• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Food and Journeys®
  • WORLD CUISINES
  • HOW-TOS
  • ABOUT
    • About Me
    • Notes on Copyright
    • Privacy Policy
menu icon
go to homepage
  • Categories
  • Countries
  • Pasta
  • Food Atlas
  • Kitchen Staples
  • Subscribe!
  • About Me
  • Policy
  • Copyright
    • Facebook
    • Pinterest
    • YouTube
  • search icon
    Homepage link
    • Categories
    • Countries
    • Pasta
    • Food Atlas
    • Kitchen Staples
    • Subscribe!
    • About Me
    • Policy
    • Copyright
    • Facebook
    • Pinterest
    • YouTube
  • ×
    Home » Recipes » Bread

    Filipino Bread Rolls (Pandesal)

    Published: Mar 5, 2020 · Modified: Oct 1, 2021 by Neriz · This post contains some affiliate links.

    Jump to Recipe

    Deliciously soft, these Filipino Bread Rolls (Pandesal) will surely become a regular in your home too! They’re so easy to make; the hard part is waiting for the proofing of the dough.  But trust me, it’s all worth it!

    A plate of pandesal, served with coffee on the background, ready for breakfast.

    (*This post contains some affiliate links)

    Aside from sinangag, these Filipino bread rolls are what locals generally have for breakfast.

    But it’s not really just for breakfast.  

    It’s common to hear ‘may pandesal dyan‘ (there are some bread rolls there) any time of the day.  Meaning, as long as they’re around, household members will always reach for a piece (or two) for lunch or merienda.

    I can’t really blame them.  Contrary to its name (pan de sal), these rolls are not salty. In fact, I think they’re quite sweet compared to other rolls that I’ve had here in Stockholm.

    Well, only one way for you to agree with me.  Try them now and let me know what you think in the comments section!

    IF YOU WANT MORE AUTHENTIC FILIPINO RECIPES, THEN YOU WILL LIKE THESE POSTS!

    • An overhead shot of a bowl of tapsilog, with dipping sauce and a cup of coffee on the side.
      Filipino Beef Tapa (Tapsilog)
    • Latest feature image (Apr23) for Filipino picadillo showing the dish on a plate.
      Filipino Picadillo

    Ingredients

    An image showing all the ingredients you need to prepare Filipino Bread Rolls at home.
    • Flour – you can use all-purpose flour; you will still have excellent results.  Adding bread flour will give it a chewier texture.
    • Vegetable oil – any oil that does not have a ‘taste’; that means no olive oil or peanut oil.
    An overhead shot of a tray of Filipino Bread Rolls, straight out of the oven.

    Preparation

    Start preparing your pandesal by mixing half a cup of warm milk with the yeast.  Set aside (photo1).

    Using a large bowl, combine all the flour, salt, and sugar.  Mix evenly (photo 2).

    Once the yeast mixture is ready, combine the remaining milk, eggs, yeast mixture, and vegetable oil in the stand mixer bowl (photo 3).

    Add half of the dry ingredients and mix using the stand mixer’s dough hook (photo 4).

    First part of a collage of images showing the step by step process on how to make pandesal.

    Add the remaining dry ingredients in batches.  Increase the speed of the mixer once a dough starts to form.  Keep mixing until you get a smooth dough; about 25 minutes. 

    Place dough into an oiled bowl, cover with a clean kitchen towel.

    Set dough aside until it has doubled in size (photo 5).

    Second part of a collage of images showing the step by step process on how to make Filipino Bread Rolls.

    Punch the air out of the dough and divide it into equal portions.  I generally make 25 pieces from this recipe (photo 6).

    Form each portion into a ball and roll-on breadcrumbs (photo 7).

    Last part of a collage of images showing the step by step process on how to make the traditional Filipino bread, pandesal.

    Place each roll on a baking tray lined with a baking sheet and keep some distance between each roll.  Cover with a clean kitchen towel and set aside for 30 minutes (photo 8).

    Fifteen minutes before you uncover the tray, preheat your oven to 180 C (350 F).

    The rolls will be quite puffy by this time, ready for baking (photo 9).

     Place the tray in the oven for about 20 minutes, or until the rolls have turned golden.

