One of my favorite snacks of all time is pigs in a blanket. Not only is it a throwback to childhood, it’s also handy to eat. Made with sausages or hotdogs encased in a crisp, buttery dough, pigs in a blanket are great for taking along on road trips and picnics and for serving in children’s parties.

And I’m not alone in my fondness for this snack. A host on a popular Food Network show once admitted that whenever she sees pigs in a blanket being served, she’ll stick close to them.

Hence, when the Maya Kitchen invited me to attend a Zoom class on “sausage-stuffed bread,” I just had to say yes—because that sounds so close to being pigs in a blanket.

And I wasn’t disappointed. Despite its more sophisticated name, sausage-stuffed bread tasted very much like you know what.

A bonus in the class was the bread topped with chicken or pork floss, which is very similar to those sold in some bakeshops in the mall.

However, making the dough from scratch was quite challenging. We had to wait for the dough to rise to double its size. We also had to knead and roll the dough into the proper shapes. But with guidance from Maya Kitchen’s culinary instructors chefs Elvie Ibale and Dan Wilford Libunao, who would check our progress through Zoom, the participants were able to navigate successfully through all the steps.

Sausage-Stuffed Bread and Bread Floss

For the dough:

1¼ c fresh milk (about 37°C temperature)

2¼ tsp instant dry yeast

¼ c sugar

1 egg

3½ c Maya all-purpose flour

¾ tsp salt

2 Tbsp melted butter

Filling for sausage-stuffed bread:

12-14 pieces mini breakfast sausages or cocktail hotdogs

Filling and topping for bread floss:

Grated cheese

Pork or chicken floss (store-bought), lightly toasted in a nonstick pan

Mayonnaise or butter

For brushing on dough:

Egg wash (1 egg + 2 Tbsp milk, beaten together)

To make dough for sausage-stuffed bread: Grease two to three large baking pans and line them with parchment paper or nonstick baking paper. Set aside.

Combine all the dough ingredients in an electric mixing bowl fitted with the dough hook attachment. Blend on medium speed until the dough becomes whole and starts “climbing” up the dough hook. The dough should not be too sticky.

Remove the dough from the mixer and knead by hand until smooth, about five minutes. If the dough seems sticky, add some flour. Make sure not to stretch the dough.

Transfer the dough to an oiled or greased bowl and cover the bowl with plastic wrap. Set aside in a warm place and let the dough rise until it doubles in volume, about 45 to 90 minutes.

Once it has doubled in volume, punch down the dough with your fist. Transfer the dough to a working table then separate the dough into small pieces, each weighing 30 g (use a handy kitchen weighing scale). Form each piece into a ball. You should have about 12–14 balls.

To assemble the mini sausage-stuffed bread: Get one piece of dough then flatten it into an oval shape about 5-6 inches long and four inches wide (about the size of the mini sausage).

Arrange the sausage horizontally on top of the dough and roll the dough enough to cover the sausage. With the tip of a knife, cut three to four slits on the surface of the dough. Repeat procedure with the remaining sausages and pieces of dough. Preheat the oven to 400°F/200°C.

Arrange the assembled dough in one of the prepared pans, leaving enough space for the dough to double in size (you may have to use two pans). Brush the dough with the egg-milk mixture and let the dough rise for another 20 minutes. Bake in the preheated oven for 20-25 minutes or until a rich golden brown (check frequently to make sure it doesn’t burn). Best served on the day it was baked.

Bread floss

To make the bread floss: To make the dough, follow the same procedure for making the dough for the sausage-stuffed bread. To assemble: Divide the dough into pieces, each weighing about 50 grams. Shape into a ball then flatten each ball of dough into oval shapes. Sprinkle with grated cheese (do not overstuff so the bread doesn’t burst). Roll the dough to enclose the cheese and pinch the edges of the dough together to seal.

Preheat the oven to 400°F/200°C. Arrange the assembled dough into one of the prepared pans, giving enough space for the dough to double in size. Let the dough rest for 30 minutes or until it has doubled in size.

Brush the dough with the egg wash mixture then bake for 20-25 minutes in the preheated oven or until golden brown. Check frequently to make sure it doesn’t burn. Place the baked bread on a cooling rack and let cool completely.

Once the bread is cool, pipe or spread enough mayonnaise or butter on top of the bread and sprinkle the floss until the top of the bread is fully covered with pork or chicken floss. Serve. INQ