Pandesal Recipe - Jeanelleats Food and Travel Blog (2024)

by Jeanelle

Filipino bread rolls (the best bread rolls in the world…in my opinion!)

“This is the best pandesal I’ve ever had”

I’ve gotten this a number of times from family and friends who I’ve had the pleasure of sharing this pandesal recipe with. A few of them were born and raised in the Philippines, which makes me feel extra warm and fuzzy inside.

It’s a big deal for me to be able to replicate a nostalgic recipe, or make it even better than what they remember growing up in the Philippines.

I know this pandesal recipe is probably not exactly how the pandesal vendors in the Philippines make it because of the ingredients available to them versus the ingredients I have available here.

There’s just some things you can’t directly mimic, but I’m just ecstatic to know that my fellow Filipino and Filipinas LOVE this recipe!

I’ve been making pandesal for a couple of years now, and I wish I could show you my first batch of pandesal. They had pale tops, and not as fluffy and soft as I have them now.

Basically, I’m telling you to make this recipe, then make it again. By the time you’ve made your 10th batch, you’ll notice the improvement in your baking skills and your confidence around baking bread!

Ingredients

  • 2 teaspoons instant yeast, OR 2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast
  • 1 1/4 cup (285 g) whole milk, warmed to 100-105 degrees F
  • 4 1/2 cup (585 g) all-purpose flour
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
  • 3 tablespoons (43 g) unsalted butter, room temperature
  • 1/3 cup (70 g) granulated sugar
  • 2 large eggs, lightly whisked
  • 1/2 cup ground cream crackers, You can use Marie Biscuits, or even breadcrumbs

Directions

1. In a stand mixer, combine all-purpose flour, yeast, salt (make sure the salt doesn’t make direct contact with the yeast), and sugar. Mix all the dry ingredients together.

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2. Add the eggs and milk. Add just enough milk to pick up all the flour at the bottom of the bowl, then add a splash more (I like my pandesal dough to be a bit wet and sticky!)

Pandesal Recipe - Jeanelleats Food and Travel Blog (2)

3. Add the butter, then put your stand mixer on medium speed. Knead for about 5-7 minutes, or until it passes the windowpane test. Make sure you don’t over-knead your dough!

4. Once it’s kneaded, scrape the sides of the bowl to combine the dough into one ball. Cover the dough with plastic wrap, and let the dough rise for about an hour or until it has doubled in size.

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5. If you have not yet turned your cream crackers (or alternative) into a powder do so now. A blender will speed it up but you could grind it by hand with a mortar & pestle or just simply smashing them while in a plastic Ziploc bag.

6. Once you poke the dough and it doesn’t spring back, tip the dough out on a lightly floured surface and press out all the air bubbles.

7. Divide the dough into 24 even pieces, and shape them into balls. Then coat the dough balls with the powdered cream crackers (or alternative).

8. Place the dough on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet, allowing a little room in between the rolls to puff up.

9. Let the shaped rolls rise for another hour, or until you poke the dough and it only springs back halfway.

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10. Place your baking tray in a preheated 350ºF oven in the middle rack, and bake for about 20-25 minutes or until the pandesal get golden-brown tops.

11. Remove the tray from the oven and allow the pandesal to cool down for about 5 minutes before eating!

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Tips

  • You can knead this dough by hand, which should take about 15-20 minutes of continuous kneading.
  • For the powdered topping, my favorite thing to use are Diamond Bakery Royal Cream Crackers. Before I discovered those, I used Marie biscuits which is a rich tea biscuit. You could also use digestive biscuits or anything that has a slightly sweet flavor. If all else fails, simple breadcrumbs also works.
  • When dividing into rolls, I weigh the whole dough and divide that by the number of rolls I want to make (usually 24). Then I’ll pull dough until that number is met and “tare” the scale after forming each roll.

Videos

I have a few different videos where I make pandesal in different varieties. I’ve linked a few here. Some are a bit…. older hahaha.

DID YOU MAKE THIS?!
Post on social media and tag @jeanelleats!I get so happy when I see people making these recipes at home!

Recipe

Pandesal Recipe - Jeanelleats Food and Travel Blog (8)

Pandesal

My famous pandesal in its traditional form

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 20 minutes mins

Proof Time 2 hours hrs

Total Time 2 hours hrs 30 minutes mins

Servings 24 rolls

Ingredients

  • 2 teaspoons instant yeast OR 2¼ teaspoons active dry yeast
  • 1 ¼ cups (285 g) whole milk warmed to 100-105º F
  • 4 ½ cups (585 g) all-purpose flour
  • 1 ½ teaspooons salt
  • 3 tablespoons (43 g) granulated sugar
  • 2 large eggs lightly whisked
  • ½ cup ground cream crackers

Instructions

  • In a stand mixer, combineall-purpose flour,yeast,salt(make sure the salt doesn’t make direct contact with the yeast), andsugar. Mix all the dry ingredients together.

  • Add theeggsandmilk. Add just enough milk to pick up all the flour at the bottom of the bowl, then add a splash more (I like my pandesal dough to be a bit wet and sticky!)

  • Add thebutter, then put your stand mixer on medium speed. Knead for about5-7 minutes, or until it passes the windowpane test. Make sure you don’t over-knead your dough!

  • Once it’s kneaded, scrape the sides of the bowl to combine the dough into one ball. Cover the dough with plastic wrap, and let the dough rise for aboutan houror until it has doubled in size.

