Pandesal ( Filipino Bread Rolls)

Bite into the slightly toasted top and into the soft and light insides of these pandesal and you will see why it is the most loved bread in the Philippines.

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My nanay made her own version of pandesal. She yielded amazing results. Amazing. And I was amazed not only because the pandesal were so good, but because my nanay is more of a cook than a baker, yet she nailed it the first time.

I remembered seeing her in the process like she had no clue what she was doing. I’d be honest, I did not think that the pandesal will turn out okay, as she was adding flour here and there, adding oil, then adding flour again. But man, they turned out so good and beyond better than what I expected.

So I said to myself, Wow. I have to share this recipe on the blog. 

But then there was the problem: There was no recipe. I mean there is, in a little piece of an index card but there were strikethroughs in the ingredients, and adjustments that have not been written down.

In short, part of the recipe was eyeballed.

So I gathered my hope and tried the recipe. And I failed. Twice. 

Then my Nanay made pandesal again and they were just as amazing the first time. Then she made them again, and again. And again. They were still amazing.

I knew then I had to sit face to face with her with a pen and paper. Or maybe watch her closely in the process. Turns out she already has the recipe mastered by heart. She was not even using measuring cups, she was using a coffee mug to measure out the flour!

But lo and behold, we have them. We managed to put the recipe into writing and with correct measurements.

These pandesal have a nice, crusty top and the inside is light, soft and airy. It is exactly the way I want them to be. Eat them plain or with a pat of butter. Or better yet, dip them in your hot cup of coffee then straight to your mouth.

Pointers for Making Pandesal

• The milk should not exceed the temperature of 110F. Hotter than that and you risk killing the yeast.
• If the yeast did not turn foamy after 10 minutes. Discard the mixture and start again.
• The recipe calls for 4 and 1/2 cups of flour. 4 cups are added initially to the dough. The remaining 1/2 cup will be added one tablespoon at a time just until the dough gathers into the center of the bowl. You may not have to use all of the 1/2 cup of flour.

p.s. These will be so good with this Sweet and Spicy Squid or this Filipino Style Pancit Canton.

More Bread Recipes:

• Mamon Recipe
• The Best Ensaymada
• Cassava Cake
• Ube Cheesecake
• Chocolate Mamon
• Yema Rolls
• Coconut Buns with Milky Sweet Filling
• Japanese Milk Buns
• Spanish Bread
• Hawaiian Rolls
• Sweet Cheese Rolls
• Sweet Beehive Buns
• Milk and Sugar Mini Buns
• Pineapple Buns

4.94 from 65 votes

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Pandesal

Pandesal is a Filipino version of dinner rolls that are enjoyed any time of day. It is soft, slightly sweet and perfect for pairing with hot chocolate or coffee.

Course Breakfast, Side Dish, Snack

Cuisine Asian, Filipino

Keyword bakery, yeast

Prep Time 25 minutes

Cook Time 25 minutes

rise times for the dough 2 hours 30 minutes

Total Time 50 minutes

Servings 30 pieces

Calories 114 kcal

Author sanna

Ingredients

• 1 packet active dry yeast 2 and 1/4 teaspoons
• 1 and 1/4 cup milk heated to 110 F
• 4 and 1/2 cups all purpose flour divided
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/3 cup canola oil
• 2 large eggs lightly beaten
• bread crumbs for dusting the pandesal dough

Instructions

1. In the bowl of a stand mixer, stir together the warm milk, yeast and about a tablespoon of the sugar. Let this mixture stand until it is foamy. In another bowl, combine 4 cups of flour and salt.

2. Once the yeast mixture is foamy, add in the eggs, sugar and oil to the bowl of stand mixer. Gradually add the flour mixture, about a cup at a time while stirring with a wooden spatula or spoon. Briefly mix everything together until a shaggy dough forms.

3. Attach the dough hook to the stand mixer and run the mixer on medium speed to start kneading the dough. After ten minutes of mixing, gradually sprinkle little amounts of flour to the dough ( about a tablespoon at a time) to help in the kneading process. Continue to knead until the dough gathers in the center and is cleaning the sides and bottom of the bowl. This should take about 20 minutes or so and you should only have used up to 1/2 cup of flour. Gather the dough into a ball. Place it inside a bowl, cover with a kitchen towel and let stand in room temperature to rise for an hour, or until size is doubled. Meanwhile, line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.

4. Gently deflate the dough. Divide it into 30 equal sized portions. Smooth and shape each portion into an imperfect ball, about 2 and 1/2 to 3 inches in size. Roll each portion of dough in the bread crumbs and place in the baking sheet. Allow little spaces in between portions. Cover the rolls with kitchen towel and let rise for 30 minutes. Preheat oven to 350 F. Bake the pandesal for 20-25 minutes or until the top is lightly golden. Serve warm. Store leftovers in a tightly closed container at room temperature.

Recipe Video

Recipe Notes

Nutrition Facts

Pandesal

Amount Per Serving (1 piece)

Calories 114 Calories from Fat 27

% Daily Value*

Fat 3g5%

Cholesterol 11mg4%

Sodium 86mg4%

Potassium 39mg1%

Carbohydrates 18g6%

Sugar 3g3%

Protein 2g4%

Vitamin A 30IU1%

Calcium 16mg2%

Iron 0.9mg5%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.