Matcha gives Spanish Bread (a favorite Filipino Bread Snack) a little flavor twist. The sweetness of the bread is now as little more earthy with the addition of Matcha.
This post is sponsored by Aiya Matcha, however all recipes and opinions are my own.
Origins of Spanish Bread
Despite it’s name – which no one seems to know how it came about, it’s a bread that was created in the Philippines by Filipinos. The dough is similar to brioche where it is enriched with eggs and butter. So it’s super soft and fluffy. It’s then filled with a breadcrumb and sugar mixture that bakes into a paste that you can’t describe, yet delish.
It was one of the breads I discovered when I moved back to the Bay Area. This bread was a staple in our afternoon merienda when I was growing up in the Philippines. It’s so so good when it’s just out of the oven with the filling still oosing out when you bite into it.
The dough is similar to the Ube Halaya Babka, that I thought it would be a great idea to repurpose the dough and make a Matcha Version of Spanish Bread.
Matcha Spanish Bread
To make the Matcha version the base ingredients remain the same. We are just going to add a tablespoon of Aiya Culinary Grade Matcha to the recipe.
Mix all the dry ingredients into a mixing bowl. Mix all the wet ingredients in a separate bowl
Add in the butter a cube at a time until the dough comes together. Roll the dough in to a tight ball and let it rise for up to two hours in a greased bowl. You can also keep in the refrigerator until you are ready to form the Matcha Spanish Bread.
Make the Filling and Coating
If you let the dough rise in the fridge take the dough out of the refrigerator and let it rest on the countertop for a hour to get it to room temperature. Doing this makes it easier to handle and won’t spring back so much. While the dough is resting make the filling.
As I mentioned above the original filling is made with breadcrumbs. I made it a little healthier by replacing the breadcrumbs with flax meal. I mixed the flax meal in with some melted vegan butter and more matcha.
In a separate plate combine 2 Tablespoons of more flax meal and mix it with 1 teaspoon of Aiya Culinary Grade Matcha. Set it aside until you have shaped the bread.
Shaping the Spanish Bread
Divide the dough into 6 or 12 equal balls depending on how big you want them. Using a small rolling pin flatten the dough until it is about a centimeter thick.
Slather on the flax meal filling and then roll the dough from the short side.
Slightly pinch the dough to seal it and then roll it in the dry matcha flax mixture.
Place on a baking tray seam side down and repeat for the other dough.
Baking the Spanish Bread
Let the bread proof for an hour covered with some plastic wrap. Once ready to bake place in the oven for 20 minutes.
I like having it warm with a nice glass of Iced Matcha on the side.
For more healthy Filipino inspired goodness in your life follow along on Instagram, Facebook or Pinterest. Or subscribe to get these recipes in your inbox. And if you make this Matcha Spanish Bread I would love to see it. Tag your Instagram snaps with @rezelkealoha and #rezelkealohaeats.