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
maheen says
hello!! if i’m using an actual ube tuber as opposed to the powder, how much will i be using?
Bebs says
It is in the post.
Cira Fabula says
very good post, i surely adore this site, go on it
Sheilla says
Hi. I was wondering if I can use a bread maker for this recipe?
Bebs says
Sure you can, Shiela.
Brent says
Hi How long do you knead itbin the stand mixer? I have used your recipe before and it was all success but somehow today I tried it with stand mixer and it is very sticky. I used mash boiled ube and the consistencybis thick so I’m not sure what happen. Should I put more flour or oil? Thanks
Bebs says
If you used mashed boiled ube, you skipped the 3/4 cup hot water, right?
Gwen says
Hello. I would like to try this recipe. Is it okay to use self raising flour? Cause i have a lot and want to use them. Thank you.
Bebs says
HHmm...I do not think so because normally it has salt and baking powder already and can be used for quick bread but not for yeast bread like this.
Diana says
I love your recipes especially the pandesal. If I don't have ube powder, can i use the sweet purple yam spread that is used for halo-halo? I have ube extract flavor. thanks
Bebs says
Yes, you can, Diana.
Jamie says
I just made this following this recipe step by step! My dough came out a little too wet than expected but i managed. It didnt seem to make it rise as much, but maybe its the yeast that i used. But after 20 minutes in the oven, it did rise. And omg its so delicious!!! it's so soft and airy and fluffy!!
Evelyn says
I have made this recipe several times now and it is super delicious. Usually give is as gifts and everyone loves it. Thanks for sharing your recipes.
Bebs says
That is great, Evelyn and you are welcome!
Jhanea says
Hi can ube jam be used instead of the powder? If so is it the same measurement 1/4 cup? I would like to try the recipe but wanted to do it with ube jam instead. Thanks!
Bebs says
Read the post, it's there.
Anne Almvig says
I've tried several recipes and finally I found this recipe which is the best. It is so easy to make. Since I could not find powdered ube, I used the frozen grated ube using the same amount indicated on the recipe but added 1 Tbs. of water to it and it was like I used powdered ube. Thanks for the recipe. Whenever ai crave for pandesal, I just bake a batch.
Bebs says
You are welcome, Anne and I am glad you like our recipe.
Angela says
What brand of ube powder did you use? I was also wondering if the 3/4 cup hot water to 1/4cup ube powder was correct. I ended up not adding all the rehydrated ube and adding more flour since the dough was so sticky. And next time I will add more ube filling since the ube powder itself did not add much flavor as I would expect.
jill says
hi , how many grams should each dough ball be?
Amy says
Can I just use ube extract? It is hard to find the ube powder here.
Bebs says
Then head over to our pandesal recipe and just add ube extract to the dough 😉
Eian says
Hi! I only have Taro powder. Is it ok to use that instead? Thank you!
Bebs says
It is not the same but it is also starchy so I think it will have also the same texture. As for the taste, you can use ube flavoring, or not.😉
Trevor says
This is a legit good recipe! Family loves them 🙂 just have to experiment with proving times. Recommend sticking to a savory cheese and not a cream cheese, too.
Bebs says
Thanks for this lovely comment, Trevor.
Monica Fuentes says
Good morning, I was just wondering if these need to be refrigerated after the baking due to the cheese? Or can these be stored at room temp? If so, how long do they last?
Bebs says
It should be good for a couple of days outside the fridge and about a week or longer if refrigerated.
Christine says
How long can this be refrigersted before it goes bad?
Bebs says
Packed correctly, it should be ok in the fridge for 1-2 weeks.
Alaine Benaim says
This is the best Pandesal recipe I've done. The dough is quite hard to handle because its very sticky but the trick is to handle it with care and just trust the recipe. I used my electric mixer until all the ingredients were well combined and then I transferred the dough to my oiled tabled started to gently knead with my oily hands until I can form a ball and did the windowpane test. and viola! Thank you so much for sharing your recipe 🙂 I baked mine for 15mins at 170°
Bebs says
Thanks for the great comment, Alaine. Yes, sticky doughs can be a bit tricky but all worth it in the end.
AlexaM says
Hi Bebs,
Can I use dry active yeast? I don’t have instant yeast. And if so, what would be the procedure?
Thanks
Bebs says
Yes, you can.
Mia says
Thank you so much for sharing this recipe. It’s so good that I tweaked it using ingredients for red velvet cupcakes and it turned out to be a smashing success here in my household. Looking forward to more of your recipes. Waiting to see your version of bonete should you ever come up with one.
Bebs says
That is so nice of you to say, Mia. Happy that you are able to use our recipe for your other creation too. I will add pan de bonete, it is a must now 🤤
Lailanie Porciuncula says
How can I replace the ube powder with ube coloring liquid? That’s the available ube I have thank you
Bebs says
No, you can't in this recipe, it will be too wet. But I suggest using our regular pandesal recipe and just add the ube liquid flavor to the dough.
