Monay

Known as the mother of Filipino breads, the

dough for monay transforms into the pinagong,
the putok, the sputnik, and many others
depending on the water content, proofing
(rising of the dough), and baking time. Its a
soft, yellow bread, traditionally marked with a
split down the middle, but some commercially-
made monay no longer have this suggestive
marking and are paler in color.

Why is it called that?

This was originally called pan de monja (nuns

bread), and was later called monay for short.
Strangely enough, monay later evolved as a
colloquial term for female genitals in some
rural areas because of its, erm, provocative
shape. Just imagine walking into a provincial
bakeshop and asking the attendant how much
her hot, steaming monaycosts. Awkward.

Pan de Putok

One of the many offshoots from the

standard monay dough, the pan de putoks top
is clipped with a pair of scissors or a sharp
knife to produce its signature crown-like ridges.
And where a monay is usually soft and airy,
this horned bun is compact and dense, with a
texture that ranges from semi-soft to rock hard
depending on its proofing time.

Why is it called that?

Putok is the Tagalog word for explosion, and

these crusty babies were named after their
cracked tops, which expand from all the steam
released during baking. However, like
its monay parent, putok also has an
unfortunate alternate meaning in the
vernacular. In street slang, its synonymous
with offensive body odor, particularly from the
armpits. It might not sound as icky as pan de
regla, but you wouldnt want to be the hapless
chap yelling, Miss, may putok ba kayo? at the
bakery attendant. (Unless you want one of
those rock-hard, horned buns embedded into
your forehead as an answer. Ouch.)

Pinagong

This sweet and milky bread is a must-try when

passing through the town of Sariaya, Quezon.
Another one of the monays many offspring,
this one differs from its siblings due to the milk
powder added to the initial dough for a
smoother mouth feel. The end product is said
to be so rich and creamy that Sariaya townsfolk
dip the bread in black coffee in lieu of using a
non-dairy creamer.
 Why is it called that?
Pinagong is derived from the Tagalog word for
turtle. Each bun has a flat bottom and a curved
top, which are decorated with three ridges or
indentations that look like scales. Other
versions even have protrusions on either end,
which resemble the turtles head and tail. A
popular myth also claims that
the pinagong was the result of an accident: a
baker who was making a batch of monay fell
asleep while he was proofing it in the oven (I
guess thats what happens if your job requires
you to be up and about at the crack of dawn).
He woke up to find a chewier version of his
intended product. Since the guy didnt want to
waste the batch, he carved ridges onto their
puffy tops and sold it under a different name:
one that paid tribute to its whimsical
appearance (and probably to the fact that he
accidentally proofed it at a slower pace).

http://kusinanimanang.blogspot.com/2009/05/monay-and-putok.html

Use powdered skimmed milk in order not to have too much sweetness
on the bread.