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!
Kim says
Hi Ate! I baked pandesal using your recipe. I like your recipe po, kaso yung nabake ko po hindi maganda ang texture at di lasang pandesal. Wala din po yung aroma ng pandesal. Ano kaya sa tingin nyo po ang mali? Yung milk na ginamit ko po kasi is powdered, okay lang po ba powdered ang gamitin?Ano yung measurement pag powdered milk po? Salamat po😊
Bebs says
Hi Kim, may I know what is your expectation of what the pandesal should be? I know we have different versions of pandesal here in the Philippines so I need to know what is your preference.
Ei says
Can I use this pandesal recipe in a bread machine to make the dough?
Bebs says
Yes, you can, Ei. Just follow the order of adding the ingredients as instructed by the bread machine manual. Set to dough function if you have it to let it do the kneading and first rise. Then you can form and shape and let it rise again and bake as usual.
Ei says
Thanks Bebs, I’m so looking forward to making this and I must say you are wonderful in responding to your followers!! Curious to you and keep those wonderful recipes coming👍🏼
Bebs says
The least I can do for those also exerting effort to leave us a comment...especially nice ones, like yours...
Carmela says
Hi can i use wholewheat flour and add some seeds in this recipe? Can you recommend what the right amounts should be? Thank you so much!
Bebs says
Hi Carmela, I will add some seeded whole wheat bread here soon but for now, I suggest you use those recipes that trying to make one from a pandesal recipe as it will require a lot of changes because they are too different kinds of bread.
Ayesha says
Hi Bebs, Thank you for replying to my first question. I already tried the pandesal recipe it was good. I just want to ask if I could lessen the amount of the instant yeast, because I noticed that the pandesal smelled yeast and tasted yeast as well but not so much. How can I eliminate that?
Thank you very much.
Ayesha
Bebs says
Hi Ayesha, that light smell of yeast is what all bakers should aim for. This is actually not so much and reducing it means you have to wait for a longer rise.
Dolores Mapili says
What will be the difference if I use equal APF and bread flour ?
Bebs says
Hi Dolores, bread flour will yield bread that leans on the chewy side. APF will give you softer crumbs.
Shiela says
Hi Bebs! Thank you for the amazing recipe. Done it twice and both came out perfectly! Just a question, can I double the recipe? Would that also mean doubling all ingredients? Thank you!
Bebs says
Hi Shiela, yes just double everything. Glad that you like our recipe.
Jocey Gee says
Thank you so much I found and try your pandesal recipe the taste is perfect and share the recipe to my sister because I send the picture to her and she was amazed and look good . Why is it the bottom quite dark is it because of the tray that I used ?
Bebs says
Hi Jocey, I am guessing you are using a gas oven. You can prevent baked goods from having burnt bottom part by adding a tray on the lowest rack of your oven.
Kate says
Hi bebs! It's hard to find yeast anywhere so my friend gave me pizza yeast. Can i use it for making pandesal and other bread? Thank you.
Bebs says
Hi Kate, I am not familiar with pizza yeast but I am guessing it is like a regular yeast.
Kristin says
I just made pan de sal using this recipe this morning and it came out amazing! I am living in Germany currently and thankful I was able to find yeast (Edeka did not sell it but I found some at Wasgau!). I followed this recipe to a tee and did not know what to expect. When it came out of the oven and I tasted it for the first time I almost cried it was so good! It reminded me of pan de sal from a bakery back at home we used to frequent when I was younger. Thank you so much!!!
Bebs says
AAwww...that is so like me when I was still in Germany making this recipe! Glad that you like it, Kristin. Did they run out of Hefe? I guess everyone is in baking mode there at the moment...
Mara says
I love this recipe!! The pandesal were still soft the day after being baked! Love the taste. Mine took a bit more time and work for when getting the dough to rise - kinda cold in the east coast right now, but it was well worth the wait. Maraming salamat po!!
Bebs says
Thanks for the nice comment, Mara!
Yooola says
I used your recipe several times already. It turned out very nice everytime I bake it. What would you recommend if I want to make the dough ahead of time and bake it the the following morning for fresh pandesal? Can I refrigerate the dough or not? Thank you for sharing your recipe! 🙂
Bebs says
Yes, you can refrigerate the dough right after you are done kneading. Just place in a greased bowl and cover with a plastic wrap. It will slowly rise overnight and then proceed with the next step in the morning.
