Filipino Soft Pandesal Recipe (Homemade Bread Rolls)
A light, fluffy, and slightly sweet classic Filipino breakfast roll perfect for breakfast, merienda, or dipping in coffee and hot chocolate. This recipe is very beginner friendly!
Ingredients
- 3 ⅓ cups All purpose flour (460g)
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar (75g)
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 cup whole milk lukewarm for 50 secs
- 1 pc egg room temperature
- 2 tsp instant yeast (6g)
- 2 tbsp unsalted butter softened
Coating
- 1/2 cup breadcrumbs
Instructions
- In a bowl, combine the all-purpose flour, granulated sugar, salt, and instant yeast.
- Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients, then add the room-temperature egg and lukewarm milk.
- Mix everything until a rough dough forms.
- Slice your softened unsalted butter into pieces, then gently knead it into the dough.
- Knead the dough until the butter is fully incorporated and it feels bouncy. Using a mixer, this can take up to 10 minutes at speed 3, while by hand it may take longer. I usually knead it for 20 minutes or more - an arm workout indeed, but trust me, it’s worth it.
- Place your dough in a greased bowl, cover it, and let it rest for 1 hour at room temperature. If you’re in a cooler environment, you can place the dough inside your oven (turned off) with the light on to help it proof.
- Punch the air out of your dough and gently knead for about 30 seconds. Divide the dough into small portions (about 70 grams each), then shape each piece into a ball.
- Toss your dough in fine breadcrumbs and make sure to fully coat the outside for that signature pandesal crumb.
- Place your divided dough into a baking pan lined with parchment paper, leaving at least 1 inch of space between each piece. Cover it again and let it rest for another hour. We’re almost there, I promise!
- Start preheating your oven to 370°F. At this time, please don’t place your resting dough inside the oven!
- After your dough is done resting, you’ll notice it has slightly increased in size, and now it’s time to bake!
- Bake your pandesal for 12-15 minutes on the middle rack, or until the tops are lightly golden brown, and we’re done!
- Enjoy it with a hot coffee as you reminisce about your childhood!
I like using instant yeast because it activates faster, and you don’t need to bloom it separately.
I usually microwave my milk for about 50 seconds to reach the temperature I want, though this may vary depending on your microwave. To test it, dip your pinky into the milk, if it feels warm but comfortable on your skin, then it’s ready.
If you don’t have a mixer, I suggest using a cooking chopstick. It makes mixing the wet and dry ingredients easier.
Your dough will be very sticky at this stage, but be patient because as the gluten develops, it will become more manageable.
You’ll know your dough is ready to rest by doing the windowpane test (refer to the photo above).