Filipino Soft Pandesal Recipe

Love at First Bite

Some people wake up to the crowing of a rooster. If you’re bougie, maybe it’s an alarm clock. I, on the other hand, wake up to two things in the morning: kuya manong outside the house shouting “tahooo!” or “pandesaaal!” – both of which are music to my ears. Here, I’ll show you how to make the latter. Filipinos love their carbs and Pandesal has always been a breakfast staple, whether or not you’re also having rice. My grandma used to joke that rice is for breakfast and Pandesal is for dessert. That’s how much we love this bread.

This is essentially the first bread you’ll learn to love from the panaderya. It’s soft and light, yet slightly dense because it’s meant to keep you full throughout the morning. The dough itself is a bit sticky, so it’s coated with breadcrumbs during the second proofing. My favourite thing about this bread is the lightly toasted exterior. It adds a bit of texture with every bite.

Today, there are so many variations of Pandesal. We have ube and cheese, malunggay, and more. But the classic will always taste like home to me. When I moved out of the Philippines, I knew this was the bread I had to learn to make, so that even when I feel homesick, I’ll always have something to remind me of home.

I hope this recipe gives you the same experience. 

Breaking down the recipe:

What is Pandesal?

Pandesal is a classic Filipino bread roll. The name pan de sal is actually Spanish for “salt bread,” but contrary to the translation, it’s slightly sweet. Many of the breads and pastries in the Philippines were influenced by Spanish colonization, but they’ve since evolved to incorporate locally available ingredients. A distinct feature of Pandesal is the coating of breadcrumbs, which fall like sand with every bite. While it’s commonly eaten for breakfast, many Filipinos also enjoy it as a merienda. It’s best paired with hot coffee or hot chocolate for the kids (and me).

Instant Yeast VS Active Dry Yeast

Yeast is commonly used as a leavening agent in bread. These little buggers are the reason your dough rises after a bit of rest (they’re kind of like us). Both instant yeast and active dry yeast work for most recipes, but there are a few things to keep in mind. Instant yeast can be mixed directly with your dry ingredients and activates more quickly, while active dry yeast needs to be bloomed first before use. To do this, mix it with lukewarm milk and a bit of sugar, then let it sit for about 10 minutes until it becomes foamy – at that point, your yeast is activated.

In this recipe, we’ll be using instant yeast so there’s one less thing to think about, allowing us to focus on kneading the dough – the second most important part of making bread.

Dough Check: Windowpane Test

It’s important to develop gluten when kneading your dough because it helps make your bread airy instead of too dense. It also allows the dough to expand properly during baking instead of going flat. My favourite way to check if the gluten is fully developed is through the windowpane test. This is when you take a piece of dough and gently stretch it with your fingers until it becomes thin like a sheet. If it stretches without tearing and light can pass through it, it means your dough is golden and you stop kneading. But if it’s still breaks when you stretch it, then your dough needs more love and kneading.

Instructions:

*Detailed instructions and tips available in the recipe card below.

Mix all your ingredients in a bowl, EXCEPT for the butter:

Once a rough dough has formed, you can add the butter and knead it into the dough.

Let your dough rest in a greased bowl for 1 hour, or until it has doubled in size.

Divide your dough and shape it into small balls. Coat them with breadcrumbs, then let them rest for another hour.

Bake at 370°F (190°C) for 12–15 minutes, then enjoy!

Ingredients:

Instant Yeast

Used as a leavening agent for bread, instant yeast doesn’t need to be activated like active dry yeast. If you enjoy baking, I recommend investing in the kind that comes in a jar. it’s easier to store and more cost-effective in the long run!

Fine Breadcrumbs

Breadcrumbs are made by drying and toasting old bread, then grinding it into a fine, almost powder-like crumb. I both love and hate this because it makes every bite a little messy, but it gives pandesal that signature crumb that makes the experience complete.

All-Purpose Flour (APF)

My favourite flour for baking is all-purpose flour. It’s incredibly versatile and can be used for a wide range of recipes, as long as you know how to handle it. For example, avoid overmixing when making cakes to prevent too much gluten development, or knead dough thoroughly when making bread to build enough gluten. If you don’t want to invest in too many ingredients but still want to explore different types of baking, I’d recommend keeping all-purpose flour in your pantry. From there, you can experiment with other flours to see what you like best. 🙂

Fun fact: Pandesal is still delicious even when it’s hard, sometimes even better. We dip it into a hot beverage, and it soaks up the liquid with every bite. We even have a saying: “Walang matigas na tinapay sa mainit na kape,” which means, “There’s no such thing as hard bread when you have hot coffee.”