Pandesal - made January 4, 2015 from Kawaling Pinoy
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| A bag of fresh, hot pandesal in Pateros |
One of my favorite things to eat in the Philippines and an essential part of our morning ritual for each of the 10 days of our stay was the bag (or sometimes 2 bags) of hot, fresh pandesal that my uncle brought us every morning. He sent someone out to get it when he saw we were waking up and meandering downstairs for breakfast. I rarely wake up hungry and it usually takes an hour or two of being awake, plus my morning workout, before I get hungry enough to eat anything. Not so while I was on vacation and there was pandesal to be had. On the surface, pandesal are Filipino bread rolls. In reality, it's delicious goodness that I can't find anywhere outside of the Philippines. You can buy it at Asian grocery stores and Filipino bakeries but it's just not the same. Every morning, that flimsy brown paper bag filled with at least a dozen or more small pandesal rolls, still hot from the oven, is like no other. You don't even need to eat it with butter; it's just as delicious plain. The outside is a little bit crusty but not overly so and the inside is soft, chewy, bread-y goodness.
It was also cheap, by both American and Filipino standards. I'm not sure exactly how much it was since no one ever let us pay for any of it (cultural generosity at work once again) but I don't think it was more than 20-30 pesos - or 50 to 60 cents - for a full bag of warm pandesal. Depending on the size, one bag can hold a dozen, sometimes more. They don't have a long shelf life but that was never an issue since they didn't last much longer than a few minutes once we'd gathered around the table. Not all pandesal is created equal either. I've tried other pandesal in the Philippines but the ones in my hometown of Pateros were the best.
Once I got back home, the first thing I missed, of course, was the warm pandesal for breakfast. No joke, I downed at least 3 or 4 of those little bread rolls every.single.day. Back at home, I was pandesal-less.
Nothing to do but try and make my own. I didn't expect to be able to duplicate the ones in Pateros but surprisingly, I actually came close on the flavor if not the texture. This recipe is really simple to make. My mistake was I made the rolls a bit too big. They came out like American-sized dinner rolls, even though I didn't let them rise that long for the second rising because they were getting so big.
Still, the flavor was similar to the ones I had in Pateros. The biggest difference was the texture. Alas, I couldn't duplicate the crunchy outside and soft, mealy inside that's the hallmark of a good pandesal. I think it would've helped if I'd baked them on a bread baking stone but that was one of the things I got rid of when I purged my baking cupboards of "stuff".
Still, for a first attempt, this wasn't too bad. Make sure to roll the tops of the unbaked rolls in bread crumbs before putting them for the second rise. That will add to the authenticity of your pandesal. Serve hot, with or without butter, your choice.
1 (1/4 ounce) package active dry yeast
¼ cup warm water
1 cup lukewarm milk
2 ounces butter, room temperature
½ cup sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
2 eggs, beaten
4 1/4 cups flour and ¼ to ½ cup more for kneading
½ cup fine breadcrumbs
- In a large bowl,, combine water and yeast. Allow to sit for 10 minutes until mixture becomes bubbly. Stir well.
- In a small bowl, combine milk, butter, eggs, sugar and salt. Stir together until incorporated..
- Add milk mixture and 2 cups flour to yeast mixture. Using an electrix mixer, beat to combine. Gradually add the remaining 2-1/4 cup flour in ½ cup increments and continue to combine all ingredients.
- On a lightly-floured surface, turn over dough and knead, lightly adding flour as necessary, for about 10 minutes or until smooth, supple and elastic.
- In a lightly-oiled large bowl, place dough. Cover with film and allow to rise for about 1 to 1-1/2 hours or until double in size.
- On a lightly-floured surface, transfer dough and divide into 24 pieces. Shape each piece into a ball and roll on breadcrumbs to coat. Arrange balls about 1-inch apart on a lightly-greased baking sheet. Cover with a cloth and allow to rise for about 1 to 1-1/2 hours or until double in size.
- Bake in a 350 degree F oven for about 15 to 20 minutes or until golden brown. Serve hot.
FAQs
Pandesal, also known as Pan de sal (Spanish: pan de sal, lit. "salt bread") is a staple bread roll in the Philippines commonly eaten for breakfast. It is made of flour, yeast, sugar, oil, and salt.
What does pandesal taste like? ›
Filipino pandesal, which means salt bread in Spanish, is reminiscent of the American-style dinner roll but it leans more sweet than savory, with a pillowy interior and a golden, sandy exterior dusted with breadcrumbs.
