Chef-tested recipe
Lightly sweet breadcrumb-coated breakfast rolls with a soft, airy crumb
Pandesal is the everyday bread roll of the Philippines: lightly sweet, tender inside and coated in fine breadcrumbs before baking. Despite its name meaning salt bread, modern pandesal is gently sweet rather than salty. Careful kneading, two complete proofs and restrained baking create the soft pull-apart crumb expected from a good neighbourhood bakery.
Recipe at a glance
- Servings
- 18 servings
- Prep Time
- 35 mins
- Cook Time
- 20 mins
- Resting Time
- 10 mins after baking before serving.
- Proofing Time
- 2 hours 15 mins total.
- Total Time
- 3 hours 20 mins
- Cuisine
- Filipino
- Course
- Bread, breakfast or snack
- Cooking Method
- Mixing, kneading, proofing and baking
- Difficulty
- Intermediate
- Best Served With
- Butter, coconut jam, peanut butter, cheese, hot chocolate, coffee, champorado, or eggs and longganisa.
Before you begin
Ingredients & equipment
Gather what you need first, then cook through the method with confidence.
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Equipment
- Stand mixer with dough hook or large mixing bowl paid link
- Two baking trays paid link
- Baking parchment paid link
- Wire rack paid link
- Dough scraper paid link
- Shallow dish paid link
- Digital kitchen scale paid link
- Instant-read thermometer paid link
Ingredients
For the dough
- Bread flour: 450 g Shop paid link
- Plain flour: 150 g paid link
- Instant yeast: 9 g paid link
- White sugar: 90 g paid link
- Fine sea salt: 10 g paid link
- Whole milk: 300 ml, lukewarm
- Water: 80 ml, lukewarm
- Egg: 1, about 50 g without shell
- Unsalted butter: 70 g, softened
For shaping
- Fine dry breadcrumbs: 120 g paid link
- Neutral cooking oil: 10 ml, for the bowl paid link
Preparation Overview
Bring the milk, egg and butter to room temperature. Combine both flours, yeast, sugar and salt in a large bowl, keeping the salt from sitting directly on concentrated yeast. Line two trays with baking parchment and place the breadcrumbs in a shallow dish.
Method
Add lukewarm milk, water and egg to the flour mixture. Mix until no dry flour remains, then rest for 10 minutes.
Knead by mixer for 7–9 minutes or by hand for 12–15 minutes until the dough becomes smooth and elastic.
Add softened butter in three portions, kneading until each addition disappears. Continue until a thin piece of dough stretches translucent without tearing.
Shape into a ball, place in the lightly oiled bowl, cover, and proof for 1 hour 15 minutes or until doubled.
Gently press out large gas pockets. Divide into 18 equal pieces of about 65 g each.
Shape each piece into a tight oval or short cylinder. Roll all sides in fine breadcrumbs.
Arrange seam-side down on the lined trays with about 4 cm between rolls. Cover and proof for 1 hour, until puffy and almost doubled.
Heat the oven to 180°C conventional or 170°C fan during the final 20 minutes of proofing.
Bake for 17–20 minutes, rotating the trays once, until the tops are light golden and the centres reach about 93°C.
Cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes before serving warm.
Beginner Technique Notes
Lukewarm liquid should feel neutral rather than hot; liquid above about 50°C can damage yeast.
The dough is ready when it passes the windowpane test. Add only a small amount of flour if it remains unmanageably sticky after kneading.
Proof by volume and touch, not only by the clock. A gently pressed indentation should rise back slowly.
Tips and Variations
Fine breadcrumbs give the familiar even coating. Pulse very dry plain bread and sieve it for a homemade version.
For softer crusts, loosely cover the warm rolls with a clean towel for 15 minutes.
Cool-weather dough may need longer proofing; place it in a switched-off oven with the light on.
Serving Ideas
- Serve slightly warm so the crumb is at its softest. Split by hand rather than slicing when you want the characteristic fluffy, pull-apart interior.
Storage
Keep airtight at room temperature for up to 2 days. Freeze cooled rolls for up to 2 months. Reheat from thawed at 160°C for 5–7 minutes, or microwave one roll for 10–15 seconds.
Nutritional Value
Allergen Notes
Contains wheat, milk and egg. Commercial breadcrumbs may contain soy, sesame or additional milk; check the label or make breadcrumbs from a known bread.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is pandesal coated in breadcrumbs?
The crumbs prevent sticking, create its distinctive dry surface and identify the classic Filipino roll.
Can all-purpose flour be used for the entire recipe?
Yes, but the rolls may be slightly less chewy and lofty. Handle the softer dough gently.
Why did my pandesal turn dense?
Common causes are inactive yeast, insufficient kneading, under-proofing or adding too much flour.
Can the shaped rolls proof overnight?
Yes. Refrigerate immediately after shaping, then allow 45–75 minutes at room temperature before baking, depending on how much they rose while chilled.
