Not sure why, but we do love our siksik na Putok. The chewiness, the sugar, that crunch on top while it's hot and so on. Look at the photo and see why there seems to be two sizes on the same baking sheet. That's because they are both from the same batch, just baked separately to get the effect and texture we want.
How hard is it to make one? Not that hard considering you can even knead the dough by hand if you want to. There are less rules when it comes to adding the water because you can go as stiff as you want, and the operative word is really stiff.
The sugar on top should be added just before baking, it is imperative that you use white sugar or brown will make the whole eating experience, very unpleasant. Just not like we want it to be.
The milk, yes the milk. You can go and use the creamiest milk powder you have and it will be fantastic. I teach this bread or we do it first day of our session so i can show the class a type of a stiff dough.
See below the siksik texture of the Putok. One of my students said she thought the word Putok meant the stench of you know what, but it really means the crack, burst in the sides or top during baking, thus the word Putok. You fry these dough and they will turn into BOMBA, or so the taxi driver told me. He was eating some when i took a cab on my way to renew my passport.
Bomba is round, fried like a doughnut or bitso, and rolled in lots of sugar. Dense, heavy and really sweet.
There is a reason why the others did not crack or hindi pumutok. The heat of the oven is one, so make sure you use a very high setting. I thought i would not like it when i first made one, but i downed three pieces in two minutes. It was addicting especially when it is warm, fresh from the oven.
Incidentally, the December class is still open for reservations. I am not sure up until when i can keep on teaching, and it is a blessing to be teaching still at this point. Last July, i had a severe reaction to this Prednisone, anti allergy medication the doctor in New York gave me. I took 2 20 mgs, and after about 20 some hours, i was experiencing a mild heart attack.
This triggered a three month long bouts of chest pains, shortness of breath, ( i could barely take a bath without panting), dizziness, lethargy, and just plain over all malaise. I would lie down on my bed and not move because the room was spinning or i would have difficulty swallowing food so i lost a lot of weight.
My greatest fear was that i would not be able to teach anymore. I went back to the doctor, had rounds of lab work, heck i toured Central Valley jumping from one hospital to another, Stress test, ECG, heart sonagram, xray, etc., etc., etc., The stress was mounting because on top of all these, i was worried that the radiation i had way back 2004 had nicked my lungs basing from my CT scan last year and if it also did some damage to my arteries or valves, then it would be a disaster. So my doctor said.
Waiting for the results was like waiting for a death penalty or life. I got life. Praise God. I went home last October praying i would feel great just in time for my class. He heard my prayers. When i went to see a Cardio two weeks ago just to ask what happened to me really, we both chalk it up to a bad medicine reaction. Hope so.
Cherish your moments with everything that is around you. You can never tell. After this incident, i make it a point to be happier. The best decision i made was to take up baking way back early college days, when i was 17 years old. I remember my sister bringing me to Makati to take up baking lessons, It was a life changing decision and i have to say, this is what made me survive Cancer. Baking is surviving, baking bread is life.
This is why, and i hate to say this but to trolls who email me simply to annoy me, please go find some meaningful task like getting rid of weeds in your garden or offering to debug your neighbor's Basil plant. I can't believe that there will be people who can find time to email someone and be mean. I give out free stuff when someone asks me to, It's part of what we all do. Not everything out there should be about money, so i give free recipes or videos if i feel sorry for someone.
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