Spanish Bread is a favorite 'merienda' or afternoon snack in the Philippines that can be found in many local bakeries. You can also make your own and it is easy. We also found a way to keep that sweet buttery filling from oozing out. So you enjoy the full deliciousness of it without wasting any.
What is Filipino Spanish Bread?
Firstly, it has nothing to do with the Spanish bread of Spain (Pan de Horno). Except maybe that they share the same form (rolled) but the Filipino version of Spanish bread has something special. It has a sweet buttery filling.
It is a yeasted bread that is rolled into a log enclosing within a sugary and buttery filling. They are then rolled in breadcrumbs before baking. It is very common to find them in 'panaderia' or local bakeries. Normally enjoyed as an afternoon snack.
Making the bread itself was no biggie. I read a lot of different recipes for Spanish bread and they all have the same ingredient for the bread, which is similar to Pandesal, so I just used my own recipe for that.
Trying several recipes
The challenge for me was making the perfect filling. It took me four batches to finally get the filling right. That is, at least, my idea of what a Spanish bread filling should be. Sweet— but not overly sweet; buttery with a bit of a texture to it, and it should be moist.
The first batch, I followed what most recipe online uses for a filling: simply mixing butter, sugar, and bread crumbs together and spreading it to the dough before baking. I am not sure if it is the kind of breadcrumbs I used, because they turned out having a dry filling. The other problem is that most of the butter oozed out into the pan while baking. This seems to be a common problem with all the online recipes I found after I read the comments.
The second batch was almost the same, only with different measurements plus it adds powdered milk to it. The taste was good though.
With my third batch, I only used butter and brown sugar. I also smeared some butter on the center of the dough before adding the filling mixture. The outcome...slightly moist filling but there was no texture at all. Just a sticky syrup that also dries out once the Spanish bread gets cold. I recommend this recipe if you are eating them immediately after baking.
The perfect filling that stays inside
So after squeezing my brains out for some ideas, I decided to make an experiment. I cooked the filling!!!
Yup, I cooked the filling before spreading it to the dough of my Spanish bread! It is an additional step you will not find in any of the other recipes online. Believe me I read them all or at least those that are available at the time when I originally made this post in 2017. But, it was a necessary step to have a moist, textured, no-oozing-while-baking filling! I can see some have read my post and copied this step, which only means it really works.
The filling was brownish, not yellowish like ones I see on bakeries back home. I reckon that it is from using brown sugar and butter instead of white sugar and margarine that is normally used in bakeries. But I like the warm taste with a hint of caramel from brown sugar.
Filipino Spanish Bread Recipe
Ingredients
FOR DOUGH
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ teaspoons instant yeast - see NOTE 1
- ¼ cup white sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ¾ - 1 cup lukewarm milk - see NOTE 2
- 3 tablespoons butter - or margarine, melted
- 1 egg
FOR FILLING
- ¼ cup butter
- 2 teaspoons flour
- ½ cup bread crumbs
- ⅛ cup water or milk - or more see NOTE 3
- ½ cup brown sugar /white sugar
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- butter - for brushing
FOR BREADING
- 2 tablespoons milk - or water
- ½ cup bread crumbs
Instructions
- In a big bowl, mix together flour, sugar, and salt. Pour in lukewarm milk, melted butter, and beaten egg. Mix until well blended. Add the instant yeast and mix well to form a slighly sticky dough.
- Tip the dough on a surface greased with oil. Knead the dough with lightly oiled hands until it becomes smooth and elastic, about 10-12 minutes.
- Form the dough into a ball and place the dough in a greased bowl. Cover with a kitchen towel or plastic wrap and place it in a warm area and let it rise until it doubled in size. Depending on how warm it is, could take 30 minutes to an hour or even longer.
- Meanwhile, prepare the filling. In a saucepan over medium-low heat, melt butter until bubbly. Add the flour and ¼ cup bread crumbs and mix well. Once it starts to boil, add water or milk, sugar, salt and rest of breadcrumbs. Cook until it gets thick. Remove from heat and continue stirring until it forms a thick paste-like texture.
- Punch down the dough and divide into 16 equal parts using a knife of dough slicer. Roll each piece into a long triangle (like a pizza slice). Brush the middle part with butter or margarine then spread filling on the surface leaving about a centimeter around the edges unfilled. Roll the dough starting from the wider end towards the smaller end enclosing the filling.