Armando Adlawan says
Thanks for sharing this recipe. I tried it this morning. Really enjoyed the result. The milk, butter and egg made the bread dense and rich tasting and can be eaten by itself. Since I normally use scrambled egg or corned beef as filling I feel I would need a plain tasting PDS for that purpose. could I omit the milk and egg and use lukewarm water instead? If so how much water to use? Thanks.
Bebs says
Hi Armando, yes you could do plain pandesal like how they are done in the early years. Just omit the eggs and add water if the dough is too dry, start with a tablespoon. Please note that egg makes bread softer so be prepared that the result is not as fluffy or soft.
Joyce says
Hi! This is my first time to make bread, Because of pandemic, I can only find fresh yeast. What are the yeast proportions for your recipe (old and new)? Pls help. Thank you
Bebs says
Hi Joyce, the conversion of instant yeast to fresh yeast is 100%IY = 300%FY.So it would be 21-27grams or about 3 Tbsp.
Rose says
Hello
Could I switch out the milk for evaporated milk instead? Will that interfere with the rising or baking process?
Bebs says
Hi Rose, I don't see why you cannot. The taste and texture may not be totally the same but it should still be ok.
Yvette says
What if i don’t have bread crumbs? Is there any alternative for it?
Bebs says
You can make biscuit crumbs or just omit it for now. Leave a piece or 2 of the pandesal to dry out in 2 to 3 days and you can make crumbs from it for the next baking.
Mary Ann says
Thanks for this delicious recipe! 🙂 I made it today as instructed but let the dough rise longer (1.5 hrs) since it's a bit cold where I am. Baked half as pan de sal and the other half as pan de coco. 😉
Bebs says
Hi Mary, I actually have a pan de coco recipe that I posted over at my friend's site, Kawaling Pinoy. Glad you like our pandesal recipe.
Perry says
Hi! Tried above pandesal recipe just now. It's not airy or soft as like the ones you buy in the morning. The inside is a bit dense/compact. What wrong could I have done? Could it be because I replaced 1cup bread flour to 1 cup all purpose flour? We enjoyed ot though 😊
Bebs says
There you have it, Perry. Bread flour normally makes denser bread. You will also need to add more liquids as it will absorb more. The dough has to be sticky. Lastly, give it longer time for the second rising before you bake them.
Terry Lyn Guesa says
There are lots of popular website available to try and browse but I am telling you, yours is the best recipe, quite simple and easy to follow with ingredients that are not too complicated to find. I made pandesal from different website source once before, and it was a fail, ended up discouraged not to try again. But now I found your recipe, and tried it immediately, it was a success!!! I’m quite happy with the result, it seems like pandesal bought from our local bakery! Thank you so much!!!
Bebs says
Aaawww, Terry. that is so nice of you to say. I am happy to hear that you are encouraged again to make your own pandesal using our recipe. Thanks also for the 5 stars...
Casel says
Hi! How many grams per ball do I need to achieve the same size as the pandesals in your photos? Thank you! 🙂
Bebs says
Hi Casel, honestly I did not measure them and just tried to divide them into 12 equal parts as I can.
Jerry says
Hi Bebs, Could you please share how you measure your flour? I'm new to baking and have seen some talk about fluffing and spooning or also by weighing (I've seen between 120 and 127 grams per cup used). What is the weight of your cup of flour? Thank you.
Bebs says
Hi Jerry, the weight of flour varies depending on what type. It can also vary from one brand to the other because they are not milled exactly the same way. Some baked items, like pandesal, are not that too particular and quite forgiving even if you take or add 10g more. I normally just use leveled dry measuring cups for this. If the dough is not sticky enough then add more water, if too sticky and you are not able to knead it, then add flour little by little until you can handle it better.
Beth mabilin says
the hook i was using get destroyed can i use the flat hook for mixing ?
Bebs says
Sure beth, just use low speed..
Mia says
Hi! Glad I found your site. Hoping to find a pan de bonete recipe but found this instead. Will definitely try this soon. Thank you for sharing.
Bebs says
Hope you like it, Mia.
LV says
With the pandemic here in the states, it’s quite hard to find specific ingredients. I did, however find active dry yeast. When you say “proof”, can you please explain what that means? I’m new to making pandesal. I grew up eating it in Hawaii but can’t find it here where I live now.
Thanks!
Bebs says
Hi LV, it means you need to activate it first by hydration. Take 1/2 of the liquid and warm it. Add the yeast to lukewarm liquid and a teaspoon of sugar. Wait 5 minutes, it should create a foam which also indicates that the yeast is still good.
Sarah says
Just tried this recipe and it turned out great! The only thing was a few of them cracked while baking. Any ideas on how to prevent this?
