inthekitchen
Ready to Roll
Chefs Marie and Nikki Melegrito
Sugar Blooms & Cakes Inc.
This cheery mother and daughter duo opened their fi rst bakery on
Selkirk Avenue in 2011, then moved to their new McPhillips Street
location in 2015. Lavish cakes, breads, and sweets provide nostalgic
Filipino fl avours with impressive attention to detail. In the Philippines,
Christmas is a time of grand celebration, and proves to be the most
wonderful time of the year at Sugar Blooms.
Pandesal Buns
Pandesal, or ‘bread of salt’ buns,
are a Christmas morning traditon
in Filipino homes. Queso de Bola
Cheese (aka Edam) and pineapple
ham, add a savoury twist.
INGREDIENTS
4 cups bread fl our
1/2 cup white sugar
5 Tbsp salted butter (melted)
1 tsp baking powder
1 1/4 cups fresh milk
1 package instant yeast
1 cup bread crumbs
1 tsp salt
1 whole egg
1 Tbsp cooking oil
2 cups fi nely grated cheese
(Queso de Bola Cheese or Edam)
6 thinly sliced pineapple ham
METHOD
1. Combine yeast, sugar, and
milk in a mixing bowl. Stir
until the yeast and sugar are
fully dissolved.
2. In separate bowl, combine
dry ingredients, except bread
crumbs. Mix well.
3. Add egg, butter, and cooking
oil to yeast mixture. Combine
with dry ingredients, mixing
again until dough forms. Mix
ingredients by hand, or use
dough hook attachment on
mixer.
4. Place dough on fl at surface
and knead until texture
becomes fi ne.
5. Place dough in mixing bowl,
cover with damp cloth, and let
rise for 45 minutes to 1 hour.
44
ciao! / dec/jan / two thousand seventeen
6. Transfer dough to a lightly
fl oured work surface. Roll into
log and gently fl atten with
hands. Lightly sprinkle Queso
de Bola Cheese onto dough
and arrange thinly sliced ham
evenly across. Roll one end
of dough strip over itself,
continuing until a tightly rolled
log is formed. Cut log into
4-6 equal pieces. Repeat until
all remaining dough has been
rolled.
7. Lightly roll each bun in
breadcrumbs. Arrange on baking
tray plac