Are you looking for a delicious and simple pandesal recipe? Well, here it is!
This recipe is easy to follow and will result in a delicious pandesal that everyone will love.
Pandesal is the most popular bread in Filipino cuisine. It is a common bread roll that is soft and sweet, which is contrary to its name, which means “salt bread.” It is typically served for breakfast or snacks.
Our recipe is delicious and will have your kitchen smelling like a bakery. Keep reading to learn more about pandesal and how to make it!
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History of Pandesal
While the exact origins of pandesal are unknown, it is believed that Filipino bread was created after the Portuguese brought wheat and wheat-based bread to the Philippines in the 1500s.
It is also known that pandesal is an evolved form of pan de suelo, meaning “floor bread,” which was hard and crusty.
This early precursor was a Spanish-Filipino iteration of the French baguette. The leavening agent used was tuba (fermented coconut wine) because yeast was not accessible.
During the American colonial era in the 1900s, pandesal production became more widespread with the introduction of cheaper wheat, commercial ingredients (like yeast and canned dairy), and baking equipment.
So although the Philippines does not grow its own supplies and relies mostly on imports, these widely available ingredients with a long shelf life resulted in a softer bread that can be produced at a low cost.
Today, you’ll find pandesal at every Filipino market or bakery. It’s such a staple food in Filipino cuisine that households will usually have some in their pantry at all times.
Why You Should Make Pandesal:
It’s cheap and easy to make. The ingredients and equipment are very basic and low cost, including flour, butter, salt, and yeast.
No need to go to the bakery. Growing up in the bay, my grandparents would go to the bakery in the very early mornings to get the fresh, warm batches. If you make it at home, you’ll get fresh bread straight to your table, no bakery visit needed!
You can make a large batch to share! Food is meant for sharing, so bake yourself some and also bring it to your friends. Everyone likes homebaked goods made with love!
It (of course) tastes great! It’s soft, sweet, and fluffy. And when the pandesal is fresh from the oven, it’s tastes like a warm hug. And it tastes good with just about anything!
Tips and Tricks for Making the Best Pandesal:
Use a food thermometer to measure the warm milk. Warm liquids are essential for blooming (activating) the yeast. Using lukewarm milk or overly hot milk will lead to the yeast not activating or dying, resulting in a dense and flavorless bread. Warm the liquids between 100-110 °F (for active yeast) or 120-130 °F (for instant dry yeast). A food thermometer will take all the guesswork out of this, and will help ensure the bread texture comes out soft and delicious.
Test the dough after you knead it. Kneading is important for activating the gluten, which contributes to the texture and flavor of the pandesal. Use the window pane test or the poke test.
Weigh the ingredients with a food scale. Although using measuring cups are still acceptable, weighing the ingredients will give you more consistent and accurate results.
Frequently Asked Questions:
Should I use instant yeast or active dry yeast? What’s the difference?
You can use either instant yeast or active dry yeast.
Instant yeast can be added directly into the dry mix of ingredients, whereas active dry yeast requires an extra blooming step to activate it. Instant yeast is much simpler to use, which is why it’s included in this recipe.
If you decide to use active dry yeast in this recipe, make sure to bloom it in warm milk and sugar before adding to the recipe.
Can I use bread flour instead of all purpose flour?
Yes, you can! Bread flour has a higher protein content than all purpose, which means that the end result will have a different texture.
We haven’t tested this recipe with bread flour, but you will likely have to adjust the amount of warm milk by a few tablespoons because bread flour needs more moisture.
My bread didn’t rise, why?
There can be several reasons why bread doesn’t rise. Some possible reasons could be that the yeast didn’t activate properly, that the dough was too cold, or that the dough needed to rise for longer.
With practice, you’ll be able to recognize which reason is responsible for the dough not rising. Keep trying and don’t give up!
How to Store and Reheat Pandesal:
After allowing the pandesal to cool on a rack completely, you can store it in a container in a cool, dry place. Consume within 3 days, or freeze for up to 3 months.
You can also store the pandesal in the fridge for about a week to a week and a half. If you do this, we recommend you reheat them to ensure they taste fresh and are still moist.
To reheat from cold/room temp, you can cover them with a damp (not dripping) paper towel and microwave for up to 30 seconds. If you want to use the oven, wrap them in foil and bake at 350 °F for 5-10 minutes.
