This Easy Ube Pandesal with Cheese filling is made with ube powder. They stay soft, pillowy and moist for days after baking.
With the rise to the worldwide fame of our humble ube or purple yam, came a lot of new food ideas and creations starring this pretty purple/violet root crop. From ube halaya, ice cream, cakes, cheesecake, and other delicacies, there seems to be no limit as to what you can make with ube.
These days, ube cheese pandesal seems to take the spotlight in the local scene. A variation of the traditional Filipino breakfast bread, Pandesal. And why not, we Filipinos love our pandesal, be it for breakfast or afternoon snack. And Ube Pandesal with melty cheese filling is perfect for both.
Ube Powder VS. Fresh Ube
This recipe uses ube powder that is now widely available in baking supply shops or even online. Alternatively, purple yam jam (ube halaya) can also be used. Just reduce the sugar as it usually contains sweetener already. Of course, fresh ube can also be used. It has to be boiled and then mashed. I would say to use about half a cup to ¾ cup of ube jam for this recipe.
The ube powder is first rehydrated with hot water that will have a consistency similar to ube halaya. This will be added in making the dough. It will create a sticky dough. But because of the high water absorption of the ube powder, the resulting bread will be soft and moist even for several days after it is baked.
I get a lot of comment from others who used ube powder but theirs turned watery when hot water was added instead of absorbing the liquids. I think this is not the real ube powder starch but is used for flavoring only. If this is what you have, then I recommend using our regular Pandesal recipe and just add the ube powder flavor to the dough, dissolved in little water.
Notes on this Ube Pandesal:
- This makes a very sticky dough. As you knead the dough the stickiness will lessen. To handle it better instead of adding more flour, grease your hands with oil so the dough will not stick. Do the same to the surface where you will knead.
- I used instant yeast for this recipe. Using dry active yeast takes longer time for the dough to rise than using instant yeast.
- If you do not have the time, prepare the dough the night before. You can refrigerate it after kneading or once they are filled and formed. Cover with plastic wrap and store it in the refrigerator overnight. Before using it, allow it to sit at room temperature for about 30 minutes before going on the next step. I recommend using dry-active yeast if you are going this route.
- I used oil instead of butter for this recipe. Butter gives bread richer flavor but since this is already a flavored bread so I opted for oil which makes it softer and stays soft longer.
Printable Recipe
Ube Pandesal with Cheese
Ingredients
- ¼ cup ube powder
- ¾ cup hot water -only if using ube powder
- 3 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ teaspoon instant yeast
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 6 tablespoons sugar
- 1 cup warm milk
- 2 tablespoon vegetable oil - plus more for greasing
- 1 medium egg
- 1 tablespoon liquid ube extract (optional)
- 1 block quick melt cheese (165g) - cut into 12 cubes
- 4 tablespoons breadcrumbs - for coating
Instructions
- Place ube powder in a bowl. Pour in hot water and stir until completely rehydrated.
- In a large bowl, add flour, sugar, and salt. Mix to combine.
- Pour in warm milk and oil and add the egg and mix. Add the yeast and mix again.
- Add the rehydrated ube and ube extract (if using) and mix well until well combined. It will be very heavy and sticky. Use your hand greased with oil if you have to or use a stand mixer.
- Tip the dough on a flat surface. Rub oil to both hands and knead for 7-10 minutes or until soft and smooth. Do the windowpane test to check. (SEE NOTE )
- Form the dough into a ball and lightly coat with oil. Place it back the large bowl and cover with a kitchen towel or plastic wrap and place it in a warm area and let it rise until it almost doubled in size. Depending on how warm it is, could take 30 minutes to an hour or more.
- Punch down the dough and divide it into 2 equal parts using a knife or dough slicer. Shape a part into a rectangle and then divide it into 6 equal pieces. Roll each piece into a ball. Repeat the same with the other half.
- Flatten a ball and place a cube of cheese at the center. Fold the sides of the dough enclosing the cheese cube inside. Form it again 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 for another 30 minutes. While waiting, preheat oven 340° F /170°C. Bake the Ube Pandesal for 20 minutes or until slightly browned. Remove from oven and serve while hot!