    A closer shot of newly baked pandesal, highlighting the browned breadcrumbs on top.

    Helpful tips

    • To mix with the yeast, make sure you only heat the milk to lukewarm. Don’t make it too hot, or worse, boiling temperature.
    • Beat the eggs before adding them to the rest of the liquid ingredients.
    • Use vegetable oil or any other neutral-tasting oil, NOT olive oil.
    • Mix the salt with the flour instead of adding it directly to the liquid ingredients (and the yeast mixture).
    • If the dough is too wet, do not hesitate to add more flour. Pandesal should have a pliable, slightly sticky dough, not a wet one.
    • If you want to keep all the rolls in equal size, use a weighing scale to measure each dough portion before forming it into a ball.
    A closer shot of a plate of pandesal, highlighting the soft texture inside the bread roll.

    FAQs

    CAN I LEAVE THE DOUGH OVERNIGHT?

    Absolutely.

    As soon as you have the dough in the oiled bowl, cover it with plastic and place it in the refrigerator.  The dough will still rise but at a slower rate.

    WHY IS MY PANDESAL SO HARD?

    This generally happens when the dough is dry.

    To avoid this scenario, you can either add the flour slowly (as I indicated in this recipe) or if you’ve already added all of them, add a bit more water to get the pliable dough that you need.

    HOW LONG WILL THEY LAST?

    When placed in an airtight container — maximum two days. You just need to reheat, and you’re good to go.

    If you still have a ton left after two days, not a problem; turn them into homemade breadcrumbs.

    CAN I FREEZE PANDESAL?

    Yep.

    Let them cool first, then arrange them in a freezer bag — I strongly suggest setting them straight in the bag instead of randomly placing them inside.

    Once you’re ready to serve them, place the bag in the refrigerator overnight to defrost, then reheat as normal in the morning.

    IF YOU WANT MORE ASIAN FOOD, THEN CHECK OUT THESE POSTS!

    • Feature image for bibingka, with slices ready for serving.
      Bibingka (Filipino Coconut Rice Cake)
    • Latest feature image for Salt and Pepper pork belly, showing the slices garnished with more chili.
      Salt and Pepper Pork Belly
    A bowl of freshly baked Pandesal, served with an espresso and a regular latter, ready to be enjoyed.

    Filipino Bread Rolls (Pandesal)

    An all-around bread that's good at any time of the day, Filipino Bread Rolls (Pandesal) are so easy to make at home. So soft, and delicious, you will make it a regular in your home too!
    No ratings yet
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Bread
    Cuisine: Filipino
    Prep Time: 40 minutes minutes
    Cook Time: 20 minutes minutes
    2 hours hours
    Total Time: 3 hours hours
    Servings: 24
    Calories: 127kcal
    Author: Neriz

    Equipment

    • Stand Mixer
    • Mixing Bowls
    • Dough Cutter
    • Rectangular Baking Tray
    • Baking Paper

    Ingredients

    • 1 & 1/2 cups milk (divided into 1/2 & 1 cup)
    • 2 & 1/4 tsp active dry yeast
    • 2 tbsp vegetable oil
    • 2 tsp salt
    • 1/2 cup sugar
    • 2 cups all-purpose flour (plus 1/2 cup more for adding)
    • 2 cups bread flour
    • 2 large eggs
    • 1/3 cup breadcrumbs

    Instructions

    Preparing dough:

    • Warm-up ½ cup of milk and mix with the yeast.  Set aside until foamy.
    • In a large bowl, combine all the dry ingredients – all-purpose flour, bread flour, salt, and sugar.  Mix evenly.
    • Once the yeast mixture is ready, combine all the wet ingredients in the stand mixer bowl – 1 cup milk, eggs, yeast mixture, and vegetable oil.
    • Add half of the dry ingredients and mix (using the dough hook) of the stand mixer.  Set your stand mixer to low at this time, so you don't sprinkle the flour.
    • Add the rest of the dry ingredients in batches and continue mixing until a dough starts to form.  
    • Adjust the speed of the mixer into medium and continue kneading until the dough becomes smooth. It usually takes 20-25 minutes.  You can also do the kneading manually if you don't have a stand mixer.

