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
Printable Recipe
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 leaving 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!
Laiza says
I’m trying your recipe at the moment!!! I’m excited!!! But I waited for an 1hr for my dough to rise but it didn’t doubled 😬 Maybe the temperature inside our house is not enough?
Bebs says
Could be of course. But did it rise at all? Almost double at least? Test the yeast too to see if it is still ok.
Aiza says
Can you make this without breadcrumbs? Can flour be use instead of breadcrumbs?
Bebs says
Hi Aiza, the breadcrumb coating is a signature of Pandesal but if you do not have it it would still taste good. Coating it with flour is not the same.
Joy says
Hi Aiza, if you have cookies at home, you can pound/grind it and use it as Pandesal breadcrumbs.
Mary Joy Padua says
Great recipe! I baked pandesal for the first time last night. They were so fluffy and buttery!😍 Thank you for this amazing recipe! I will surely keep this as my go-to recipe. 😊
Bebs says
Glad that you like our Pandesal recipe, Mary Joy. Do try our Ube Cheese Pandesal.
Grace says
Hi bebz we are looking a very yummy pandesal ingredients thank you god bless you
Bebs says
Hope you like it Grace.
Pinky B. says
I tried this recipe and true enough, I came up with buttery and fluffy pandesal! When I ran out of breadcrumbs, I just put half of the dough in a Dutch oven instead of a baking pan. What came out was a loaf that was deliciously crusty on the outside and soft on the inside! Thanks a lot for this recipe!
Bebs says
Yes, I've also used this pandesal dough recipe to make other bread. Thanks for the 5 stars Pinky..
Florian says
Finally, I found a perfect recipe to follow, it came out soft and fluffy.
Thanks for sharing your recipe.. Im sharing it with my daughter...
It was easy to follow and came out real great. !
Bebs says
You are welcome, Florian. I will be posting Ube Pandesal recipe with cheese filling soon...
Eydee says
I just made this yummy pandesal this morning....SARAP
Half part with cheese.
Bebs says
Planning to make Ube Pandesal with cheese filling...stay tuned..
CHIt says
Hi beb! I was looking for a recipe of pandesal and I came accross your website! Immediately I tried it cuz been trying various recipes but I haven’t come accross one that’s atypical of the simple pandesal. I don’t know where I didn’t do it right cuz number it didn’t look as fluffy as yours in photo. Mine came out on a kinda “cakey” side and I feel it will be crumbly when cool. What I am really looking for is more on the “airy” side and a bit on the “chewy” side like when you tear it when hands it feels it’s stretchy a bit. I want to send the photo...how?
Bebs says
Hi Chit, what kind of flour did you use? I hope you did not use cake flour or any fine flour. All-purpose flour usually works but if you like it chewier then use bread flour. Let them rise longer for the second time so they can be airier.
harriet p alipda says
why my bread is dry
Bebs says
Could be the kind or brand of flour you used. You can either reduce the amount of flour or add more water.
Camile says
What kind of bread crumbs did you use? Thanks po.
Bebs says
Hi Camile, I use regular breadcrumbs. You can also make your own from leftover pandesal.
Marie says
I made another batch 😊😊 but this time i chilled the dough overnight.after shaping it,i let it rise for 15mins then baked it at 350°F for 15mins.it turned out fluffier,softer and more flavorful
Bebs says
True, as they rise at a slower rate but longer time. 😉
Marie says
The first time i tried it,everybody in our house liked it,esp my little picky eater...she loved it!!and even requested for it to be her school snack.
Thank you for posting the recipe.i just had to make some adjustments on the measurement (sugar and salt to suit the dietary requirements of my parents)
Bebs says
Thanks for the 5 stars Marie. Glad your whole family liked the pandesal...
liz says
i tried this recipe and it was perfect..thank you so much..
Bebs says
Thanks for the nice comment Liz!
Emma says
Can i use pastry flour instead of all purpose flour?
Bebs says
Hi Emma, I would suggest bread flour instead.
Yu says
How many days the pandelan will go rotten
Bebs says
Hi Yu, Home-baked products tend to harden faster than commercially bought ones. It can be that it becomes dry and hard the following day. Pandesal usually is eaten freshly baked.
Emyrose says
Thank you! This was a hit. I am wondering if i can feeeze this then bake it at a later date? If so, do you have a step by step instructions?