Notes
Nutrition
April Ariola says
Hello,
Thank you for sharing this recipe. Just wanted to confirm though. What I bought is the ube yam paste. What will be the process if I will use this for the pandesal? thank you.
Bebs says
Do you mean, ube halaya (ube jam)? It is written in the post.
Michelle C says
I would rather knead this in an electric mixer. Is it safe to assume that I can mix everything in the mixer and then knead for 7-10 mins as well?
Also, if I use dry active yeast, do I need to proof it first? Thanks 😊
Bebs says
Yes, if you have an electric mixer with a dough hook attachment then you are better off. Check the dough using windowpane test at 7 minutes. If you're sure your yeast is still good no need to proof.
Dana Pajarillaga says
Hi Bebs, going to try to recipe for the first time tomorrow, I have Ube jam and was wondering how much of it to use? As well as what is quick melt cheese??? Any type of cheese I can substitute that for if I can’t find it in the shop? Thanks a lot!
Bebs says
You can read about ube jam in the post. You can use any cheese that would melt nicely when baked.
Ruth says
Thank you for the recipe, Bebs! They turned out great and my grandma, dad and younger brother loved them! I also used your recipe as a guideline for the nutella version of the pandesal and they worked out great with a little modification. Thank you!
Bebs says
That is great, Ruth. Maybe you can send me your Nutella version...it sounds delish!
Ruth says
I made 2 experiments with the recipe
one using full Nutella and the other with dark cocoa powder (for the bread color and taste)
and dallops of frozen nutella for filling
with the nutella you mentioned in the blog that if we didn't have the powder just
use like 3/4 of the ube jam so keeping that in mind I switched it with nutella
but less? I used about 85g which is probably 1/4 cup, it turned out to be quite
dense but soft nonetheless, followed the rest of the recipe with just 2tbsp of sugar
(because it's quite sweet), and I may have forgetten to add 2tbsp of oil into the mix
but it didn't seem to affect the pandesal much, I still used oil to cover it for greasing.
So all in all the ingredients I used for it are:
1/4 cup nutella (warmed, so it's a bit gooey and not completely melted)
3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp instant yeast
1 tsp salt
2 tbsp sugar
1 cup warm milk
1 medium egg
a dallop of frozen nutella per bread (for filling)
on a side note: I think this one took a bit longer to rise not sure if it was because the
kitchen area was cold (because of aircon) or I may have done something wrong. 🙁
with the cocoa powder, I actually didn't really measure the powder itself, kind of eyeballed
how much I needed to color the bread, which I probably added too much because the bread turned
out a bit bitter(mapait po)? and then the filling was the only one that made it sweet. Still
following your recipe (including the oil, but no hot water added to the cocoa powder) I ended
up with a bit of a bitter (outside), sweet (inside), soft nutella pandesal.
Lynne Ong says
What brand of ube powder did you use?
Shar So says
hi ate! I saw someone copy your recipe word for word and posted it on a Facebook group without giving credit to your blog... Since i’m a big fan of yours, i noticed na word for word talaga yung recipe... I commented on their post with a link to your blog and asked the admin of the website regarding their rules pertaining to plagiarism... Will keep you updated
Armin says
Thank you so much for being our champion. Some people don`t know that it is unethical and illegal to copy someone else content...let us know and please do update us 🙌
Jhoanna says
Hi! I tried this recipe, bread was good but can’t taste the ube at all. If I substitute the ube powder with ube jam, what other modifications should I do? Thanks
Bebs says
Hi Jhoanna, ube has really so subtle flavor but if you like you can add ube jam in the filling to enhance it.
Jay says
So I just finished making it! Clap clap. It turned out super amazing! I ended up borrowing a dough scraper to work on it even after an hour but the result is super yummy! Thank you Bebs!🤝
Bebs says
Glad you like it, Jay! Worth the workout, right 🙂
Christina says
What’s a good type of melting cheese to use for this recipe? Thanks!