- Brush each rolled dough with milk or water then roll it on a plate of breadcrumbs and place on baking sheet lined with parchment paper: make sure that the end part sits at the bottom so it won't open up while baking. Cover with cloth or kitchen towel or cling wrap and let them rise for another 20-30 minutes or until they doubled in size. Remove cover before baking.
- Place the baking sheet on the middle rack and bake at 150°C (300°F) for 20 minutes.
- Remove the Spanish bread from the oven and transfer to a bread basket. Enjoy while still warm.
Video
Notes
- NOTE 1: You may also use active dry yeast but it needs to be proofed first by dissolving it in ½ cup lukewarm water or, in this case, in the milk with a tablespoon sugar (taken from the ingredients for dough).
- NOTE 2: Some flour, though the same type, may absorb water more than others. Start with ¾ cup water and add more up to 1 cup if the dough is too dry. The dough should be a little sticky that will result in moist and soft bread.
- NOTE 3: Some breadcrumbs absorb more liquid than others. In this case, you may need to add more liquid if you notice that the filling is getting too crumbly while cooking.
Nutrition
This recipe for Spanish Bread was originally posted in February 2017. Updated in April 2020 to include new photos and a recipe video. The recipe remains the same.
Hi, just wanna know what kind of butter did you use? Is it unsalted? Or Salted? And does it make different when it comes to taste if I use either of them?
I always use unsalted butter (not margarine) when in making bread unless otherwise specified.
This is the next recipe! I assisted my daughter in making it - viola! She’s done with 3 and can’t stop! She just loves it! Thank you.
Aaww....that sounds like a perfect mother-daughter bonding activity! Happy that you like it.
Done so many Spanish bread recipes but I just tried your recipe just now and it literally made me decide to leave the previous ones and keep yours FOR LIFE! Game changer that even my 8yo loved it (literally ate a lot! 🤫🤫🤫
I also kept your Pandesal recipe and applied various flavors in it. ☺️
😘😘😘 that is one of the best comments that any recipe blogger could hope for! Thanks so much for making all the work worthwhile, Jessica.
For the filling, is it okay to use salted butter or margarine? Thank you!
If you like it a little salty, then sure.
tried your pandesal and spanish bread, they tastes good. any advice re baking pan to use? i've tried clear glass, non stick pan but the bottom still burnt a bit. is a cookie sheet a good one to use, too?
thank you.
I normally use aluminum baking sheets as they conduct heat well. But I am thinking that the glass pan was not the culprit. I am guessing that you used gas oven because of the burnt bottom. Just add an additional baking/cookie sheet below and it should help.
I love, love your spanish bread recipe!!
Great to hear it, Lane.
Spanish bread recipe aand ensaymada turned out so good. Thanks
That is perfect, Zaryl.
After making your pandesal recipe and my daughter loves it with her Eden cheese. This will be my next one. I'm afraid that it might get toasty at the bottom since we have a gas oven. What do you suggest?
Just add another baking tray/sheet at the bottom rack of your gas oven. I do it all the time.
i followed your recipe and tips and my kids just love this spanish bread version...
Happy to hear that...thanks for your feedback 🤗
Hello, thank you for sharing your recipe. I made this today and its turns good. Twas so yummy, not bad for a 1st timer like me
That is great Cheryl, do try our other bread recipes...
Hi,
Tried this recipe and it turned out so well! Thanks for sharing.
Just wondering can I use Cake Flour alone on this recipe? Or mix APF and Cake Flour? Can you let me know what is the measurement?
Thank you.
Hi Heiz, if you use cake flour it may be crumbly. If that is your aim then sure.
Hi, would like to ask what type of breadcrumbs you use? Thanks
I use regular fine breadcrumbs.
I tried your recipe and it has a better result. Thank you so much for sharing.
Happy to hear it, Connie.
Hi. I came accross your site while searching for the best empanada dough recipe.
My husband and I will give it a try and will let you know the result. We're looking for a recipe that the empanada dough will be flaky..not looking or wouldn't taste like bread.
Thank you so much for being so generous with your recipes. God bless you.
Hi Dina, if you like it flaky (like I do) then this is the one! Hope you like it!
