Pandesal

Pandesal, especially when freshly baked is the best way to start your day! This Filipino bread roll that is soft and fluffy has a mildly sweet and salty taste that goes well with you favorite spread!

Pandesal in the Philippines is a staple for breakfast. You’d commonly see it prepared at Filipino homes together with eggs, hotdogs, and coffee. I love waking up to the smell of this Filipino bread every morning and spread a generous heap of cheese pimiento on it.

This recipe that I have been keeping for the longest time has helped me overcome home-sickness when we moved abroad. I shared it with family and friends and they have nothing but good things to say. It makes the best, soft and buttery pandesal that we are used to back home.

What is Pan de sal?

Pan de sal is Spanish for “salt bread”. But it is actually mild in taste with a little touch of sweetness. It is a common bread roll in the Philippines that you will see on display at local bakeries like pan de coco and Spanish bread.

It is usually served at breakfast but can also be eaten any time of day. So if you’re living abroad and craving for it or just want to try making pan de sal on your own, this recipe is for you!

These rolls goes well with…

These rolls are good on their own with your favorite morning drink like coffee, tea or hot chocolate. To enjoy it to the fullest, here are some more suggestions!

• Peanut butter – spread a teaspoon of your favorite peanut butter and you’re set!
• Coconut jam – This sweet coconutty spread is one of our favorite.
• Cheese pimiento – Try our homemade cheese pimiento recipe with pandesal and let us know what you think.

What does it taste like?

It’s a slightly sweet, soft and fluffy bread roll with crumbs on top that tastes amazing with cheese like cheddar. It’s best served warm fresh from the oven.

Key ingredients

The key ingredients for this versatile roll are flour,  yeast, and oil. I’ll share with you some alternatives for these ingredients so you have options.

Flour – You can either use all-purpose flour or bread flour for this recipe. Using bread flour though is better because it is rich in protein to produce more gluten.

Yeast – Using instant yeast or dry-active yeast will give you the same result but dry-active yeast requires an extra step to activate by adding warm water or milk.

Oil – I used vegetable oil for this recipe but you can also use canola oil, lard, or butter for softer texture and that buttery taste.

Milk – You can use whole milk, evaporated milk, or water to make these fluffy classic Filipino bread rolls.

Tips for making Pandesal

Make sure to check for the expiry of the yeast and all ingredients should be in room temperature.

When using dry active yeast make sure that there are bubbles after adding water, if not discard and make new one.

Smooth and elastic are the best signs to tell you that the dough was kneaded properly. Also, it should not break when you stretch the dough.

Invest in a kitchen scale, accurate measurements gives better results.

You can also do manual kneading of the dough if you don’t have a stand mixer. Sure it’ll take some time and muscle to do but just think of it as an exercise.

Ideal rise temperature to proof dough are between 26°C to 32°C / 80°F – 90°F. So, you might want to consider this if you’re planning on making bread

The secret ingredient is always LOVE

You might also like:

Ube pandesal – Just when you thought Pandesal couldn’t get any better! Soft bread in bright purple color with cheese and sprinkled with graham crumbs.

Pandesal with Multi-Grain Cereals – Soft bread topped with healthy multi-grain cereals to jump-start your day!