    Proofing dough:

    • Place the smooth dough in an oiled bowl and cover with a clean kitchen towel.  Set aside until the size of the dough has doubled. It generally takes me no more than 2 hours.
    • Punch the dough in the middle and remove it from the bowl.  Divide it into 24 equal portions.
    • Form each portion into a ball and roll it in breadcrumbs.
    • Place each ball in a baking tray lined with a baking sheet.  Keep some distance between rolls to allow when they expand.  Cover with a clean kitchen towel and set aside for about 30 minutes.

    Baking pandesal:

    • Halfway during this proofing time, preheat your oven to 180°C (350°F).
    • The rolls are slightly puffy by this time.  Uncover the baking tray and place it in the oven for about 20 minutes or until the rolls turned golden.
    • Take out of the oven and serve.

    Notes

    • You can skip the bread flour and just use all-purpose flour instead.  The result would still be great.  The bread flour gives the rolls a chewier texture.
    • Make sure you are mixing lukewarm milk with the yeast, not hot or boiling — or you’ll end up killing the yeast.
    • Beat the eggs before mixing them with the rest of the liquid ingredients.
    • Do not use olive oil. Stick to vegetable oil or any other oil that has a neutral taste.
    • Do not add the salt directly to the wet ingredients; mix it with the flour instead.
    • Do not hesitate to add more flour (slowly) if the dough is too wet. The dough for Filipino bread rolls should be just slightly sticky, not wet.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 127kcal | Carbohydrates: 22g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 2g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 17mg | Sodium: 218mg | Potassium: 61mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 47IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 26mg | Iron: 1mg
    Tried this Recipe? Pin it for Later!Mention @foodandjourneys or tag #foodandjourneys!

    More Bread from Around the World

    • A close image of semolina focaccia, highlighting the deep, golden color and the roasted tomatoes.
      Focaccia Barese (Semolina Focaccia)
    • Danish breakfast buns in a bread basket, served with coffee.
      Danish Breakfast Buns (Rundstykker)
    • Four pan amasado stocked on top of each other
      Pan Amasado (Chilean Country Bread)
    • Feature image for khobz, showing two loaves of the Moroccan bread on top of each other.
      Khobz (Moroccan Bread)

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. kaitlyn

      October 25, 2020 at 5:44 pm

      Hello – How much sugar needs to be added? I don’t see the amount listed in the recipe but it’s referred to a few times.

      Thanks,
      Kaitlyn

      Reply
      • Neriz

        October 27, 2020 at 6:32 pm

        Apologies Kaitlyn, half a cup of sugar. I have now updated the recipe card.

        Thanks so much for bringing it to my attention! 🙂

        Reply
    2. SC

      May 24, 2021 at 8:18 pm

      Hi, I tried using this recipe but the dough was too wet. I had to add an additional 1 cup flour instead the half cup as suggested. And this has diminished the flavor a bit. Is it possible to use just 1 egg instead? Will that help?

      Thanks!
      SC

      Reply
      • Neriz

        June 01, 2021 at 8:00 am

        Sorry to hear that. Can you let me know if you use a combo of bread flour and all-purpose flour, or just all-purpose flour?

        Reply

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

    Primary Sidebar

    Image for About Me

    Hej there!

    A smorgasbord of traditional and delicious international recipes awaits you, so feel free to look around and pick your favorites. No need to leave your kitchen to experience the real deal!

    More about me →

    Image for listing as-featured-on

    Autumn Favorites

    • Feature image for Roasted Fennel showing the dish straight out of the oven.
      Roasted Fennel (Creamy & Cheesy!)
    • Feature image for Swedish Apple Pie with no crust, showing the golden crumble on topl.
      Swedish Apple Pie (Crustless!)
    • Newly cooked German Apple Fritters, served with vanilla sauce.
      German Apple Fritters (Apfelküchle)
    • Feature image for German Goulash soup, showing the bits of beef and potatoes in a serving.
      German Goulash Soup (Gulaschsuppe)
    • Feature image for Turkish Celeriac Soup showing a bowl of it, ready for serving.
      Turkish Celeriac Soup
    • Latest feature image for Italian orange and carrot cake, Jan23.
      Italian Orange and Carrot Cake
    • Feature image for German Sauerkraut Soup, showing the dish garnished with more bacon bits.
      German Sauerkraut Soup
    • Feature image for German Leek Soup, highlighting the creaminess of the soup-
      German Leek Soup
    • Latest feature image for German Scalloped Potatoes showing the golden color of the top of the baked potato dish.
      German Scalloped Potatoes (Kartoffelgratin)
    • A skillet of Ground Beef and Cabbage Casserole, straight out of the oven, ready for serving.
      Finnish Ground Beef and Cabbage Casserole

