with the students so since i have Ube Haleya left over from Christmas, i made some Ube Rolls.

Using 30 grams of the sweet yeast dough, we filled it up with pre made Ube, rolled it into a coil and placed them on cupcake liners into muffin pans.




See the Ube?


The same dough, no filling, 30 grams as well, but with toppings. That right there is one dough with two variations. The same dough can also be made into Special Pandesal if you so wish, depending on your mood which i suggest you do if you are a beginner. In fact, what i teach my class is that, it is part of a sound bakery management, a true test of your baking skill and business acumen to be able to create as many variations, basta bagay sa dough or masa. Something like, 1 sack of flour, 12 variations, but the dough you use to make Pandesal, Spanish Bread, Pan de coco, Soft Buns, etc., cannot be made into a Baguette or Ciabatta. Parang oa na, and besides the latter needs a different type of dough.


If you have kids in the house, this is the bestseller. Dunk it in sugar (c'mon, not going to be everyday anyway so why not?)after smearing it with margarine and voila. We used Spring because it tastes clean and sweetish. Kids (and even adults) will devour them in seconds, as long as the bread is soft and fluffy, and yummy.



The Pandesal dough, plain, with Corned Beef and Spanish Bread.
You can still take the hands on baking class scheduled on January 31, Feb 3 and 5, my last one before i leave for New York. Thank you to all my students, some of you are on my facebook so i get to see what is happening to you guys. May your business grow, may you find joy in honing your craft, and may your baking be merry.



Incidentally, i got home safe from renewing my passport today. I left at 8:30 am for an 11:30 am appointment and got there 11:15 am. No driver available so i almost took a bus going there, good thing i saw this cab and took one. Had i not boarded it, or even spent 15 minutes trying to get a ride, i would have been so late. I have no idea it was so far, like it was the end of the world. My fare was 450 pesos, gave him a 50 peso tip, seems fair enough i guess because he did not make me get off. I was just wondering, even with the appointment system, the lines are still way too long. Although it was not as worst as the time i waited for my medical to be released, (10 hours), i left the DFA building around 2 pm. Still i think there should be a satellite office somewhere in Quezon City and let those who live near Manila go to this one. One thing is for sure, i would never get an afternoon schedule. Taft avenue near MRT smells horrible, squalid, gutter ridden. Calling MMDA. I was fine with the idea of commuting for a change, may wifi ang bus, sosyal, and there was not too much traffic going home. I paid P64.00 from MRT to Sm Fairview, not bad, then took a cab home, another P80.00. That is less than $5.00. Still way much less than what i would spend if i am in New York. Huh. 1 1/2 km cab ride will cost you $16.00 back and forth. Hohum. My passport better arrive as promised.


Mother and daughter after the baking.
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