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 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 a fun fact about pandesal? ›

Pandesal is the most popular style of bread in the Philippines. The name comes from the Spanish word meaning “salt bread" and it originated during the 16th century era of Spanish colonization in the Philippines. Pandesal is known for its pillowy texture and signature breadcrumbs on top.

Why is my pandesal so hard? ›

Why is my pandesal so hard? If your pandesal is hard out of the oven (and not burnt), it might not have proofed enough and the gluten did not develop properly. Try to test your yeast to make sure it's not expired by blooming it in warm milk before adding into your flour.

What was the first Filipino bread in the Philippines? ›

It was introduced to the Philippines in the 16th century as the Spaniards' answer to the French baguette. The original pan de sal was made with wheat flour, so it was hard and crusty (and a far cry from the doughy, yielding specimens at the nearest Pan de Manila).

Is pandesal filipino or Spanish? ›

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.

Why is 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 country is pandesal from? ›

Pandesal is a popular yeast-raised bread in the Philippines. Individual loaves are shaped by rolling the dough into long logs (bastón, Spanish for "stick") which are rolled in fine bread crumbs. These are then portioned, allowed to rise, and baked.

Who invented pandesal? ›

Pandesal traces its history to the arrival of the Spanish colonists, who brought wheat flour to the islands and baked bread in wood-fired pugon ovens (from fogon, a now archaic Spanish term for a clay stove), which gave this bread and its cousins distinct flavors and textures.

What do you 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.

Can I 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).

How do bakeries make bread so soft? ›

Commercial bread is softer due to the steam process used by bakeries, which is made to keep bread hydrated and fresh. Use cold water in a pan and put it on a rack beneath your bread to create steam.

How long is pandesal good for? ›

Bake the bread for 20 minutes or until the pan de sal becomes lightly toasted. Storage: Pan de sal is best eaten straight out of the oven. However they may last in an airtight container for up to two days without getting too tough. Simply reheat them in the toaster oven before eating.

What is the mother of all Filipino bread? ›

Monay is one of the most basic bread types in the Philippines and is sometimes known as the "mother of all Filipino breads" as it can be modified to give rise to various other bread types. These include breads like pinagong and putok.

What is the oldest food in the Philippines? ›

Probably the oldest group of food crops in the Philippines, root crops includes yams, taros, sweet potato and manioc. Although rice has already replaced yams and taros as the preferred root crop, it still remains as the dominant food in some regions and has assumed complementary roles in others.

What is the most delicious bread in the Philippines? ›

Arguably the most famous and the most popular bread in the Philippines, pandesal is also one of the easiest to make at home. You'll only need simple ingredients like all purpose flour, yeast, milk and bread crumbs that pandesal is known for.

What does sal mean in pandesal? ›

“Pan de sal” literally means “salt bread” in Spanish, though the flavor is not actually salty.

What is another name for Spanish bread? ›

Señorita bread, also known as Spanish bread or pan de kastila, is a Filipino bread roll characteristically oblong or cylindrical in shape with a traditional sweet filling made of breadcrumbs, butter or margarine, and brown sugar.

Why does pan mean bread in Spanish? ›

1. Borrowed words: Both Japanese and Spanish have borrowed words from other languages. For example, the Spanish word for bread, "pan," comes from Latin. Similarly, the Japanese word for bread, "pan," comes from Portuguese, which was introduced to Japan by Jesuit missionaries in the 16th century.

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