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!)

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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

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).

Is pandesal filipino or Spanish? ›

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.

What does pandesal taste like? ›

Its taste and texture closely resemble those of the Puerto Rican pan de agua, French croissant, and Mexican bolillos. Contrary to its name, pandesal tastes slightly sweet rather than salty. Most bakeries produce pandesal in the morning for breakfast consumption, though some bake pandesal the whole day.

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.

Can yeast bread dough be refrigerated overnight and baked the next day? ›

If it fits better with your day ahead you can leave your dough to ferment at room temperature for an hour or two, then when its risen and full of air, shape it and pop it the fridge to do its second rise as a shaped loaf. You can then preheat the oven and bake the loaf straight from the fridge.

Can you let dough rise for too long? ›

If the dough has risen too long, it's going to feel fragile and might even collapse as you poke it,” says Maggie. If this is the case, there's a chance you can save your dough by giving it a quick re-shape. Learn more about this fix in our blog on saving overproofed dough.

How do Filipinos eat pandesal? ›

Pandesal is typically consumed as part of the first, simpler meal Filipinos sit down to before a heartier breakfast known as almusal. During the earlier morning meal, pandesal is frequently consumed plain with a cup of black coffee or hot chocolate for dipping, says Ponseca.

What is the most popular bread in the Philippines? ›

Pandesal is the most popular local bread in the Philippines.

What is a fun fact about pandesal? ›

Since wheat is not natively produced in the Philippines, bakers eventually switched to more affordable yet inferior flour, resulting in the softer, doughy texture of the pandesal. Pandesal flourished in the American colonial era in the early 1900s, when cheaper American wheat became readily available.

What is the English of pandesal? ›

bread (n.) food made from dough of flour or meal and usually raised with yeast or baking powder and then baked. foodstuff rich in natural starch (especially potatoes, rice, bread).

What is the best partner for pandesal? ›

It is most commonly served hot and consumed by dipping in coffee. It can also be complemented with butter (or margarine), cheese, jam, or peanut butter. If not consumed at breakfast, pandesal is a popular choice for a mid-morning or mid-afternoon snack time known as merienda.

What do you eat pandesal with? ›

How to eat pandesal? 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 is the shelf life of Pandesal? ›

These products are only baked with fresh ingredients; therefore, they only have a short room temperature shelf life of around 4-5 days. However, their life can be extended by up to a month if they are tightly-sealed and stored in the freezer.

Why does pandesal have bread crumbs? ›

What makes pandesal unique from any other bread roll is its breadcrumb coating. In addition to preventing the rolls from getting stuck on the baking surface, it also imparts a delicious textural contrast, between the plush pillowy crumb and crunchy crust. Plus it ensures that even old bread doesn't go to waste.

What is the differences of pandesal and baguette? ›

Answer: 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. While the Baguette is a long loaf of bread closely connected to France.

Can you let bread dough sit overnight? ›

Yes! It's actually recommended to leave your dough to proof overnight. Some people prefer leaving their dough in the fridge and what it does is slows down the process, but there is absolutely no wrong with room temperature either. Whichever way works best for you!

Can you let bread dough rest overnight? ›

The proofing time for bread dough varies based on the dough's makeup (amount of preferment, flour choices, and hydration) and the temperature at which it's proofed. The dough should generally be proofed for around 1 to 4 hours at a warm temperature or overnight (or more) at a cold refrigerator temperature.

Can I mix bread dough and leave it overnight? ›

Is there a bread you can mix in the evening, leave overnight, and bake in the morning? Almost any leaven bread can be made to the point of the second proofing and left in the refrigerator overnight. It will proof very slowly in the cold. Take it out in the morning and let it finish proofing before cooking it.

Can roll dough sit overnight? ›

Lightly oil a large bowl or coat with nonstick spray; place dough in bowl, turning to coat. Cover; place into the refrigerator for 8 hours or overnight.

References

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