Putok Bread Recipe

Ingredients

• 1¼ cups lukewarm water
• 2 teaspoons instant yeast
• ½ cup sugar
• 1½ teaspoons kosher salt
• 2 tablespoons soft butter
• 2 egg yolks
• 4 cups bread flour
• ½ cup milk powder

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 400°F. In a standing mixer with the kneading hook attachment, add the ingredients in the order as written.
2. Mix on low until combined. Knead on medium for 5 minutes or until smooth. Transfer the dough into a greased bowl, cover tightly with plastic film, and let rest on the kitchen counter for 1 hour.
3. Lightly knead the dough and divide: monay and pinagong into 4-ounce portions, putok into 2-ounce pieces.
4. Shape into rounds, flatten slightly, and place on a baking sheet 2 inches apart. If you want dense hard-shelled buns, make star cuts on top of putok, a deep slash right down the middle of monay, and 4 quarter-inch deep slashes on pinagong rounds.
5. Immediately bake in the preheated oven until golden, about 15 to 20 minutes.
6. If a softer bread is desired, let the buns rest for half an hour, covered with plastic film, before baking.
7. I don’t recommend letting the buns rise for an hour because they will be too fluffy and won’t have the right texture.