Pandesal
Breakfast Bread Rolls
As the sun rises Filipinos are getting ready for their day ahead. When I was growing up in the Philippines, we lived in Paranaque, Manila until I was 7 years old then we moved to Leyte. I remember my papa going out first thing in the morning to the bakery to buy Pandesal while my mama makes instant coffee for them and a hot coco for me. My papa arrives and place the paper bag full of warm pandesal on the table, the smell is mesmerizing and I couldn’t wait to eat it! When we have extra cash sometimes my mum would buy a couple of eggs to fry or spam to eat with our pandesal. These were very rare but when we had it, it was a treat! My papa was a taxi driver then and my mum cooked food and sold them in front of our rented accommodation like they call it ‘turo-turo’ or point point. Most days we would eat pandesal on it’s own and we would dip them into our hot beverage and we would be satisfied.
Now I make pandesal for my family, we have more than what I had growing up but my girls loves hearing my stories and how we lived before. I’m hoping that they don’t take what they have for granted and grow up better than my husband and I. We eat pandesal at any time of the day sometimes we eat it for breakfast with jam or nutella and sometimes we use pandesal as a bun for our burger! It’s such a great bread to have and you feel extra special because you made it.
After researching for recipes online and recipe books. Trying out different versions. I have come up with my own variations as close to how the bakeries in the Philippines would make it.
This method is the simplest method I could put together, as a mum I don’t have much time on my hands between blogging, cooking, cleaning, school runs and meetings. I hope that you enjoy this recipe. If you do make it, please leave a comment and tag me on your Instagram or Facebook photos or stories.
Ingredients
Instructions
Mix 2 teaspoon of sugar with warm milk, add yeast and mix until it dissolve. Leave it to one side for 10-15 minutes until the yeast is activated and has a foam on top.
In a bowl, mix flour and salt together. Leave it on the side for later.
ELECTRIC MIXER: Place, yeast, eggs, butter, milk and sugar into the mixer’s bowl. Mix them together for 1 minute with the dough hook attachment. Slowly add dry ingredients into wet ingredients in 4-5 additions on low setting. When you finish adding all the dry ingredients turn the setting up, medium-high and knead the dough until you see the dough starts to form a smooth ball. BY HANDS: you can use the same process. Use a whisk to mix the wet ingredients then use a wooden ladle to mix all the ingredients together. To knead by hands, lightly dust a clean surface with flour. Place dough on top and with the heel of your hand push the dough to stretch. Pull the dough towards you using the top of your fingers and fold. Repeat the same process until you form a smooth ball.
Transfer the dough into a lightly oiled bowl, cover it in cling film and kitchen cloth on top. Let the dough rise in room temperature undisturbed for 1 hour. The dough should double in size, punch the dough down and divide it into 18-20 pieces (60g each). You can make smaller portions if you like.
Roll the dough into breadcrumbs and placing them in a try with parchment paper or baking paper, place them top side up. Cover them in cling film, kitchen cloth to prevent drying out and let them rise for the second time in room temperature for 30-40 minutes until they puff up. Preheat oven at 160 fan oven / 350F / 4 gas mark.
Take off kitchen cloth and cling film. Place pandesal rolls into the oven and cook for 20-25 minutes or until the top is golden brown. This dish is best eaten warm or room temperature.
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Hi! Is plain flour bread flour or APF? Thanks! Excited to try this out!
Hi Darlene, thank you for following my food journey. Yes it is plain flour or all purpose flour. Please look at the instruction 2. I amended that part as I made a mistake, it should be salt instead of sugar. I look forward to seeing your pandesal!
Have you tried it with bread flour instead of plain flour?
Hi Dave, I haven’t tried it with flour yet but I do I can leave a note with this recipe.
Hi Mae,
Please visit your method Text in terms of what to do with two whisked eggs
It’s in the photo section
Thanks George
Hi George, thank you for spotting this! Apologies for the late response. The whisked eggs are added on section 3.
I will edit the method accordingly so you can see. Again thank you for letting me know!
Happy baking!
Kind regards,
Mae