Pan de regla facts for kids
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| Alternative names | Kalihim, pan de pula, bellas, kabukiran, ligaya, balintawak, alembong, lipstick bread |
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| Type | bread roll |
| Place of origin | Philippines |
| Main ingredients | flour, sugar, milk, butter, salt, stale bread, sugar, vanilla |
Pan de regla, also known as kalihim, is a special Filipino bread. It has a bright red, pink, or magenta filling. This yummy filling is made from leftover bread mixed with milk, sugar, eggs, butter, and vanilla. You can find this bread in many bakeries across the Philippines. People often enjoy it as a snack, especially during merienda (afternoon snack time).
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Fun Names for Pan de Regla
This bread has many different names, and most of them are quite funny! Its most common name, pan de regla, refers to its bright color. Other playful names include lipstick bread or pan de pula, which means "red bread."
Another very common name is kalihim, which means "secret." This name is a clue about how the bread is made! The "secret" is that the tasty red filling is often made from bread that wasn't sold the day before. This smart way of using leftover bread also led to the name "everlasting bread."
How Pan de Regla is Made
The most important part of pan de regla is its unique filling. It's like a sweet bread pudding!
Making the Red Filling
To make the filling, bakers take pieces of leftover bread. They mix these pieces with milk, eggs, sugar, and vanilla. Then, they add a bright red, magenta, or pink food dye to give it its famous color.
The mixture is then chilled for a few hours. This lets the bread soak up all the liquid. After chilling, it's cooked slowly in a pan. The bakers stir it constantly until it becomes a thick, chunky paste. Once it cools down, the filling is ready to be used.
Baking the Bread
The cooled red filling is spread onto a thin sheet of bread dough. The dough is then carefully folded into a long, flattened shape. This long piece is cut into smaller sections. Finally, these sections are baked until they are golden brown and delicious!
Different Kinds of Pan de Regla
Sometimes, bakers might use flour instead of leftover bread to make the filling. Also, the red dye can be left out. If it's not dyed, the filling will have a natural brown color.
The way pan de regla is made can also be used for other popular Filipino breads. For example, bakers use a similar process for pan de coco (coconut bread) and pan de monggo (mung bean bread). You might also find breads with fillings like ube (purple yam), buko pandan (coconut and pandan), or pineapple. These fillings are often dyed different colors or left their natural color.