Marc says
I have been making your pandesal recipes and they are fab! Thank you so much for sharing them. I am a mom (though I have a boyish name - Marc) who loves to cook that I passed the passion to my son who is now a Chef.
Bebs says
Hi Marc, wow you must be a very proud mon! Glad that you are enjoying our recipes here.
Fenn says
Hi Bebs! Thanks for the recipe. My dough didn’t rise as much as it should have. I used the ube jam instead of powder. Are you supposed to still add the water? Maybe that’s where I made a mistake.
Bebs says
Hi Fenn, no need to add water. Could be your yeast is not as fresh anymore or they were not given enough time to rise.
Joyce says
IS there a way to fix the ube pandesal when it gets watery? Should I add more flour?
Bebs says
I am guessing you used ube powder flavoring instead of powdered ube. A quick fix will be adding more flour or potato flour.
Aimi says
I want to make one but i will use halaya jam what is the quantity of sugar thank you
Syra says
Hello po!
Just wanna ask what brand of ube powder did you use? Can I use ube extract instead? I was also thinking about using this recipe but with pandan extract. If I use ube extract instead, how much should I use? Thank you so much and God Bless. ❤
Ladelle says
Hi Bebs, what is the pandesal’s shelf life? Thank you.
Nia says
Can i use ube extract? & if so, how much?
Sam says
Thank you!! It tastes soo good!! I’m 13yrs old and It’s my first time baking😊
Bebs says
Oh wow! Good job to you, Sam. I know some people were having a bit of difficulty making this as it involves a very sticky dough. But you did it! 😘
M says
Hi! I would just like to ask if I use the pandesal recipe what would be the measurement of my ube powder, will it still be ¼ cup? I will be using CRV ube powder. And for the milk, can I use evaporated milk? Thank you.
Bebs says
I have not used CRV so I cannot say how much.
Jewel says
Hi! Can I ask what's the measurement if I will use ube halaya instead of powder? Thank youu 💖
Nessa says
Hello po! Can i use grated ube? Do i need to cook it po ba? Grated ube lang po meron sila dito sa asian store. Thank you po
Bebs says
Please read the post. It is mentioned there.
Ela says
Hi!
Thanks for sharing this recipe. Is it the same process as above if we use dry active yeast? Or will we need to activate the yeast first before mixing them all together?
Can we also use a mixer with a dough hook for this? How long is kneading process for that?
Thank you so much!!! Can’t wait to try it!
Bebs says
Sure you can use ADY and yes you have to proof it before using. A mixer is your friend when making sticky doughs.
Amy says
If i were to use jarred ube halaya, how of it should use on this recipe? Thanks in advance!
Rich says
At first i didn't read and that's the reason why i almost wasted a whole recipe... But Luckily I have extra ube halaya so i started again and it was a success!!!! 💞💞💞
Bebs says
That is awesome, Rich!
Lois says
Great recipe! I’ve made it a few time using Havarti cheese and it’s delicious. Thanks for the recipe. I
Bebs says
Happy to know it, Lois!
Precious says
Hi Bebs!Thanks for sharing your recipe.I have tried this Ube Cheese Pandesal twice already, and it turned out great.The ube powder that I am using is not having the same result like the one you are using when added with water, the dough is really wet, so I tried adding more flour when kneading.But the result is still great.First attempt , I used full AP Flour. Second attempt I put 1 cup whole wheat flour and 2 and a half AP Flour.Taste is better as per my brother.Today for my third attempt I am trying with Kiri Cheese.Thanks a lot
Ro says
Can i use autolyse technique with this ube cheese pandesal recipe?
BTW, i have using this recipe for many times. And have a good feedback. J
Anna says
Hello Bebs, i love your recipes here and been making ube cheese pandesal for the family, they’re perfect but my concern is, some of the cheese pops out from the buns while baking in the oven, wondering what’s the cause and how will i avoid that to happen? Please help.. Thank you🙏🏻
Bebs says
Hi Anna, try using frozen cheese so it will not melt too fast while waiting to rise and bake. Make sure also to have the cheese evenly covered with dough.
