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.
Other Filipino Bread Recipe to Try:
- Spanish Bread - Similar to Pandesal but with a sweet buttery filling
- Cheese Bread - Sweet dough bread covered in milky streusel
- Ensaymada - pillowy bread topped with buttercream and grated cheese
How to Make Pandesal
Pandesal Recipe - Soft and Buttery
Ingredients
- 3 cups all-purpose flour - see NOTE 1 about bread flour
- ¼ cup sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup milk - lukewarm
- 1 egg
- 2 tablespoon butter - melted (or margarine)
- 1 ½ teaspoon instant dry yeast - see Note 2
- ¼ 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!
Notes
Nutrition
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.
3 cups flour
1 ½ teaspoon instant dry yeast
¼ cup + 1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon salt
¾ cup milk
3 tablespoon margarine - or butter (melted)
1 egg
½ cup breadcrumbs
In a big bowl, mix together flour and yeast. In a smaller bowl, combine sugar, salt, milk and margarine or butter. Warm liquids in the microwave until warm. Remove from microwave and add the egg and beat several times until well blended. Make sure that the liquids are only mildly warm and not hot.
Pour the liquid mixture over the flour mixture and fold until dough forms. Knead the dough on a clean surface dusted with flour until it becomes smooth and elastic, about 5-10 minutes.
Form the dough into a ball and place the dough in a greased 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 on how warm it is, could take 30 minutes to an hour.
Punch down the dough and divide it into 2 equal parts using a knife or dough slicer. Roll each into a log. Cover each log with breadcrumbs. Cut the log sideways into smaller pieces. (about 6 pieces each log). Roll each piece with breadcrumbs again.
Arrange the pieces on a baking sheet living some gaps in between (at least an inch). Leave them to rise for another 10-15 minutes.
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!
Thank you for this recipe. I've been making this every other day - no joke! And I give them to my Pinoy kapit bahays and co-workers. 🙂 I live and work in Vietnam, my co-workers never had pandesal before and once they tried it, they loved it. They always ask me to make some for them, everyday! 🙂
It's very easy to make. Thank you!
Wow, that is so kind of you to make it daily and share them with others and I am happy that you chose our recipe! Great work, Diane!
Can I use the electric mixer for kneeding? and for how many minutes?
Hi Merle, sure you can, the time depends on the speed you use, at medium speed about 7-10 minutes. But I would check and do the windowpane test just to be sure.
hi great recipe! i followed this one but im not sure why mine taste a little sour is it because i left it over night to rise?
Did you refrigerate overnight?
So yummy! What is the serving size for the nutritional info above?
That is per piece of pandesal.
Good day!
For pandesal can I substitute the butter with lard? How much lard will I use?
Thank you,
Cathy
Use the same amount.
Tried this recipe! Ang sarap! Soft & buttery! Thank you for sharing this!
Can I freeze the dough to bake for breakfast the next day?
Can I put a filling to this recipe like corned beef or tuna just like those sold at 7-11? Any tips for this. Thank you.
You only refrigerate if you will use the dough the next day. Freeze the dough if you will store it longer. Yes, you can add some filling to it.😊
If refrigerated how long should I take out before putting it in the oven ?
Hi JNET, actually you can bake it directly from the fridge, it might just take a few minutes longer. Just bake until light golden brown.
Hi! I plan to try this recipe tomorrow. Do you use top and bottom heat setting in the oven? 🙂
Yes, I use top and bottom heat for more even baking. But for those using a gas oven, I recommend adding a layer of a baking sheet at the lowest rack to prevent burnt bottom.
I am from Singapore, married to a Filipino... I tried the recipe today, its a success... very soft inside... Now I can bake them every week...
Great to hear it, Regina!
It’s sooo good and super soft. Thanks for the recipe.
You're welcome, G.
Hello! I tried your pandesal , ensaymada and spanish bread recipe that my son loves
He always requesting me to bake spanish bread
I tried other recipes but my son loves the recipe of yours
Thank you for sharing with us your delicious recipes
Aaaww...that is great! I am happy that you are loving our bread recipes here, Ness.
Hi! I tried this today but I think I didnt knead enough before I let it rest to rise. Can I still knead after that? Obvi not a pro..
Hi Yan, if you knead the dough again after it has already gone through rising, it might give you flatter dough because you will lose a lot of the bubbles that have formed. Just let it for now and maybe it will turn out ok.
I have made this recipe monthly for the past year or so. It comes out perfect every time. I do the metric version I don't know if that makes a difference. It works well even when I double it.
That is great Cheryl! Glad that you are loving it!
Hi Bebs,
Great recipe. 1 question though, why the finish product is a bit salty. Is it due to the salted butter and evap milk? Thanks!
Thanks for the 5 stars Niña, Next time, if using salted butter then you can skip the salt in the recipe.
Hi Bebs, all I can say is this is the best recipe for pandesal!
Thank you so much!
I made this for two consecutive times now. The recipe taste delicious.. my family likes the taste of it. But there is just one thing though .. ung nagawa ko is masyadong siksik. Any tips on how to make my pandesal a bit pillowy and more softer? Thank you for sharing the recipe.
Hi Joi, did you measure your flour correctly? It is either that or the dough was not properly kneaded. If you want it extra soft, add more water but it will be a sticky dough. Try also the using tangzhong.
Can I add additional butter like a teaspoon more to make it buttery or it will mess up the result? Planning on baking it today. Thanks so much!
Sure you can, Jessie, add more if you like, if it becomes too sticky just keep on kneading.
Hi!
It will be my first time to make pandesal. Can I use oat milk and vegan butter instead? My daughter is allergic to dairy. Thanks!
I think it should work.😉!
Hi, will 2% milk work as well? or do I need to use a certain fat percentage?
It should work too.
Hi, I'm an newbie in baking, what kind of milk is usually used in baking? Thanks.
Hi LA, just use regular fresh milk.
How to reheat left over pan de sal from yesterday?
Reheating them in the oven for some minutes should do or the microwave also works.
Did this. But mine is not soft. A bit hard especially the outside. 🙁 Followed all instructions. Will try to do it again next week. Hopefully i can get it right the second time.
Try to knead it until you pass the windowpane test. If the flour also hard or has a lot of protein, then you need to add more water.
Thanks you so much for your recipe I make it perfect and also I add some filling like home and cheese pandesal and ube pandesal and also now I bake pizza pandesal fillings thank you so much mom and dad and may kids love it
That is awesome, Dhet! Glad you like our pandesal recipe.