Hello, will try using your recipe. It is ok to premade the dough overnight for next day baking? Should i let it rise first before putting on ref? Thanks
Hi Minnie, yes you can but do it right after kneading. You can also do it once they are formed. The rising will be done in the fridge overnight.
Thank you for this recipe. My family and friends really enjoyed this. So easy!
That is great to hear, Melva. Glad you all like it.
I love your recipes 😍..thank you for sharing them..
Quick question, how can i cut the rising time of yhe doug? Also which is better to use evapoated milk or fresh milk?
More power Ms Bebs!
In making bread I normally use fresh milk. To cut the rising time you can add more yeast but it may taste a little yeasty. Try also putting the bowl of dough in a warm(not hot) oven.
Can I simply cut this recipe in half? There's only 2 of us at home so 16 pcs of bread will be too much.
You can, Janice and just use the whole egg. But you can also freeze the dough after kneading or shaping. Then defrost overnight in the fridge and bring to room temperature and let it rise before baking.
Hi Bebs! Will it still be soft the day after?
Like pandesal, Spanish bread normally will start to dry out the next day. Try placing it in an airtight container and it might.
Hi. This is the best spanish bread recipe that I tried. Thank you for sharing.
How do I adjust the amounts of the ingredients if I wanna double up? Coz I see some recipes that would yield to double the amount but the butter, salt and other ingredients didn’t necessarily doubled in amount.
Thank you.
Simply double the recipe except for the yeast. Use the same amount. The reason is that it might rise too fast and you are not yet finished with rolling and shaping them. Overproofed dough can deflate easily. With lesser yeast, it may take longer to rise but will give you time to shape the rest. You can also refrigerate half of the dough so it can rise slowly.
I tried making your recipe Wednesday morning, we're only 3 in the family. My hubby, my 5 year old son and me. Today is Saturday morning. I'm making a batch again because my son ate 4 of them in one sitting. Hahaha. Now my dad wants me to bring some over because my son wouldn't stop talking about it. Thank you so much!
That sounds just lovely, that your son loved it so much and brags about it too! Well done, Mommy!
Hi Bebs,
Can prepare this in advance like a night before? Should i refrigerate them after i put the filling or before the 1st rise? Thanks
You can do it either before the first rise or second rise.
Hi! Is it ok if i will do the dough and put in the fridge 1st,and tmrw morning i will make the spanish bread..
You can refrigerate after kneading before the first rise or after forming before the second rise. You may need to reduce the amount of yeast to half though for overnight rising in the fridge.
hi , i tried 2 of your recipe (pandesal regular + but i added pandan extract ) and (spanish bread) it was good!!
Pandesal with Ube flavor sounds good. Thanks for the comment, Teresa.
This is the perfect spanish bread recipe i ever had,and definitely stick to this. Thank you 🥰
Aawww...that is so nice to hear, Van! Thanks for the perfect score.
Hi! I was wondering if I could use fresh yeast instead of instant or active dry yeast. I really want to try this recipe but I have a lot of fresh yeast that I need to finish.
Yes, you can. Use three times the original amount of instant yeast, in this case, you need 4.5 teaspoons of fresh yeast.
Thanks for the great recipe, Bebs! It’s my first time baking spanish bread and it turned out so goos! My family loved it 😊
That is excellent, AJ!
Hi, I bake this spanish bread with ur recipe and it was so great everyone loves it. I just had a bad exp with the filling cuz i cook it early and it turns out it was so hard so i reboiled it again added some milk and a bit of breadcrumbs. Now enjoying it while still hot. Thank you for the recipe and God Bless! Keep safe!
Yep, it happened to me too once and did the same troubleshooting. Glad it all worked out fine still.
Amazing recipe! My family loved it!
Thanks for the nice comment, Elaine.
Is it normal for the filling to be so sticky that its almost impossible to spread?
Hi Joyce, it could be cooked too long. Just add a bit of water to get it back to a spreadable consistency.
Thank you for the recipe!!! Easy to do and easy to follow. I am no baker, but i was able to successfully bake using your easy to follow procedure spanish bread 🙂 Medyo nabitin lang ako sa filling, na overfill ko yata yung first batch (16pcs). But i was able to bake 20pcs spanish bread and rest of 12 ginawa kong pandesal, and guess what, both turned out so ok! The kids love the pandesal while the adult loves the spanish bread! Will be doing this again next week 🙂
Hi Lea, I know it is easy to get carried away and fill them to the seams😉. Great thinking of making them into pandesal instead since they are almost the same recipe😉!