Maica says
Hi!
I am going to use active dry yeast for this recipe, is there a difference within the rising time?
Thanks! 🙂
Bebs says
It might take a little longer to rise, Maica, that is it.
Jean says
Hi Bebs,
Thank you for your recipe. I tried it the first time and it turned really out great. During my 2nd try, I put the shaped dough (with cheese) in the fridge overnight and subsequently let it stand in room temp in the morning before baking. It became a bit more compact and not as fluffy as the first. Would like to know if this is the usual if you place the dough overnight in the fridge and bake in the morning? Thank you!😊
Bebs says
Hi Jean, a lot of people do this but normally you use active dry yeast instead of instant yeast. Did you give them time to rise again after bringing them to room temperature?
Marikris says
Jean, you have to let it get back to room temperature. If you have a bread proofing selection in your oven you can stick it in there for about thirty minutes, checking in every so often to make sure you’re not over proofing the dough. Putting it in the fridge overnight is usually for the first rise/also called the bulk rise. Then you take it out and reshape it for your final proof.
Judy-Ann Mayor says
Perfect recipe
Leah Dungo says
Hi , I tried your recipe but I had a hard time making the bread because it was very sticky. I have to add more oil to my hands and the counter top. My question is , is it ok to add more flour ( exceeding the 3 & 1/2 in the recipe) ? If so, how much more flour can I add?
Thanks for your help.
Bebs says
First, are you sure you used powdered ube and not the flavoring (CRV) because powdered ube should absorb the hot water added to it and not turn into liquid. If you used the correct ube powder then sure you can add a bit more flour but I would rather recommend greasing your hands and kneading surface with oil instead.
Kate says
Hello! How much cheese do you put inside,
Cheese always ooze out of the bread. Any advise??
Thanks
Bebs says
Try to freeze them and use lower oven temperature but a longer baking time.
Kristina says
Can I use cream cheese instead of the other cheese for the filling?
Bebs says
Sure you can Kristina.
Chell says
Hi,
I used real ube halaya in this recipe i was kneading the dough for an hour n po but it is still very sticky. Any idea po what went wrong? Is it because of the ube halaya? And also i did use shortening instead of oil. Is that ok po? TIA
Bebs says
Hi Chell, it is supposed to be very sticky. You can add a bit more flour or grease your hands with oil to handle the dough.
Yay says
May i ask how many grams of dough each? I want to have an exact measurement hopefully 😅😅 thank youuuu.
Bebs says
Hi Yay, I did not weigh them, unfortunately. But if you have a weighing scale I suggest weighing the whole dough and dividing them into 12. These are fairly big buns and you can actually make 16 pieces of regular size pan de sal.
Kate says
Hi!
I’m using mild cheddar cheese cubes, I usually put 1-2 per roll. Is there a reason why cheese comes out of the bread no matter how good I
Seal it??! Please advise
Kate
Bebs says
Try to freeze the cheese before using and use lower temperature but longer baking time.
Chell says
Hi can i use shortening instead of oil? Thank you
Bebs says
Sure you can.
Rhelee says
Can I use wheat flour? Thanks
Bebs says
Do you mean whole wheat flour? You could replace maybe half of the APF with it. But, of course, the texture and taste will be different.
Jay says
Hello Miss Bebs,
Thanks for sharing this recipe. I want to try this now, however I cannot find the ube powder. I have ube halaya and ube flavor extract, could I use them instead? If yes, please let me know the amount I should use in place of the powder. Thank you.
Jay
Bebs says
Use our pandesal recipe and just add the ube flavor to the dough, start with 1/2 tablespoon.
Sena says
Can i use buttermilk?
Bebs says
Sure you can Sena.
