Biscocho de Iloilo: butter-and-sugar PagkainPinoy version
PagkainPinoy’s 24–30 piece version twice-bakes day-old soft bread with a thin butter-and-sugar coating.
Modern adaptation
Monay
Filipino bakery-style rolls with a dense crumb and a deep central slash, made here as a twelve-roll home batch.
A divided roll
Monay is a Filipino bakery roll with a dense texture and a deep central cut. This home recipe enriches the yeast dough with milk, egg and butter, then brushes the rolls with egg wash.
Sources for this section
On the neighbourhood bakery counter
A Department of Science and Technology regional report places monay in a working bakery rather than an origin legend. Its 2018 account of Tinapay Along the Riles in Catbangen, San Fernando City, La Union, lists monay alongside pandesal, hopia, pan de coco and ensaymada. The bakery supplied residents of Catbangen and neighbouring barangays daily.
The report describes equipment and technical support through the Small Enterprise Technology Upgrading Program, which had assisted the business in 2014. This is evidence of monay within a local bakery's wider range. It does not establish where the bread was invented or require this home recipe to match that bakery's formula.
Sources for this section
History
Monay is documented as a Filipino bakery bread; the first attestation is not established.
Ingredients
Yield 12 rolls · Scaling: source batch only
Water
59 mL¼ cup as recorded
105–115°F for yeastActive dry yeast
11 mL2¼ tsp as recorded
Sugar
59 mL¼ cup as recorded
Use about 1 tsp to activate yeastMilk
177 mL¾ cup as recorded
Warm; plus 1 tbsp for glazeEggs
2 whole
One for dough and one for glazeButter
59 mL¼ cup as recorded
MeltedMilk powder
59 mL¼ cup as recorded
Salt
4.9 mL1 tsp as recorded
Plain wheat flour
946 mL4 cup as recorded
Plus a little for dustingMethod
Risks and precautions · Standard risk
Contains wheat, milk and egg.
Do not taste raw dough or glaze; raw flour and eggs can contain harmful germs. Wash hands and surfaces after handling them.
Use oven protection when handling hot trays.
- Mix the warm water, yeast and about 1 teaspoon of the sugar. Leave for about 5 minutes or until foamy.
- Add one egg, melted butter, warm milk, milk powder, remaining sugar and salt; stir to combine. Add flour and mix to a shaggy dough.
- Knead on a work surface for 10–15 minutes until smooth and elastic, lightly dusting hands with flour as needed.
- Place in a lightly oiled bowl, cover and let rise for about 1 hour or until doubled.
- Deflate and divide into 12 pieces. Roll into balls and place on a lined tray with space between them. Cut deeply across each ball, without cutting all the way through. Cover loosely and rest for 10 minutes.
- Heat the oven to 350°F (about 177°C). Beat the remaining egg with 1 tablespoon milk, brush the buns and bake for 20–25 minutes or until lightly golden.
Conditions
Yield12 rolls
Places
Philippines
Documented preparation · Country evidenceThe source documents monay as a Filipino bread; it does not establish a precise birthplace.
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Sources
Kawaling PinoyInspiration · Method · Geography
Monay (Pan de Monja)Twelve-roll formula, yeast water temperature, deep score and bake.
Cited in: A divided roll
Department of Science and Technology, Region IContext
DOST Region I Annual Report 2018: Tinapay Along the RilesIndexed report text identifies monay among the breads sold by Tinapay Along the Riles in Catbangen, San Fernando City, La Union; SETUP assistance began in 2014. Direct PDF returned 403.
Cited in: On the neighbourhood bakery counter
Wikimedia Commons / Obsidian SoulImage reference
Pan de monja (Monay) Philippines.jpgOwn work dated 17 December 2018, file-level CC0. Visual inspection confirms two baked monay rolls with a deep divided top. Approved linked reference linked-54a1d5f67c59a204.
Wikimedia Commons / JudgefloroImage reference
Baliuag bakery display, 1 August 2017Own-work CC0 declaration individually checked. Description lists monay among several bread types; exact-subject visual identification remains unverified, so this lead is not counted.