Bebs says
Hi Sarah, it usually means that it has not risen enough yet the second time before it was baked so it was doing the rising while baking and breaking the baked crust in the process.
Sarah says
Oh! That makes sense. Thanks so much. Will you notice a size difference after the second rise? I notice it takes a while for breads to rice where I live, probably due to a colder temp.
Bebs says
Yes, they should also almost double in size that is why it is important to put some distance in between them.
Sherwin says
Hi Bebs. Tried the pandesal recipe twice. First it was a disaster since i used half apf and half bread flour to make it chewier. 2nd try was better inside but still outer layer was hard. The texture was more like a monay than soft pillowy pandesal. Anything i must have done wrong?
Bebs says
Hi Sherwin, try adding more milk, the dough should be sticky. It could also be too less kneading, perform the windowpane test to check.
Sherwin says
Thanks. What is window pane test? I tried it again. Dough is sticky and i just continued kneading untilnit becomes less sticky. Left it for 2hrs before putting in the oven. Alot better now but not yet as soft as what i read in the posts of others. Milk makes it softer? But wouldnt it be too wet and sticky to knead?
Bebs says
Yes, milk makes softer dough and so does oil instead of butter. It is also because you used some bread flour which tends to make denser bread.
Jess says
Hi Bebs!
Big fan of foxyfolksy! Planning to make both your pandesal and ensaymada recipes today (my family are very excited!). Due to lock down it’s really hard to find dry yeast so I was only able to get fresh yeast. I’ve never used it before, can you recommend quantities?
Thank you in advance xxx
Bebs says
Hi Jess, for Ensaymada use about 20 grams and for pandesal 15 grams of fresh yeast.
Jess says
I made these beauties yesterday! Recipe was great! I made them a little too big but at least I know for next time!
Bebs says
Thanks for the 5 stars, Jess...
Rowynna says
This is the third time I tried your recipe.. the dough wouldn’t double in size. In your recioe it asked for 1 1/2 tsp of year right? I use the instant yeast so no need for proofing. And I just bought a new yeast too.
Bebs says
Rowynna, please proof your yeast first to be sure. Newly bought is not really a guarantee that it is still good, exposure to heat can also kill it. Have you given it enough time to rise? It can take longer if it is cold.
a says
you should have put about the yeast on top of the recipe not at the bottom.
Bebs says
Hi, thanks for the suggestion, we will put it under consideration..
Samantha says
Hi there!
Is it ok to knead the dough some more after letting it proof/rise?
I felt like I may not have knead it enough the first time (dough was still a bit sticky).
Thanks!
Bebs says
Hi Samantha, the dough is supposed to be sticky. Kneading it again after it has risen might result in dense bread.
Lisa says
Thank you for this Recipe. I've been looking for the right Pandesal Recipe for such a long time and finally i found one. Your recipe is the best. Thank you.
Bebs says
Thanks, Lisa and glad you like it.
Ofelia says
Hi can i use plain flour or self raisin flour which one is better . Thanks!
Bebs says
I used all-purpose flour and that is the same as plain flour. Self-rising has already a leavening agent and is normally used for making cakes but not suitable for yeast bread like this one.
Marj says
Hi. I'm about to try your Pandesal recipe but I'm going to use active dry yeast. To proof it first, how much active dry yeast should I put into my water + sugar? Should it be 1 1/2 teaspoon following your instant dry yeast measurement? Thank you
Bebs says
Yes, Marj. You have to proof all the yeast in the recipe in lukewarm water with little sugar. It should turn foamy after about 3-5 minutes.
Leah C Sarmiento says
I did your Ube Cheese Pandesal with bread flour and oil (not butter) and it's perfect. Thanks! Can I use bread flour again with oil?
Bebs says
Hi Leah, normally you can substitute oil for butter when making bread (and sometimes, cake). The difference is oil will give you moist and tender bread while butter gives it extra flavor.
Ayiana says
Just made this and it was pretty good! But there were some stuff that I changed: I used 2 cups APF and 1 cup bread flour. Added about 2 tbsp of starter, cause I didn't want any of my discard go to waste. And lastyly, I added an extra 1/4 cup of water. The dough wasn't dry nor super sticky, but I feel more at ease when my dough's a bit more on the wet side.
One thing I'll be doing next time is to add more sugar. Definitely not sweet enough for me. But overall, great recipe! 🙂
Bebs says
Thanks for sharing your version of this Pandesal, Ayiana.
May Cabahug says
Hello!