Thank you!
Bebs says
You can refrigerate the dough to be used the next day or freeze it and thaw it when needed.
Larry says
I love pandesal. I spent some time in the Philippines. And fell in love with them for breakfast.
Bebs says
That is nice to hear, Larry. Hope you try and like our recipe.
Wina Hathaway says
The dough was too sticky and hard to knead. I had flour on the surface and flour dusted on my hands and it was just impossible to knead.
Bebs says
I found out that flour I used in Germany and the APF I get here in the Philippines (similar to US) hydrates differently. Just add more flour if it is too sticky. It also becomes less sticky as you go on kneading.
Ofelia Aguda says
Hi
I want to try your pandesal recipe. CanI use self rising flour? Pls. Advise.
Thanks
Ofelia
Bebs says
Hi Ofelia, I would not recommend using self-rising flour for making bread with yeast.
rosemarie says
Thanks for getting back to me. I tried it again but this time following your video and it was successful - soft and fluffy! Also, I used the finer/pre sifted all purpose flour so it was easy to knead the dough. Thanks again for sharing!
Rosemarie says
Hello, I also baked this pandesal and it was somewhat successful but still delicious. The bread was dense inside and wondering if it has to do with my kneading? or does it affect if I use almond milk? Thank you for sharing.
Bebs says
Hi Rosemarie, using water or almond milk should be fine. Was the dough also dense? I find that some flour requires more liquid than other finer ones. Of course, it could also be the yeast and the time you let it rise and also the kneading. manually I usually do it for 10 minutes.
Melanie says
Hi, i made this pandesal recipe, it was a success, my children and husband likes it too. Can i ask if i can place it on the fridge and bake itthe following morning? because pandesal is really good in the morning. Thank you
Bebs says
Hi Melanie, yes you can shape them already and arrange them on a baking sheet then cover with alu or plastic foil. Place them in the fridge to stop or slow down the rising and take them out in the morning...let them come to room temperature and rise as usual. You can also prebake them for 5 minutes and place them in a sealed plastic bag and finish baking in the morning.
Melanie says
Hi Bebs, thanks for your reply! another question what will happen if I reduced the amount of sugar? or can i replace it with brown sugar instead.
Thank you.
Bebs says
Pandesal actually should only be with salt as the name imply. So go ahead and reduce the sugar as much as you like.
Eds says
Thank you so much for such an easy recipe. I made pandesal using this and it was really easy. I made half with cheese filling, the other half plain. My family loved it. It was indeed soft 😊
Bebs says
Glad it all went well, Eds and that the family enjoyed it!
Ivy Herrerra says
The best bettery and soft pan de sal ever.
Bebs says
Aaawww! Thanks Ivy! Happy that you like it!
Joanna says
My pandesal turned out a bit too heavy rather than airy/fluffy inside. The rolls also cracked. What did I do wrong?
Bebs says
Hi Joanna, this happens sometimes depending on the brand of flour used. In Germany, the flour they have is finer than the ones here in the Philippines or in US. Add a little more water and make sure that you knead it enough (7-10 minutes)
A says
Hi, can i substitute wheat flour to the all purpose? And will it be same measurements?
Bebs says
Do you mean whole wheat flour? APF is also wheat flour. The texture will, of course, be different. I suggest making it only half whole wheat and half APF. But be prepared to have a coarser textured pandesal with less volume.
Len May says
hi! I tried to use your recipe of pandesal coz it is my first time to cook something like this. I love cooking and I want to learn more on how to make pastry and baking.But anyways, back to your recipe, I did try today and it looks good but the problem is, the underneath of the pandesal becomes hard and on top is good as well as the taste. I do not know why it did not rise the flour since I measured correctly all the ingredients except that I did not make thr milk luke warm. I avr question if the milk did make it luke warm is there a possibilty that the flour will not rise? I let the flour to be rise for 30 minutes. Please help me and advice what to do. Thank you and looking forward.
Roshelle Alarcon says
I’m just wondering if it’s possible to use evap milk to make pandesal or just fresh milk
Thanks
Bebs says
Sure you can...just dilute evaporated milk with water at least 1:1 ratio since evaporated milk is too thick.
Camille says
It’s my second time to make pandesal. I wonder why it’s always burned at the bottom?