Alma Diaz says
Hi Ms. Bebs, ive been using recipe and we love it so much but these days ube powder is all sold out i guess everyone is baking with ube. I bought a frozen grated yum and i have nonidea how to use it as substitute for ube powder can you please help me thank you so much God bless
Bebs says
Hi Alma, you just boil it in a little water to form a paste (like ube halaya texture) then use about 2/3 cup to 1 cup for the recipe.
JEY says
hellow Miss Bebs. my dough turned out to be so wet, so added another half of flour and still turned to be tasteful. Thank you for the recipe and i will keep using it...
Bebs says
Hi Jey, glad it still worked out for you. I am guessing you used ube flavoring instead of powdered ube since it did not absorb the liquids.
Mia Padilla says
Oh... the ube powder will absorb some of the liquid in the recipe. I don't have the ube powder, so i used 1.5T of ube flavoring. 1st time I made is I reduced the milk to 3/4c coz I know my flour is not cooperative and I was able to workout the sticky dough quite easily. My daughter loved it and so as my friends... thanks
I did the 2nd time, this time I used 1c milk coz I got the recommended APF used in a baking class. I had a hard time kneading the sticky dough and didn't quite achieved the window pane test though it passed the poke test ;).
Next time i'll use 3/4 milk and add powdered milk to compensate for the milk reduction. What do you thinkk?
Shen says
Hi Bebs, Thanks for this recipe.. I just have a question though (sorry may be a stupid one, new baker here).. will there be any difference if I use bread flour instead?
Thank you
Bebs says
There would be some difference but some might not even notice it. Bread flour tends to give a little chewiness but they normally rise better/puffier.
Yannah says
Hi! I used ube halaya before and now I want to try using the ube powder. However I bought a CRV brand of it. Is it exactly the kind of ube powder that we should use? If not, what should I do to get the flavor of ube? Should I just add more ube extract? Thank you!
Bebs says
Hi Yannah, this is exactly what I do not recommend if you are to follow this recipe as I used powdered ube and CRV is ube flavoring in powder form. Not the same. But you can still use it, just do not use the same measurement of water for the powdered ube because it will not absorb it.
Kieya says
What milk did you used?
Bebs says
I used fresh milk.
Kim says
Hi Ms Bebs! I have been using this recipe for so long my family loves it. So I decided to sell. After many times of doing this, it was only yesterday that my dough was so wet and sticky that I cannot roll it. I know it could be the flour. My question is, if the dough is very wet and sticky, can I add some more? Will it affect the softness?
Bebs says
Hi Kim, you can try adding more flour just make sure that you do not add too much. Hope that helps.
CAROL B. says
Hi, I'm having a hard time finding ube powder always out of stock. Can i use ube liquid instead? And if so, what's the proper measurement if I use the liquid? Thank you so much.
Aiko says
Hi what if i put halaya or ube jam for fillings how can i add it on the nutrition facts?
Bebs says
You have to weigh how much you add and compute based on the nutrition facts of the ube jam you used.
Sena says
Hello Bebs!
Can I use buttermilk instead of regular milk in this recipe?
Bebs says
Sure you can, Sena.
CME says
I am interested in the ube cheese pandesal however i can't use all purpose flour due to health reasons. Can i use brown rice flour, almond flour or coconut flour? TIA
Bebs says
Hi CME, I haven't baked bread using the flours you've mentioned so I am not sure of the outcome. But I guess you will not know until you try.
Cristina Fernandez says
My dough was very wet and I can hardly handle it but my bread still turned out perfect. When I watched the video, it turned out that my ube mixture was more wet compared to yours. My pandesal did not look that great but the taste more than compensated for that. I will definitely try it again. It is now the 2nd day and my bread tastes so fresh without heating. Thank you.
Bebs says
Hi Christina, thank you so much for your honest but really nice comment. I am only guessing that the ube powder you used is not the same as mine. It should be able to absorb the water and more.
Tina says
If I used Ube Halaya How much would I use if I don’t use the dehydrated powder?
Bebs says
It is mentioned in the post, Tina.
Wheng says
Can I make prep dough the night before? Thanks
Bebs says
Yes, you can Wheng. there are a lot of tips in the comments here that you can read about that...