Hi , can we put the Dough to rise for 24 h ??
Put in the fridge you mean? Sure but reduce the amount of yeast to half.
Hi!
I have ube jam, do i need to use ube flavoring pa? Or food coloring? Will it be pale in color?
There is no ube in this recipe, Camille.
Hi. What kind of milk should be used? Fresh milk?
Yes, Shara.
Hi,
Can I make the dough the night before? Do everything as stated in the instructions, but to leave it overnight before baking? I am planning to bake them early in the morning, but don’t want to get up extra early to do all the steps lol thank you!
Btw, this is my 4th time making these using your recipe! Always a hit with my kids!
Hi,
Can I use bread flour instead of apf?
Hi, sure, but it will be slightly chewy, you can use also use half half...
Hi,
Ang sarap ng finished product pero it turned out to be a little pale? It was on the middle rack but still, I didn’t achieve the color I wanted. Thanks.
Hi Joan, you just bake it a little longer if you want it more brown.
Do I need to put it to room temperature before baking if I let it rise overnight in the fridge?
Yes, let it wrm up a bit in the counter while preheating your oven.
Can you mix APF & Bread flour? 50/50?
Yes you can and will get a slightly chewy bread.
Filling is better than LA Bakeshop. Thanks for sharing your recipes, Bebs.
Aawww...that is such a nice compliment, Rona.
Di masyado nagbrown yung sa akin. Bakit kaya?
It could be that the oven is not that hot, you can simply let it cook longer until it browns a bit.
1st time to do baking. I did this spanish bread recipe of yours. It’s easy and it’s so good. My family loves it. The filling is just right, not bland and not too sweet. The dough was soft and so yummy. We really loved it. Thank you for the recipe.👍😊❤️
Glad to hear that you all like our recipe! Congrats for a successful first baking experience!
This was my second attempt to making Spanish rolls, and this time with this recipe. I gotta say that’s it amazing! Although I think there’s something wrong with my oven because i had to bake it for 10 more min. Nonetheless, it was delicious, thank you!
Hi! Do I have to add extra yeast if I use active dry instead of instant?
No need, just use the same amount.
Hello i am new to baking 🙁
Does the instructions vary if I am going to use a stand up lift mixer? If so please advise id hate to ruin a good batch of Spanish bread.
Same instruction, Eddie. Use medium speed to knead and check starting at 5 minutes if the dough is ready. Do the windowpane test.
I just made this and it is sooo good! I especially loved the filling. The dough recipe was really good also and it turned out to be really soft! Thank you for this recipe! 💕
Happy that you like it, Malou.
Hello Bebs, what type of butter should be used for this? Can I use margarine or salted butter? Thank you!
Hi Mae, I used unsalted butter. You can also use butter for baking.
Hello. Okay to use stand mixer with the hook instead? Thank you.
Sure you can, Rach.
I love your Spanish bread recipe. I tried it and it was a hit! They wanted more, but I have made only few as this was my first time baking.
Hi Glaiza, happy that you like our recipe. Hope you enjoy baking because it seems you will be doing it more now...😊
Thank you for sharing this wonderful recipe. I made it today and it’s delicious. I changed the filling on my since I didn’t have any breadcrumbs. I used a fine macaroon coconut unsweetened and used extra fine cornmeal for dusting. It turned out very good. Thanks again.
Hi Annabelle, similar to pan de coco...yumm!
Hope you can answer my query regarding the doubling of recipe 🥰
Hi Ms. foxy 😍 I made your recipe and it's so good!! I wonder can I double the recipe so that I can make a lot of bread. I have a big family and 1 batch is not enough. I made two batches but its tiring. Thank you!!! Godbless.
Hi Reeza, sure go ahead and just double the reicpe.
Thank you for this recipe! I made it today and my toddler loves it! My Polish husband also liked It 🙂 I love that your recipes are a no-brainer and this is my first time to make it. Can’t wait to try your other recipes! Xx
That is lovely to hear, Princess. Glad that the whole family love it! Thanks for the 5 stars.