Bebs says
Are you using gas oven? If so, place another baking sheet to the bottom rack below where your pandesal are. This did the trick for me when I switched to gas oven from using electric when we were in Germany.
Angela says
This is my second time making pandesal, it turned out so good! I always make bread every time I have a free time, from your recipe, either ensaymada or spanish bread😍these are my housemates favorite bread🤗thanks for sharing your yummy recipes🤗🤗
Bebs says
Your housemates are lucky to have you, Angela. Glad you like our recipes...
Ice says
Hi Bebs,
This is my 2nd try of your pandesal recipe. Followed your instruction carefully including measurement but my dough is very dense and dry. I added 3tbsp of milk but still heavy. I used all purpose flour. I baked it and it was very heavy, almost hard to eat.
I have tried your other bread recipes and it came it out great but this one for some reason doesn't turn oit well. Not sure what is wrong.
Bebs says
Hi Ice, I know that some type of flour absorbs more liquids than others. The finer the flour the lesser liquid you need. May I know what brand of all-purpose flour did you use? Did you use proper measuring cups used for baking?
Heidi says
Thank you for the wonderful recipe 🙂 i made it x2 recipe and it turns out soo well..lahat ng kaflat ko tuwang tuwa dpat daw early morning ang baking session.. much love from dubai..
Bebs says
Very good to hear that Heidi! Do try our other bread recipes like, ensaymada and Spanish bread...
Joy Orciso says
Hi! I was just wondering why the dough is sooo dry, like the liquids are not enough at all. I follwed your ingredients correctly. So, what could be wrong? Pls help??
Bebs says
Hi Joy, I made this pandesal recipe several times and contrary to being dry, the dough is actually a little sticky as it should be. Make sure you are using proper measuring tools and measure correctly. If it still is too dry, then increase your water to 1 cup instead of 3/4 cup.
Ann says
Thanks for this recipee. My son likes the bread. My son said its so... delicious. Thank you again.
Bebs says
Happy that your son likes it, Ann.
Weng says
Can I use bread flour for pandesal?
Bebs says
Sure you can, Weng. But expect a little denser outcome which is also good if that is what you like.
Marilou says
Hi Bebs,
I love cooking and baking and I really love your recipes! I have tried some of your recipes and it was successful and my family loves them!
But one thing I noticed like this recipe of pandesal. Your written instructions are not the same with regards to the video. I hope you can correct it please. Because i tried this recipe today and followed the instructions without watching the video. I combined the yeast and flour together first as instructed. But in your video, you put the yeast first before the flour. And my recipe failed this time. It did not rise. The liquids are warm and not hot. So i didn’t know what went wrong until I watched your video.
Thank you so much and more power!
Best Regards
Marilou
Bebs says
Hi Marilou,
Proofing yeast (adding lukewarm water to it) is actually just to make sure that it is still good. You can skip this step if you are sure that your yeast is still active, this applies both for active dry yeast and instant yeast. So it should not make a difference if you add it directly to the flour or proof it first. What I suggest is to test your yeast, if you have still any, to see if it is still good. Just dissolve 1 tsp of sugar in a 1/2 cup warm water (110°F-115°F) and sprinkle 1 packet or 1 tbsp of your yeast and stir. It should dissolve completely and foam vigorously within 5 – 10 minutes. If it does not bubble a lot or at all, then the yeast is dead.
Note also that I used instant yeast for this recipe which rises much faster. Active dry yeast will take a longer time to rise.
Maria G says
Could you send me a link to the video for making pandesal?
I can't find it on this page:
https://www.foxyfolksy.com/pandesal-recipe/
Thank you
Bebs says
Hi Maria, it is now in the recipe box just below the recipe. But in any case here is also the Youtube link: https://youtu.be/V_WM2mluaSs
glaiza says
hi bebs,
if i will use active dry yeast instead of instant yeast,how many teaspoon should i put?thank you
Bebs says
Just use the same amount, Glaiza.
Anne says
Hi Bebs,
I would like to ask if I can put filing before I bake it? Like pork giniling?
Thanks.
Bebs says
Hi Anne, sure you can. Pork giniling sounds great. You can also try corned beef or ham and cheese. 🙂
Yuki says
Did you use metric or imperial measurements when you made your bread? I'm cross-checking the conversions and the metric measurements don't exactly match. All I have is a digital scale.
