Spanish Bread Recipe (Soft Filipino Bakery Sweet Rolls)
Soft and fluffy Filipino Spanish Bread filled with a sweet, buttery filling, coated in breadcrumbs for the ultimate nostalgic panaderya treat.
Ingredients
- 3 ⅓ cups all-purpose flour (460g)
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar (75g)
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 cup whole milk lukewarm, around 50 secs in the microwave
- 1 pc egg room temp
- 2 tsp instant yeast (6g)
- 2 tbsp unsalted butter softened
Filling
- 1/2 cup breadcrumbs
- 2/3 cup brown sugar
- 1/2 cup softened butter
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 2 tbsp milk
Coating
- 1/2 cup breadcrumbs
Instructions
Dough
- In a bowl, combine the all-purpose flour, granulated sugar, salt, and instant yeast.
- Make a well in the centre of the dry ingredients and add the room-temperature egg and lukewarm milk.
- Mix everything together until a rough dough forms.
- Slice the softened unsalted butter into pieces and gently knead it into the dough.
- Knead the dough until the butter is fully incorporated and the dough feels bouncy. Using a mixer, this can take about 10 minutes at speed 3, while kneading by hand may take longer. I usually knead it for 20 minutes or more - an arm workout indeed, but trust me, it’s worth it!
- Put the dough in a greased bowl, cover it, and let it rest for 1 hour at room temperature. If you live in a cooler area, you can place the dough inside your oven (turned off!) with the oven light on to help it proof.
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 get the temperature I want. This may vary depending on your microwave, so you can test the temperature by dipping your pinky into the milk. If it feels warm and you can comfortably handle the heat, 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 much easier. This dough is VERY sticky, so make sure to oil your work surface and your hands to make it easier to handle.
Your dough will still be very sticky while you’re doing this, but be patient. As the gluten develops, it will become more manageable. You don’t need to add more oil because the butter is already enough, just keep kneading!
You’ll know your dough is ready to rest when it passes the windowpane test (*refer to the photo above). It should be smooth and bounce back immediately when poked.
Making the Filling
- In a bowl, combine the softened butter, sugar, breadcrumbs, milk, and salt. Mix everything until it forms a paste.
I like using softened butter instead of melted butter because it gives the filling more structure rather than making it runny. This makes it easier to spread onto the dough.
Back to your Dough
- Punch the air out of the dough and gently knead it for 30 seconds. Divide the dough into small portions - 70 grams each for medium-sized rolls or 50 grams each for smaller ones - and gently shape each portion into a ball.
- Flatten the dough into a triangle about 1/2 cm thick and add about 1 tbsp of filling to the centre.
- Carefully spread the filling outward, making sure not to spread it all the way to the edges.
- Gently roll the dough, starting from the widest side of the triangle. As you roll, make sure to pinch the sides to prevent the filling from spilling out.
- Once it’s fully rolled, gently press all the edges of the dough to make sure the filling is completely sealed inside.
- Toss the dough in the fine breadcrumbs and make sure to completely coat the outside, similar to how you would with pandesal.
- Place the shaped dough onto a baking tray lined with parchment paper, leaving at least 1 inch of space between each piece. Cover and let them rest for another hour. We’re almost there, I promise!
- Start preheating your oven to 350°F. At this point, please don’t put your resting dough inside the oven!
- After the dough has finished resting, you’ll notice that it has grown slightly in size. Now, it’s time to bake!
- Bake the Spanish Bread on the middle rack for 14 to 16 minutes, or until the tops are lightly golden brown, and we’re done!
- Enjoy it for merienda, or honestly, any time of the day!
If you spread the filling all the way to the edges, you may have a hard time rolling the dough because it will no longer stick to itself. This can make it harder for the dough to hold its shape.
I like to press the sides inward as I roll to help contain the filling.