I would live to try this but I’ve been looking for yeast and can’t find any. Is there substitute for yeast? Thanks!
Bebs says
Unfortunately, bread like this one need yeast to rise. There could be an alternative but it may be more difficult to get, sour dough starter. You can also make your own but it will need a week or two to ferment.
Llana says
My dough is not rising and just bought my DCL instant yeast.
Bebs says
Hi Llana, yeast can go bad for different reasons even if you just bought them. If stored in a hot or warm place, this may kill the yeast. remember to always store them in your fridge to prolong shelf life. Proof your yeast to see if still good.
Hans says
Hi can i use bread flour instead of all purpose flour?
Bebs says
Sure you can Hans, but it may not yield the same result. But some prefer it a little chewier and bread flour should do that,
Alisa says
Hi, thank you for this recipe! Are the breadcrumbs necessary for the outcome of the product aside from the look/outside texture (does it affect the bread itself?)
Bebs says
Hi Alisa, although it is what characterizes true pandesal, it will also still be great without it.
Raceil ann Garcia says
I did the steps but it’s way past 30 mins and the dought hasn’t changed in size. I used instant dry yeast. Any tips?
Bebs says
Hi Raceil, try proofing your yeast (1 tbsp in 1/2 cup lukewarm water with 1/2 tsp sugar)to see if it is still good. It should turn foamy after 5 minutes.
Shey says
Hi Ms. Bebs!
Just want to ask if i can use stand mixer?
Bebs says
Sure you can. Just use the dough hook attachment and once all the ingredients are in, mix/knead for 8-10 minutes.
Leslie says
Hi there!
How would the procedure be using active dry yeast? Will there be a change in the amount of liquids as I will be using water and sugar to activate the yeast?
Bebs says
Hi Leslie, use the same amount of liquids. Just take some to hydrate or activate the yeast.
Mariel says
Hi, Bebs! What type & brand of flour and yeast did you use in Germany? I live here and am quite happy to have come across your website a few years ago because I can relate to the recipes you made here. ☺️
Maraming salamat!
Bebs says
Hi Mariel, 550 Weizenmehl. yun ang pinaka malapit sa all-purpose flour.
Ayesha says
Hi Bebs,
Can I use active dry yeast? What do you mean by proof it on your Note 2?
Thank you.
Ayesha
Bebs says
Hi Ayesha, it means to activate it first by adding lukewarm liquid and bit of sugar to it to bloom. Take half cup liquid and 1 teaspoon of sugar from the recipe and use that. Let it proof for 5 minutes before adding to the flour mixture.
Nedi says
Great recipe! Eating them now😊. First time to make pandesal, and it's a success, thanks to this recipe😊♥️♥️♥️
Bebs says
That is great, Nedi! Enjoy your hot pandesal!
Ayesha says
Hi Bebs,
I only have active dry yeast, will it be okay or do I need it to dissolve it in warm milk?
Thank you.
Ayesha
Bebs says
Yes, you proof it first with some of the lukewarm liquid and sugar taken from the recipe.
Jen says
What am I doing wrong? My dough is not rising😔
Bebs says
Hi Jen, check your yeast if it is still good. Add a teaspoon of yeast to a half cup of lukewarm water with a teaspoon sugar. Mix then let it stand for 5 minutes. It should become foamy, if not then the yeast is no longer good.
Reina says
Hi.can i divide the recipe into half?my problem is the egg portion. Im planning to bake it in an airfryer. Can it be done there?thanks.
Bebs says
Hi Reina, haven't tried baking on an air fryer, sorry that I cannot help you with that.
Karla says
Hi! I tried using your recipe 3 times now but I can't make it really really soft like the one I use to buy before. I don't know what I am doing wrong haha
Bebs says
Hi Karla, store-bought bread may contain bread improver. You can use it of course. I can also be on the way you make bread, like proper kneading and rising time.
Tony Relucio says
Hi, can I do it today and send it to oven tomorrow? I want pandesal to be freshly baked tomorrow? Thank you !
Bebs says
Yes you can Tony, after kneading you can let it rise slowly in the fridge overnight.
Ethel says
Hi there! Thank you for sharing your recipes esp the pandesal. I never tried making homemade bread due to lockdown no excuse for me not to. I live in UK and it’s really hard to get all purpose flour here. Would it be possible to use normal one or brown bread flour ?
Thanks for your reply. ☺️
Bebs says
Hi Ethel, it would probably still taste good. But do not expect the same pillowy-soft results. It will lean on the chewy side using bread flour.