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Piaya
Muscovado-filled flatbread
Piaya: Bacolod's thin, flaky griddled flatbread filled with molten muscovado sugar
Piaya is the sweet everyone brings home from Bacolod and the sugar-growing island of Negros: a thin, flaky round of unleavened dough with a layer of dark muscovado inside, cooked on a dry griddle until blistered, and dotted with sesame seeds. The sugar melts and turns chewy as it cools. It is eaten with coffee in the afternoon, and newer shops fill it with ube. Lard is traditional in the dough; vegetable shortening gives the same flakiness. Chef's tip: roll the filled dough gently from the centre outward and keep it thin, or the sugar bursts through.
- Total time
- 70 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 10
Ingredients
For the dough
- 10 ½ oz plain flour
- ½ tsp salt
- 2 ⅛ oz vegetable shortening
- ½ cup watercold
For the filling
- 6 ½ oz dark muscovado sugar
- 2 tbsp plain flour
- 1 tbsp water
To finish
- 2 tbsp white sesame seeds
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Method
0/5 doneStep 1: Rub 2 ⅛ oz vegetable shortening into 10 ½ oz plain flour and ½ tsp salt, then add ½ cup water and knead for 3 minutes into a soft, smooth dough. Cover and rest for 20 minutes.
25 minStep 2: Mix 6 ½ oz dark muscovado sugar, 2 tbsp plain flour and 1 tbsp water to a damp sand that holds together when squeezed. Common mistake: adding too much water; a runny filling leaks and burns on the griddle.
3 minStep 3: Divide the dough into 10 balls. Flatten each into a 10 cm round, put a heaped tablespoon of filling in the middle, gather the edges over it and pinch to seal.
15 minStep 4: Set each ball seam-side down, press flat and roll gently to a 12 cm round about 4 mm thick. Brush the tops lightly with water and sprinkle with 2 tbsp white sesame seeds, pressing the seeds in.
10 minStep 5: Cook on a dry, heavy pan over a medium-low heat for 3 minutes per side, until blistered with brown spots and you can smell the sugar caramelising. Cool on a rack; the filling firms up as it cools.
30 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 230 kcal
- Protein
- 4 g
- Carbs
- 40 g
- Fat
- 7 g
- Fibre
- 1 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does piaya take?
- About 70 minutes in total: 40 minutes to prepare and 30 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 10 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegan?
- Yes. It has no meat, fish, dairy or eggs.
- Can I make it ahead?
- Yes. It keeps well, so you can cook it earlier in the day or the day before and reheat it.
- What can I use instead of plain flour?
- Self-raising flour, same amount (then leave out the baking powder).
- What can I use instead of dark muscovado sugar?
- Caster sugar, same amount.
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