Pandesal Recipe

Pandesal is a classic Filipino bread roll that is particularly eaten for breakfast. It is soft and airy and slightly sweet. Normally eaten as a sandwich with one’s favorite filling.  

Pandesal is probably the most popular bread in the Philippines. It is a favorite breakfast that can be eaten on its own, dunked in coffee or with filling like coconut jam, peanut butter, cheese, cheese spread, corned beef, egg, hotdogs or practically anything you can think of or whatever leftovers you have laying in your fridge.

One of my faves is mushed spicy sardines…yup! But I remembered a time when we were just small kids, my Kuya Norman’s and I would have ketchup with sugar as filling…eeewww, right? But that tasted so good to us at that time! Haha! Yeah, I have to admit I tried a lot of weird stuff just because my big brother thinks it is good or cool. Hehe!

What is Pandesal?

A traditional Filipino breakfast roll, that used to be sold only in early hours at bakeries or on the streets by vendors on bicycles with loud air horns. They would put the Pandesals in a big insulated box to keep them warm. But, nowadays, some bakeries make them available for the entire day.

It is called Pandesal or Pan de Sal (Spanish) that translates to salted bread although it is actually sweeter than salty. It is soft and fluffy and covered with breadcrumbs.

What are the Ingredients for Pandesal?

Basically, you can already make pandesal with just 5 ingredients:  flour, yeast, oil or lard, sugar, and salt. Six if you have to include water.

This recipe replaces the water with milk and adds eggs. Both of them giving these pandesals a softer texture, both inside and to the crust, and gives a richer flavor.  The eggs also help the dough rise higher.

I also use butter or sometimes margarine that adds that delicious buttery goodness.

A note about flour…

The original recipe I posted here in 2015 was made when we were still living in Germany. When I used the same recipe here in the Philippines, the outcome is different. They taste great but were a little denser and dryer.

This is because of the flour used.  The flour that I used in Germany is finer or “softer” which tends to absorb lesser liquid. The recipe (way) below is the original recipe I used for that. The flour I usually use in the Philippines is similar to the ones in the US, Gold Medal APF.  This one requires more liquid so I adjusted the recipe here.

Remember—different types of flour has different flour-to-water ratio. The higher the protein/gluten content, the more water it needs.  Also important to note, not all-purpose flour acts the same. Different brands have different ways of processing their flour and different contents.

If the dough feels too dry then simply add more water, or if too sticky then add flour. The dough should feel pliable or easy to knead and not too sticky.

You can also use bread flour if you are looking for a chewier pandesal. Mix them in equal parts to get a moderately chewy but softer ones. But remember that bread flour absorbs more liquids so you may need to adjust.

How to Make Pandesal

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4.97 from 135 votes

Pandesal Recipe - Soft and Buttery

Make your own homemade Pandesal with this easy and simple Pandesal Recipe. Soft and fluffy, covered with breadcrumbs best serve while hot!

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Course: Breakfast

Cuisine: Asian,Filipino

Keyword: pandesal,pandesal recipe

Servings: 12

Calories: 192kcal

Author: Bebs

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Rising Time: 30 minutes

Total Time: 25 minutes

INGREDIENTS

US Customary - Metric

• 3 cups all-purpose flour - - see NOTE 1 about bread flour
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup milk - - lukewarm
• 1 egg
• 2 tablespoon butter - - melted (or margarine)
• 1 1/2 teaspoon instant dry yeast - - see Note 2
• 1/4 cup breadcrumbs

INSTRUCTIONS

• In a big bowl, mix together flour, sugar, salt. 
• Pour in milk, beaten egg and melted butter. Mix several times until well blended. Make sure that the milk is only mildly warm and not hot. 
• Add the instant dry yeast and fold until a sticky dough forms.
• Tip the dough on a floured surface and knead until it becomes smooth and elastic, about 5-10 minutes.
• Form the dough into a ball and lightly coat with oil. Place it in a bowl and 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 how warm it is, could take 30 minutes to an hour.
• Punch down the dough and divide into 2 equal parts using a knife or dough slicer. Roll each into a log. Cut each log into 6 smaller pieces. 
• Shape each piece into a ball and roll it in breadcrumbs, completely covering all sides.
• Arrange the pieces on a baking sheet living some gaps in between (at least an inch). Leave them to rise second time until double in size.
• While waiting, preheat oven 370° F /185°C. Bake the Pandesal for 15 minutes or until the sides are a bit browned.
• Remove from oven and serve while hot!

VIDEO

RECIPE NOTES

Note 1 - You can also use bread flour if you want it on the chewy side or 50/50 APF and bread flour for soft but slightly chewy bite.

Note 2 - Using Instant Dry Yeast eliminates the need to proof it with warm liquid before adding to the rest of the ingredients. Just make sure that your yeast is still active. It also lessens the rising time. 

Note 2- You may also use Active Dry Yeast. It needs to be proof and might take longer to rise. Take 1/2 cup of the lukewarm milk from the recipe and 1 stp sugar. Add the yeast to it and let it bloom for 5 minutes before adding to the flour.

Nutrition Facts

Pandesal Recipe - Soft and Buttery

Amount Per Serving

Calories 192 Calories from Fat 36

% Daily Value*

Fat 4g6%

Saturated Fat 1g5%

Cholesterol 15mg5%

Sodium 272mg11%

Potassium 81mg2%

Carbohydrates 32g11%

Fiber 1g4%

Sugar 5g6%

Protein 5g10%

Vitamin A 170IU3%

Calcium 33mg3%

Iron 1.8mg10%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Tried this recipe? Tell us how it went. Tag us at @foxyfolksy or leave a comment and rating below.

This post was originally published in September 2015. Updated to include new images and some improvements on the recipe.

For those who still want to use the old recipe, here it is. The main difference is the shaping of the individual rolls. The old version is the traditional pandesal shape that is slightly elongated with pointy ends.