To reheat from frozen, thaw the pandesal on the counter. Then wrap them in foil and bake at 300 °F for 15-20 minutes.
How to Eat Pandesal:
There are endless ways to eat pandesal. Here is a list of ideas to enjoy your pandesal:
Pandesal with butter or margarine (a common Filipino way is spreading I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter!)
Pandesal with coffee – Dip your pandesal into your coffee (imagine donuts and coffee)
Pandesal with fried egg – Use your pandesal to soak up all the yolk!
Pandesal sandwich – egg salad sandwich, tuna sandwich, breakfast sandwich, peanut butter and jelly sandwich, you name it! Some people even like to take any leftovers like pancit or giniling and stuff them into pandesal!
Pandesal with Kraft cheese – one of our favorite ways to eat pandesal as children! We would slice the pandesal in half, place a cheese slice on each piece, then let it melt in the toaster oven. It’s simply delicious!
Pandesal ice cream sandwich – add a scoop of ice cream with your choice of flavor, and enjoy a homemade ice cream sandwich!
Pandesal with butter and hot chocolate (my personal childhood favorite) – While the adults ate pandesal with coffee, I would sit next to them as a child and dipped my pandesal into hot chocolate. To take things further, my Lola taught me to spread butter on the warm pandesal and let it melt a bit before dipping into the hot chocolate. It tasted so good!
Do you have a favorite way to enjoy pandesal? Leave a comment to share it with us!
Ingredients
4 cups all purpose flour 600 g
1 packet instant yeast 2¼ tsp or 7 g
½ cup sugar 115 g
1 tsp koser salt 5 g
1 cup whole milk warm, 236 mL
3 tbsp unsalted butter melted, 42 g
3 large eggs room temp, 1 for egg wash
breadcrumbs for topping
Recipe
Make Dough + First Rise
In a mixing bowl, whisk together flour, instant yeast, salt, and sugar.
Adding a little at a time, add warm milk, melted butter, and 2 eggs. Once you’ve added them all, the dough will look lumpy and sticky.
Mix well with a baking spatula until you can knead it by hand. Knead for about 8 minutes until it’s texture becomes uniform and forms a ball. Check for gluten activation using the window pane test or the poke test.
Place the dough in an oiled mixing bowl. Cover with a towel and place in a warm spot on the counter. Let it rise for at least an hour or until it has doubled in size.
Divide the Dough + Second Rise
Lightly punch excess air from the dough. Divide the dough into 12 portions. Roll each portion into balls.
Brush the tops with egg wash, then sprinkle or roll them in breadcrumbs.
Place the rolls on a lined baking sheet. Cover with a towel for 20 min or until they double in size.
Bake
Remove the towel. Bake at 375 °F (190° C) for 15-20 minutes, until the bread has golden brown tops.
Remove from oven and place on a cooling rack. Let it cool at least 5 min. Serve warm or let it cool completely before storing.
Final Thoughts
Bring warm, home-baked pandesal to your table with this easy recipe! It’s soft, fluffy, and easy to pair with any meal. Storebought doesn’t compare!
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In a mixing bowl, whisk together flour, instant yeast, salt, and sugar.
Adding a little at a time, add warm milk, melted butter, and 2 eggs. Once you've added them all, the dough will look lumpy and sticky.
Mix well with a baking spatula until you can knead it by hand. Knead for about 8 minutes until it's texture becomes uniform and forms a ball. Check for gluten activation using the window pane test or the poke test.
Place the dough in an oiled mixing bowl. Cover with a towel and place in a warm spot on the counter. Let it rise for at least an hour or until it has doubled in size.
Divide the Dough + Second Rise
Lightly punch excess air from the dough. Divide the dough into 12 portions. Roll each portion into balls.
Brush the tops with egg wash, then sprinkle or roll them in breadcrumbs.
Place the rolls on a lined baking sheet. Cover with a towel for 20 min or until they double in size.
Bake
Remove the towel. Bake at 375 °F (190° C) for 15-20 minutes, until the bread has golden brown tops.
Remove from oven and place on a cooling rack. Let it cool at least 5 min. Serve warm or let it cool completely before storing.
Notes
If you’re using an electric mixer with a dough hook attachment, cut the kneading time to about half.
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Noelle Noriesta, a Filipino-American home cook, is the principal creator of Fork and Spoon. Her recipes have a modern and playful approach inspired by her food experiences growing up in the Bay Area and now in Los Angeles. --Read more about me