Shella says
Hi Beb! I haven`t tried making bread before but would like to give pandesal a try. Is it possible to make the dough ahead of time? Like day before? Can I freeze the dough for later use? If so, at what stage?
Bebs says
Sure you can make it a day ahead Shella. Once you formed them into pandesal size and before the final rising, cover them with a plastic cling wrap (sheet included) and put the whole thing in the fridge (no need to freeze). It will rise slowly and will be ready for baking the next day.
Aims says
Silly question, but hiw do you proof the instant yeast? Mix with sugar and warm the milk?
Thank you so much for the recipe. I have yet to find the best pandesal recipe ever, hoping this will be it!
Bebs says
Hi Aims, not silly at all and that is correct. you just mix the yeast with a teaspoon of sugar and half a cup to a cup of lukewarm water or milk (taken from the existing ingredients). After about 5 minutes, it should be frothy and that is how you know your yeast is still ok. Do not use hot water as it will kill the yeast.
May Hermans Monato says
Hi Bebs,
i tried already your spanish bread and i say wooow ang sarap. And now want to try your pandesal. Thank you for sharing your recipe. God bless
Bebs says
Nice to hear you like the Spanish bread May! I am sure you will like the pandesal too and the other Filipino breads I made here.
Jenny says
I heat up the milk for 1 minute but it’s too hot and the dough didn’t rise?
Bebs says
Hi Jenny, if it was too hot then it will definitely kill the yeast. The liquids (after the addition of egg) should only be mildly warm to lukewarm.
Dina says
Hi Bebs,
Just wanna make sure, do I have to sift the flour before measuring?
Bebs says
Hi Dina, it will not harm if you do, but I find there is no need for making bread.
Donna Gudelosao says
Hi Bebs! Can I use bread maker for pan de sal or spanish bread? Thanks.
Bebs says
Hi Donna, I see recipes for rolls done in bread machines so I think you could try it.
Alicia says
Hi, it looks delicious, i’ll try it, can i use bread flour?
Bebs says
Hi Alicia, if you prefer your pandesal to be denser and slightly chewy then sure go ahead. 🙂
niki says
hi, what flour did you use? just all purpose or bread flour? and did you use instant dry yeast?
Bebs says
Hi Niki, yes I used all-purpose flour and instant dry yeast. You can also use active dry yeast, just proof it before using...
niki says
okay thank you!! i've tried your siopao recipe and my family loved it! i only asked because im using the same instant dried yeast i used when i made siopao, and i remember from your video that i had to wait 5mins before combining the yeast mixture with the flour mixture.
Bebs says
I can see how this might confuse you. Instant dry yeast usually does not need proofing but sometimes I still do it just to make sure that my yeast is still good, just to be sure that I will not waste all the other ingredients (and work) because of bad yeast. But if you are absolutely sure that your instant dry yeast is good then just skip the proo fing.
Bebs says
I can see how this might confuse you. Instant dry yeast usually does not need proofing but sometimes I still do it just to make sure that my yeast is still good, just to be sure that I will not waste all the other ingredients (and work) because of bad yeast. But if you are absolutely sure that your instant dry yeast is good then just skip the proofing.
April Mae Fett says
Hi Bebs, here is April a Filipina, also living in Germany. May question lang ako, ano ang gamit mo na Flour sa Pandesal or Spanish Bread, ito ba ay Weizen Mehl Typ 405? Thank You.
LG
Bebs says
Hi April, you can use either Typ 405 or 550 Weizen Mehl. 405 is almost the same as the cake flour and 550 is like all-purpose flour but they are both ok to use for Pandesal.
Noy says
Hi! I tried the recipe. The dough was not elastic at all. Did I miss anything?
I noticed that there is no water in the recipe.
Bebs says
I replaced the water with milk for a softer pandesal. Did you use a measuring cup to measure the flour and milk? Or that you measured them correctly?
Lydia Jeneifer Villaverde says
Iam a retiree but I'm still able to make breads if you will share your recipes for a bakery breads. Thank you Have. God Bless!!!!!
Mel says
Hi Bebs,
this recipe does not require for the yeast to bloom?
Bebs says
It is because I used an instant yeast that does not require blooming but you can always do it to be sure ?