Burikat (Pan de Regla): Soft Filipino Bread with Sweet Red Pudding Filling
Dan
Filipino bakery bread | Merienda | Dessert
Burikat is the kind of Filipino panaderia bread that stops you at the bakery case: soft, golden bread wrapped around a vivid red, vanilla-scented bread-pudding filling. Depending on where your family is from, you may know it as Pan de Regla, Kalihim, Pan de Pula, or Kabukiran.
Why make it: this recipe turns simple pantry ingredients into a nostalgic bakery-style treat that is soft, lightly sweet, and perfect with coffee, tea, salabat, or a cold glass of milk.
Fresh From the Oven
These additional photos show the bread cooling, the vivid red pudding filling, and the finished pieces ready to serve.
What Is Burikat?
Burikat is a Filipino bakery bread filled with a sweet red bread-pudding paste. It is also widely known as Kalihim, a name that means "secret" and is often linked to the old bakery practice of turning day-old bread into the filling. It is practical, clever, and very Filipino: nothing wasted, everything made delicious.
The alternate names are part of the fun. Pan de Regla and Burikat are cheekier regional names tied to the bread's red color and local bakery humor, while Pan de Pula simply means red bread. For Filipino-American Cooking, this post uses Burikat as the main name and keeps the other names in the story so everyone can find the version they grew up with.
Why You Will Love It
- Bakery nostalgia at home: soft enriched dough, a shiny golden top, and that unmistakable red center.
- Smart use of leftover bread: day-old sandwich bread becomes a thick, sweet filling instead of waste.
- Great merienda: it sits right between snack and dessert, especially with something hot to drink.
- Beginner-friendly shaping: no fancy pastry work, just roll, fill, fold, cut, rise, and bake.
Ingredient Notes
For the red filling
Use soft white sandwich bread or another plain day-old bread. The filling should cook down into a thick paste, closer to bread pudding than jam or frosting. The red color usually comes from food coloring, not fruit.
For the dough
All-purpose flour works well for a tender home version. Keep the milk and water warm, not hot, so the yeast wakes up without being damaged. Add the last bit of flour slowly so the dough stays soft.
Burikat Recipe
Soft Filipino bakery-style bread filled with a sweet red bread-pudding center. Written for a U.S. home kitchen and adapted after baking from the classic Kawaling Pinoy Kalihim method.
Ingredients
Red Bread-Pudding Filling
- 5 cups day-old white bread, torn into small pieces
- 2 1/4 cups milk
- 2 large eggs, beaten
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 2 to 3 teaspoons red food coloring, or enough for the color you like
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Soft Bread Dough
- 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour, plus up to 1/4 cup more as needed
- 2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast
- 1/4 cup warm water, about 105 to 115°F
- 1/2 cup warm milk
- 2 tablespoons melted butter, cooled slightly
- 3 tablespoons granulated sugar, divided
- 3/4 teaspoon fine salt
Egg Wash
- 1 egg
- 1 tablespoon water
Instructions
- Start the filling. In a bowl, mix the torn bread, milk, beaten eggs, and sugar until the bread is fully moistened. Stir in the red food coloring, then let the mixture sit for 15 to 30 minutes so the bread absorbs the liquid.
- Cook the filling. Transfer the soaked bread mixture to a saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring often, until it thickens into a chunky, spreadable paste. Stir in the butter until melted, then remove from heat and mix in the vanilla. Cool completely before shaping the bread.
- Wake up the yeast. In a large bowl, combine the warm water, yeast, and 2 teaspoons of the sugar. Let it stand until foamy, about 5 to 10 minutes.
- Make the dough. Stir in the warm milk, melted butter, remaining sugar, and salt. Add 2 1/4 cups flour in portions, mixing until a soft dough forms. Add the reserved flour only if the dough is too sticky to handle.
- Knead and rise. Knead on a lightly floured surface until smooth and elastic, about 8 to 10 minutes by hand. Place in a lightly greased bowl, cover, and let rise until doubled, about 1 1/2 hours.
- Fill the dough. Gently deflate the dough and roll it into a rectangle about 10 by 16 inches. Cut the rectangle in half lengthwise. Spoon the cooled filling down the center of each strip, leaving room at the edges.
- Seal and slice. Fold the dough over the filling and pinch the edges closed. Turn each log seam-side down, then cut into 2-inch pieces. Arrange on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
- Second rise. Cover loosely and let the pieces puff for 30 to 40 minutes. If you want the bakery look, snip shallow slits across the tops with clean kitchen scissors.
- Bake. Heat the oven to 350°F. Beat the egg with 1 tablespoon water and brush over the dough. Bake for 15 to 18 minutes, or until the bread is lightly golden and cooked through.
- Cool slightly and serve. Let the bread rest for a few minutes before eating. The filling will be hot right out of the oven.
Tips For The Best Burikat
- Cool the filling all the way. Warm filling can soften the dough and make it harder to seal.
- Cook the filling until thick. If it looks loose, keep stirring over medium heat. A thick filling leaks less.
- Do not overload the dough. A generous line of filling is good; too much makes the rolls harder to close.
- Watch the flour. Soft dough gives a softer bun. Add extra flour only a little at a time.
How To Serve And Store
Burikat is best slightly warm or at room temperature. Serve it for merienda, breakfast, or dessert with coffee, tea, milk, or salabat. Store leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature for 2 to 3 days, or refrigerate for up to a week. Warm briefly before serving if you want the bread soft again.
Common Questions
Is Burikat the same as Pan de Regla or Kalihim?
They are names for the same general style of Filipino bakery bread: soft bread with a red bread-pudding filling. The name can change by region, bakery, or family memory.
Does the red filling taste like strawberry?
Usually, no. The filling is typically vanilla-milk bread pudding colored red. The color is visual, while the flavor is sweet, milky, and simple.
Can I use a stand mixer?
Yes. Use a dough hook on low to medium-low speed until the dough becomes smooth and elastic. Stop before the dough turns tight or dry.
Why is my filling leaking?
The filling may be too loose, too warm, or overfilled. Cook it thicker, cool it completely, and seal the dough firmly before slicing.
What did your family call this bread? Burikat, Pan de Regla, Kalihim, Pan de Pula, Kabukiran, or something else? Share the name you grew up with and how your bakery made it.
Recipe inspiration and technique reference: Kawaling Pinoy's Kalihim recipe. This post uses original wording, your Filipino-American Cooking photo, and home-kitchen notes for readers baking in the U.S.
