Highlights
- The two chefs have been together for years and have also worked in different establishments together.
- Amongst their offerings are pandesal, pan de coco, ensaymada loaf and piaya.
- The couple shares that many who attempt breadmaking make mistakes during proofing.
"In the Philippines, you pass by panederias [bakeries] in the morning and you smell the freshly baked pandesal [slightly sweet bread rolls]. It's such a vivid memory from back home," Yanna Hermoso shares.
Not only do Yanna and her partner Jolo Morales want to bring back memories of the Philippines with their breads, they're hoping to provide a new breakfast alternative to Melburnians.
Chefs Jolo Morales and Yanna Hermoso Source: Yanna Hermoso
Rising
"Yanna and I are both chefs. We both worked in bakeries and fine dining restaurants like in the Philippines," Jolo shares, adding, "When we saw the food scene in Australia...it was amazing!"
Yanna agrees, "I also wanted to make a difference with sustainability so we thought Melbourne would be a good place to combine that with food."
The two moved to Australia in 2018, with the two working in different bakeries and fine dining establishments in Melbourne.
"Then the pandemic hit and we had a second lockdown. We wanted to have that momentum of still being productive," Yanna shares.
Yanna and Jolo Source: Toyo Eatery / San Pellegrino
"We were so bored. We realised we couldn't just be idle" Jolo adds, "That's when our side hustle Alsa [rising dough] was born."
Going against the grain
The couple hopes to use their business as a platform to introduce Australians to Filipino baked goods and to reintroduce innovative breads to Filipinos in Melbourne.
"We chose not to add desiccated coconut to our pan de coco [coconut bread] and instead use latik [formed from the curd of simmered coconut cream]. We finish it off with a two-month blackened paitom [burnt caramelised mature coconut common in Mindanao] and salt," Yanna shares.
Jolo adds, "With our piaya [unleavened flatbread], we make the flatbread fluffier. We add root starch to it so it becomes gummier and it still stays soft the next day. Instead of just muscovado sugar, we took inspiration from banana cue [fried bananas with brown sugar] and made a banana panutsa [solid unrefined sugar] caramel filling instead."
Pan de coco and piaya Source: Yanna Hermoso / Jolo Morales
The two also make ensaymada [bread topped with butter, sugar and cheese] but in loaf-form and with a hamonado [sweet ham served during the holidays] glaze and shavings of smoked aged cheddar.
"We usually just make ensaymada during Christmas; but when our friends make a special request, we'll make it," Jolo laughs.
Ensaymada Source: Yanna Hermoso / Jolo Morales
And of course, there's their staple pandesal.
"The edge of pandesal over sourdough is that it's soft," Yanna says.
"Pandesal uses a hybrid yeast. It moves faster that yeast in sourdough bread so you have to be more attentive to it." Jolo adds, "But what we do with ours is we add tangzhong [rice culture]. It's like the Asian version of a sourdough starter."
Yanna shares that what she loves about pandesal as well is that there's no wastage when they make it.
Pandesal Source: Yanna Hermoso / Jolo Morales
"We use the excess breads to make breadcrumbs we put on top of the pandesal."
Doing it right
Jolo and Yanna joke that pandesal has been an important boredom-buster for Filipinos during the pandemic.
"You'd see Filipinos making pandesal at home during lockdowns and sharing them online," Yanna says, adding, "Baking products were so hard to find especially during the first few lockdowns. We had to search deep in Footscray to find ingredients."
For those still seeking to perfect their pandesal recipe, the two point out that it's all about practising ang getting the proper feel of breadmaking.
"You'd see Filipinos making pandesal at home during lockdowns and sharing them online." Source: Life Of Pix from Pexels
"One of the first people to teach us how to make bread was a Filipino-Australian who worked for Tivoli Road," Jolo shares, adding, "He said that it's not about following directions to a tee. Instead, you have to have a connection with your dough, to know when it's ready and when it's risen enough."
While there are a lot of factors that affect breadmaking, Yanna shares that people often commit mistakes during proofing [letting dough rest and rise].
"Some people wait too long and want the dough to rise a lot; but that leads to overproofing which results in deflated bread.
People often make mistakes during proofing [letting dough rest and rise]. Source: Klaus Nielsen from Pexels
"On the other hand, when you underproof, your bread becomes too dense."
Jolo adds that perfectly risen dough rises to 2/3 of its original size.
"It's really about doing things the right way - like any other Filipino dish," he says.
Jolo adds that perfectly risen dough rises to 2/3 of its original size. Source: webandi from Pixabay
"When you do food the way it's meant to be done, you change how even non-Filipinos view our cuisine. Like, if it's vermicelli sotanghon [noodle dish], make it al dente; or lechon [roasted pig], pre-roast it and don't overcook it.
"Basic principles can change a lot of people's perspectives. When you do Filipino food right, they'll see it in a better light."
Rockling tinapa with pandesal, a collaboration between Alsa and Lutong Lupa Source: Alsa / Lutong Lupa
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