  • If you have not yet turned yourcream crackers(or alternative) into a powder do so now. A blender will speed it up but you could grind it by hand with a mortar & pestle or just simply smashing them while in a plastic Ziploc bag.

  • Once you poke the dough and it doesn’t spring back, tip the dough out on a lightly floured surface and press out all the air bubbles.

  • Divide the dough into 24 even pieces, and shape them into balls. Then coat the dough balls with the powderedcream crackers(or alternative).

  • Place the dough on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet, allowing a little room in between the rolls to puff up.

  • Let the shaped rolls rise foranother hour, or until you poke the dough and it only springs back halfway.

  • Place your baking tray in a preheated350ºFoven in the middle rack, and bake for about20-25 minutesor until thepandesalget golden-brown tops.

  • Remove the tray from the oven and allow thepandesalto cool down for about 5 minutes before eating!

Pandesal Recipe - Jeanelleats Food and Travel Blog (2024)

FAQs

What is the reason why pandesal is hard? ›

Pandesal usually ends up hard and dense because it's underproofed. Make sure you give your dough time to rise, I'll be giving time cues in this recipe, but fermentation can vary greatly depending on the activity of your starter and the temperature in your kitchen.

Can you leave pandesal dough overnight? ›

Cover loosely with plastic wrap, and allow to rise at warm room temperature (75°F/24°C) until almost doubled in size, about 1 hour. (Alternatively, cover tightly with plastic wrap, and refrigerate overnight until puffy and soft, between 10 and 12 hours).

What is trivia about pandesal? ›

Trivia: The name comes from the Spanish word meaning “ salt bread” and it originated during the 16th century era of Spanish colonization in the Philippines. Throughout the years, there have been so many versions of pandesal. Our pandesal is soft and buttery, best paired with coffee or hot chocolate.

Why is pandesal so good? ›

Pandesal is the most popular bread in the Philippines for a good reason! With a golden, crumb-coated exterior, slightly sweet taste, and soft, fluffy texture, this Filipino-style bread roll is delicious on its own or with your choice of filling. Perfect for breakfast or as a snack!

Why is my pandesal dough not rising? ›

Add more yeast, blend in the starter, or knead in more flour to help initiate rising. Dough that has expired yeast, too much salt, all-purpose or cake flour, or antifungal spices like cinnamon might have trouble rising.

How do you keep bread from hardening? ›

foil. Storing bread in either plastic, cloth, or foil helps retain the loaf's moisture. This moisture retention is a plus when it comes to the bread's crumb (interior) — but a minus if you're talking crunchy-crispy crust, since wrapping bread will inevitably soften its crust as well as its crumb.

What does pandesal mean in Filipino? ›

Pandesal, also known as Pan de sal (Spanish: pan de sal, lit. "salt bread") is a staple bread roll in the Philippines commonly eaten for breakfast. It is made of flour, yeast, sugar, oil, and salt.

Is eating pandesal healthy? ›

Is Pandesal healthy? HEALTH BENEFITS OF PAN DE SAL: Pan de sal has 4 grams of protein, 25 grams of carbohydrates, 1 gram fiber, and 3 grams of fat. Pandesal also has iron, which is necessary for developing hemoglobin, for carrying oxygen in the blood. This is helpful for people with anemia and pregnant women.

What does pandesal mean in Spanish? ›

A soft and airy flour roll, pandesal —€” which is sometimes spelled out as "pan de sal" —€” is Spanish for "salt bread." However, contrary to its name, the bread is actually relatively sweet. The yeast-raised bread is similar to the Mexican bolillo, and is the breakfast bread of choice throughout the Philippines.

What is the best partner for pandesal? ›

A freshly baked pandesal is great on its own, but Filipinos most commonly eat it dipped in coffee or hot chocolate, filled with breakfast staples like Spam and eggs, or topped with rich spreads like peanut butter, coconut jam, or kesong puti (fresh farmer's cheese).

What is the English name for pandesal? ›

Pandesal is the most popular local bread in the Philippines. It is the Spanish term for “salt bread,” since the name originated during the 16th century Spanish colonial era. Most bakeries all over the country, from small backyard establishments to industrial bakeries, produce and sell this bread.

What to pair pandesal with? ›

Pandesal are best eaten directly from the oven. You can store them for 2-3 days in an airtight container and reheat them in a toaster oven — if you happen to have any leftovers. They're delicious with peanut butter (as I've told you) or smeared with salted butter and honey or jam.

What does it mean when bread gets hard? ›

As bread starts to cool, however, water leaves the starch and moves into other parts of the mixture, allowing starch molecules to return to their crystallized state. It's this recrystallization – not drying – that makes bread go hard, and it happens even in humid conditions.

What makes bread soft or hard? ›

Kneading: This process develops gluten, making the bread soft and stretchy. Over-kneading, however, can lead to hard bread.

What are the reasons for hard pastry? ›

Tough Pastry
  • High protein flour.
  • Substitution of equal amount of butter or margarine for fat.
  • Insufficient fat.
  • Fat not distributed well enough.
  • Too much water.
  • Uneven distribution of water, requiring more manipulation.
  • Over stirring after water is added.
  • Dough not rolled immediately.

Why is my bread dry and hard? ›

Leaving the bread in the oven too long will dry out bread. If the bread has finished baking before the minimum time stated in the recipe, the oven temperature may not be correct. To insure the correct temperature each time you bake, always use an oven thermometer.

References

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