How is pandesal different from bread? ›
The log of dough is then sliced into individual pieces known as singkit — which translates to "narrow eyes." This is a reflection of how the dough looks, says Layug — oval with a "noticeable cut ridge." Unlike other bread rolls, there is no shaping of the individual pieces when making pandesal (the rolls are not scored ...
How do Filipinos eat pandesal? ›
A freshly baked pandesal is great on its own, but Filipinos most commonly eat it dipped in coffee or hot chocolate, filled with breakfast staples like Spam and eggs, or topped with rich spreads like peanut butter, coconut jam, or kesong puti (fresh farmer's cheese).
Is pandesal a healthy bread? ›
HEALTH BENEFITS OF PAN DE SAL: Pan de sal has 4 grams of protein, 25 grams of carbohydrates, 1 gram fiber, and 3 grams of fat. Pandesal also has iron, which is necessary for developing hemoglobin, for carrying oxygen in the blood. This is helpful for people with anemia and pregnant women.
Why is pandesal so good? ›
Pandesal is the most popular bread in the Philippines for a good reason! With a golden, crumb-coated exterior, slightly sweet taste, and soft, fluffy texture, this Filipino-style bread roll is delicious on its own or with your choice of filling. Perfect for breakfast or as a snack!
What to eat with pandesal? ›
They're delicious with peanut butter (as I've told you) or smeared with salted butter and honey or jam. Pandesal make a lightly sweet counterpoint to a savory breakfast sandwich, and while I haven't tried this yet, I think pandesal and sausage gravy might be the Deep South-Filipino fusion dish the world needs.
Why is pandesal hard? ›
Why is the crust on my pandesal so hard? Your bread should be fluffy on the inside and slightly crusty on the outside, but the crust should not be rock hard. If your crust is too hard, it could be the result of under kneading your bread. Make sure your dough is completely smooth after kneading.
What is the national bread of the Philippines? ›
The pan de sal
Pan de sal, literally translated as salt bread, is the national bread of the Philippines and while we think we're all initiated with it, there are as many pan de sal varieties as there is adobo.
What is a fun fact about pandesal? ›
Pandesal is the most popular style of bread in the Philippines. The name comes from the Spanish word meaning “salt bread" and it originated during the 16th century era of Spanish colonization in the Philippines. Pandesal is known for its pillowy texture and signature breadcrumbs on top.
These products are only baked with fresh ingredients; therefore, they only have a short room temperature shelf life of around 4-5 days. However, their life can be extended by up to a month if they are tightly-sealed and stored in the freezer.
What is the English name for pandesal? ›
Pandesal is the most popular local bread in the Philippines. It is the Spanish term for “salt bread,” since the name originated during the 16th century Spanish colonial era. Most bakeries all over the country, from small backyard establishments to industrial bakeries, produce and sell this bread.
What is the favorite bread of Filipino? ›
Arguably the most famous and the most popular bread in the Philippines, pandesal is also one of the easiest to make at home. You'll only need simple ingredients like all purpose flour, yeast, milk and bread crumbs that pandesal is known for.
Why is my pandesal so dense? ›
The sunken dough will bake dense. It will no longer have the energy to rise in the oven. Underproof dough hasn't been given enough time to rise and expand. This, too, will cause the bread to bake up dense.
What is the raw material of pandesal? ›
Pandesal is a Spanish word for "salt bread". It is a rounded bread usually eaten by Filipinos during breakfast. It is made of flour, eggs, lard, yeast, sugar, and salt.
What is the reason why pandesal is hard? ›
Pandesal usually ends up hard and dense because it's underproofed. Make sure you give your dough time to rise, I'll be giving time cues in this recipe, but fermentation can vary greatly depending on the activity of your starter and the temperature in your kitchen.
Why is pandesal called bread of salt? ›
Pan de sal means “bread of salt” in Spanish, for the pinch of salt added to the dough. It was introduced to the Philippines in the 16th century as the Spaniards' answer to the French baguette.
Is pandesal high in carbs? ›
Now, let's take a closer look at pandesal. This beloved bread roll is made mainly from wheat flour, yeast, sugar, and salt. In the world of macro-nutrients, it's a heavy hitter in the carbohydrate category. A 100g serving of pandesal contains around 53.57g of net carbs.