Lynn says
I love your pandesal recipe and I want to try this ube pandesal recipe can I use bread flour instead of all purpose flour?
Bebs says
Sure you can, Lynne. Could be actually better.
Cheryl says
Thanks for the great recipe
Bebs says
Glad you like it, Cheryl.
Eddie says
Hi! I tried to follow this recipe today but the dough was suuuper sticky and wet. It wouldn't even come up off of my counter when I tried to knead it. The ube powder I purchased from Amazon says that it is powdered sweet potato (not just food coloring), and when I added hot water it did clump up and appear to rehydrate. Any ideas on what went wrong?
Bebs says
It is supposed to be very sticky. You can add some oil and use the slap and fold method to handle sticky dough like this.
Trish says
Just made these today and they came out delicious! Tastes just like the pandesal I remember from back home! Next time I’ll try with ube flavouring and halaya. Will be saving this recipe for all my future ube pandesal bakes 😀
Bebs says
That is great Trish! Thanks for the 5 stars..
Eva says
Hi Ms Bebs, I super love your recipes po. It does stays soft for a week fluffy and soft pa rin sya. I’ve been baking this weekly now pambaon at breakfast namin ng hubby ko. My kids prefers your regular pandesal which is also super soft. I used homemade ube halaya na luto ng hubby ko para sa recipe na to. He also prefers to have a bit pf ube halaya inside together with the cheese. Masyado nya favourite ang ube. Thank you Ms Bebs.
Bebs says
Hi Eva, thank you for sharing your experience with our recipes and I am glad that your family is enjoying them.
Jennifer Claire Avila says
Hi po...gusto ko po gumawa ng pandesal please help me to do
Thank you and God bless
Joelyn says
Hello,
I have a question you mention that but it in 6 pieces. How grams is that per rolls? Thank you!
Saly says
Phew! The dough is so sticky and difficult to handle even with greased hands and surface. However, it tastes good. I used 1/2 C ube halaya for the dough and put ube halaya for the filling also. The only problem was the stickiness. Help 😆
Bebs says
You can add a bit more flour next time but if you can do it without it then the better, it means softer buns that stay soft longer.
March Magat says
Hi po, paano po kung frozen grated ube ang gagamitin ko? Ano po ang measurement?
Anj says
Hi is it supposed to be 1tsp and 1/2tsp or 1tbsp and 1/2tsp
Bebs says
1 1/2 tsp means 1 and a half tsp.
Lynne Ong says
What brand of ube powder did you use?
Marikris says
Just made my first batch! I only had the ube powder (no extract) so it barely looks purple. Next time for sure, I will use both powder and extract to get a richer color. The taste is great. I use cheddar cheese, and I can’t wait to try a different kind of cheese for next time. I baked my tray underneath a pan of maple bacon, so we had ube cheese pandesal with a side of bacon for breakfast and it was a hit with the family. I let mine proof overnight in the fridge btw. I did the bulk rise in my oven last night (it has a bread proofing selection) and then I shaped them into balls with the cheese and threw them into the fridge. This morning I put them in the oven for a hot breakfast. Thanks for the recipe! It was really easy with a standing mixer! I put a little extra flour so the dough wasn’t so sticky.
Bebs says
Hi Marikris! Sounds marvelous with the bacon for breakfast! Thanks for sharing your experience with this recipe and for the tips!
Anne Almvig says
I tried the recipe and it is so soft and taste amazing. I now finally found the right Pandesal recipe. Thank you so much.
Bebs says
That is great, Anne!
Jevy says
Like others, I found the dough way too sticky and wet. I used puréed boiled ube. I weighed the flour too to insure an accurate measurement. I kneaded the dough in my KA stand mixer a little extra long to try to get it more firm and pliable. It didn’t do much for it. I went ahead and proofed it anyway. After proofing, it was even wetter. It was too wet to form the rolls, so I put it back into my stand mixer and kneaded it again to try to salvage it. It got worse!! It’s now a sloppy wet dough! I don’t even know how to salvage it now. It’s sitting on the counter now for the second time. I can’t do anything with it. I am a seasoned cook and baker, so this issue is very annoying to say the least. I doubled the recipe, so I have just wasted so much ingredients. I wanted to love this recipe 🙁
Bebs says
Hi Jevy, I am sorry to hear that it was not a success for you. 1 cup milk to 3 1/2 cup of flour should not make a watery dough at all. SO I am guessing it must be the puree you used. How was the consistency of it? It should be very thick like ube jam and just like the ube in the video.
Victoria says
Hi! May I ask if i can use bread flour for this recipe? If yes, is it still the same measurement? Thank you!
Bebs says
Yes, same measurements.
