Soft and Fluffy Filipino Spanish Bread with buttery filling is the famous ''Merienda'' in the Philippines.
What is Spanish Bread?
Spanish bread is a favourite afternoon snack or merienda in the Philippines. It is a sweet bread roll, with a buttery and sugary filling. It is then rolled in bread crumbs for a little crunchiness and baked to golden brown perfection.
Filipino Spanish Bread doesn't really have much to do with the Spanish, apart from the bread roll. The reason it is called "Spanish" bread in the Philippines is because Filipinos adopted certain bread making techniques from Spanish kitchens.
But creative minds crafted their owns variations and offshoots into what we know as Spanish Bread today. What makes this bread special is the filling. It's just the icing on the cake, so to speak.
What does Merienda mean?
In the Philippines, the words Merienda and Minindal are synonymous with tasty snacks eaten outside of breakfast, lunch, or dinner. If the prospect of eating 7 meals throughout the day sounds good to you, you will probably love these sweet delights. Of course, they are not full "meals", but they can satiate any hunger you have when you just need a quick bite. Spanish Bread is just one option for your snack time. I'll be adding many more "Merienda" recipes to this blog very soon.
Why You'll love this recipe
- Perfect snack any time of day.
- Easy to prepare.
- Fluffy with buttery filling.
- Everyone will love this recipe.
Step-by-step Instructions
Step 1: Combine flour, sugar and salt. Pour in lukewarm milk, melted butter and beaten egg. Add instant yeast then mix until you form a dough.
Step 2: Knead the dough for 8-10 minutes on a flat surface. Transfer the dough on a greased bowl and cover with kitchen towel then rest for 30 minutes to 1 hour until it doubled the size.
Step 3: Prepare the butter filling: In over medium heat pan, melt butter. Add breadcrumbs, milk and brown sugar.
Step 4: Divide dough into 16 equal parts. Flatten each piece into oval size, spread filling and roll.
Step 5: Brush dough with milk then roll over breadcrumbs. Bake in a preheated 300F oven for 20 minutes or until turns brown.
What to make next
Did you make this Filipino Spanish Bread today? I’d love to hear on the comment section below. Or let’s get social! Follow and tag me on Facebook and Instagram.
Recipe
Filipino Spanish Bread
Ingredients
Dough
- 3 cups all purpose flour
- ¼ cup sugar
- 2 teaspoons instant yeast
- 1 cup lukewarm milk
- 2-3 tablespoon butter melted
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 medium egg beaten
Spanish Filling
- ⅓ cup butter
- ½ cup bread crumbs
- ½ cup brown sugar
- 2-3 tablespoon milk
- ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
Breading
- 3 tablespoon milk
- ⅓ cup bread crumbs
Instructions
Dough
- Combine dry ingredients; flour, sugar and salt.
- Pour in lukewarm milk, melted butter and egg. Mix until evenly distributed. Add in instant yeast and mix well to form a slighly sticky dough.
- Transfer dough to a flat surface. Knead dough with lightly oiled hands for 8-10 minutes until smooth. Place dough on a greased bowl then cover with kitchen towel and rest for 30 minutes-1 hour until it doubled the size.
Prepare the Filling
- In over medium heat pan, melt butter. Add breadcrumbs, milk, brown sugar and vanilla extract and mix until you achieve a thick paste texture.
Assemble Spanish Bread
- Punch down the dough and divide into 16 equal parts using a knife.
- Flatten each piece into oval size. Spread filling on the surface leaving about a centimetre around the edges unfilled. Roll the dough starting from the bottom.
- Brush dough with milk and roll over bread crumbs. Place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper
- Bake on a preheated 300F oven for 20 minutes or until brown.
- Remove the Spanish Bread from the oven. Serve and Enjoy!
Notes
- This recipe uses instant yeast. If you are using active dry yeast make sure to proof first and follow packaging instructions.
- I am using all purpose flour. You can also use bread flour for this recipe.
T says
Yummy. Such a great afternoon snack