Ria says
Hello, my family and I love your recipe. The only thing is that mine always come out pale, with only a tiny hint of purple. Is it because of the ube extract? I have yet to find it here and so I have never used it, as it says optional in the recipe. Is it just for color or does it also have a strong taste of ube? Please advise and TIA.
Bebs says
The ube extract adds not only color but also flavor. Ube on its own does not have a strong flavor.
psyche says
id like to ask if 3/4 cup of hot water is correct? my dough looked much like of a batter than dough
Bebs says
I think it has to do with the ube powder you used. Please read the post, I mentioned it there.
Cc says
Hello. What is the procedure if we have stand mixer?
Bebs says
Same. Just use the dough hook attachment to mix and knead. Use medium speed and do a windowpane test after 7 minutes of kneading and if not yet ready just go on kneading until it is.
D. Sal says
Omg!!! So delish!!! Just baked my first batch. Used my own homemade ube halaya (really enhances the flavour), only a few drops of the ube liquid flavour (I’ll omit next time), oat milk, old smoked cheddar, & no problem with kneading (good old Kitchen Aid saved me). Don’t think the dozen will last tonight. Thanks for the recipe.
By the way, I use Suncore Foods organic purple sweet potato powder from Amazon for my other baking recipes. Works well. Hope this helps your followers.
Bebs says
Hey, thanks for the tip about the ube powder and for the great comment.
Mac says
Can i add 1/2 cup of ube powder instead of 1/4 cup to get more ube flavor? i made ube cheese pandesal using your recipe (without the ube extract), it turned out good but i cant taste the ube flavor at all.
Bebs says
Hi Mac, it might need more water then it will also be more difficult to knead. And it is not really an assurance that it will have more ube flavor. Ube itself, when eaten on its own does not really have a strong flavor.
Linh Bui says
Hi!!! I'm trying to make this for my family and I'm going to make the ube halaya for this recipe and you said to reduce the sugar used but can you tell me how much I should reduce? and should I reduce the sugar from the jam or the bread?
Bebs says
No, I mean if you are going to use a ready-made ube halaya that is already sweet then maybe you need to reduce the sugar for the bread.
Ces says
Hi! If using ube jam, should I cut the sugar in hal? (from 6Tbsp to 3Tbsp)?
Ces says
I meant half.. 🙂
Bebs says
Yes, you can reduce the sugar as you like.
raquel says
hi ate.. ever since i came across ur spanish bread recipe ( which was a total hit, btw) i have been using/ following your recipes 😊. i’m just wondering how come my doug isnt’t as smooth looking as yours? lol i feel like i have been kneading it forever💪 hahahaha i wonder what i did wrong 🤔
Bebs says
Make sure you do the windowpane test. But, hey, they do not have to look perfect as long as they taste good. 😉
Anne says
Hi! These rolls look delicious and I would like to try them but, only have frozen ube. Could you tell me how much I should use, should I let it drain once thawed, do I have to make jam with it before using it in this recipe? Thank you!!!
Bebs says
Hi Anne, this was already mentioned on the post. Yes, you have to cook the yam first in this case.
Dion Velez says
tried the ube pandesal today. was very soft and yummy 🙂
Bebs says
That is great, Dion. Super glad that you like it.
Lea says
Hello, I would like to ask if how much one pandesal weighs? Thank you 🙂
Ed says
Where do you get your ube powder? What brand? I’m here in Long Beach, Ca. Is it readily available here? I used one but it’s not as purple as yours.
Bebs says
How did the one you used work? Was it able to absorb all the hot water and turned into a thick paste? You can also add food color to make it more vibrant.
jhan says
Hi,
I only have frozen grated purple yam and want to use this to bake the pandesal. In your post above, you mentioned to boil it then mash. No need to add sugar, right? And then how much should I use? Your post mentions 3/4 cup if using ube jam but didn’t mention how much if using plain boiled ube. Should I use 3/4 cup too?
Salamat po in advanced.
Rochell says
Ano ba dapat lasa ng ube pandesal...?
Ung sakin bakit walang lasang ube khit nagawa ko nmn ng tama at complete ingredients.parang regular pandesal lng ang lasa n may kulay purple😣 dismayado ako...ahahahahaha...
Bebs says
Yes, ube really has a very subtle flavor to it. If you want you can enhance it by adding a filling of ube jam. But the addition of ube makes them soft and moist.
janet says
can we use the frozen shredded ube if yes how much should be used
Bebs says
It is discussed in the post and on the other comments.
Lucy says
Can i use ube jam from a jar? I would like to try it today.
Thanks.
Bebs says
Sure you can, Lucy!
Barbara McCarron says
Hi Bebs,
How much frozen ube would I use in the recipe?
Bebs says
I would say use 1 to 1 1/2 cup and boil it in 2-3 cups of water until cooked through. Remove the liquid and set aside. Mash it using a potato masher or an electric hand mixer. If it gets too dry or crumbly add some of the liquid you cooked it with until it resembles the texture of mashed potato.