    Popular Posts

    • Two servings of German Potato Soup (Kartoffelsuppe). Both creamy potato soup servings are garnished with spring onions.
      German Potato Soup (Kartoffelsuppe)
    • A closer shot of kanelbullar on a cooling rack, highlighting the filling of the buns.
      Swedish Cinnamon Buns (Kanelbullar)
    • An overhead shot of a skillet of Spanish Garlic Chicken, straight out of the oven.
      Spanish Garlic Chicken (Pollo Al Ajillo)
    • Arroz de Tomate in a pan, ready for transferring to serving plates, with fresh cherry tomatoes next to it.
      Portuguese Tomato Rice (Arroz de Tomate)
    • Latest feature image for drommekage, highlighting the texture of the cake.
      Danish Dream Cake (Drømmekage)
    • Three freshly-baked pasticciotti sprinkled with powdered sugar and served wiith espresso.
      Pasticciotto (Italian Cream Filled Pastry)
    • An image showing two bowls of Finnish Salmon Soup served with some bread.
      Finnish Salmon Soup (Lohikeitto)
    • An overhead shot of a bunch of freshly baked taralli, served with a shot of espresso, with scaterred fennel seeds on the background.
      Taralli (Italian Crackers)
    • Swedish Almond Tart
      Swedish Almond Tart
    • Latest feature image (Apr23) for Filipino picadillo showing the dish on a plate.
      Filipino Picadillo
    • Latest feature image for Salt and Pepper pork belly, showing the slices garnished with more chili.
      Salt and Pepper Pork Belly
    • A slice of Swedish cardamom cake, highlighting the soft texture of the cake.
      Swedish Cardamom Cake

    Favorite Snacks

    • Fried panzerotti served with a glass of wine, for snack.
      Panzerotti (Panzarotti)
    • Flammkuchen (German Pizza)
    • Freshly cooked panelle from Palermo, served with a dustingg of ground black pepper.
      Panelle (Sicilian Chickpea Fritters)
    • Chocolate balls served with coffee, for afternoon snack.
      Swedish Chocolate Balls (Chokladbollar)

    Sweet Treats

    • Traditional Swedish Cakes that you can easily make at home.
      Traditional Swedish Cakes: Make Them at Home!
    • Latest (Oct22) feature image for fika post, showing some Swedish treats, and coffee and tea in the background.
      What is Fika? (Fika Meaning + Recipes)
    • Latest (Oct22) feature image for Easy Italian Desserts and Pastries post.
      Easy Italian Desserts & Pastries Recipes
    • Latest (Oct22) Feature image for Traditional German Desserts and Pastries.
      Traditional German Desserts and Pastries

    Favorite Cuisines

    • Latest feature image for authentic Swedish recipes, showing västerbottenostpaj, a midsummer favorite.
      Authentic Swedish Recipes
    • Feature image for Filipino Recipes post, a serving of pancit bihon with a slice of lemon.
      Classic Filipino Recipes
    • Feature image for German Recipes post.
      Authentic German Recipes
    • Feature image for Traditional Spanish Recipes, a pan of espinacas con garbanzos.
      Traditional Spanish Recipes
    • Feature image for Italian recipes by region post.
      Italian Recipes by Region
    • Feature image for Finnish Recipes post.
      Easy Finnish Recipes
    • Feature image for Greek Recipes post.
      Traditional Greek Recipes
    • Feature image for Lebanese Recipes post.
      Lebanese Recipes

    Footer

    Policy

    • Privacy Policy

    Contact

    • About Me

    Copyright

    • Notes on Copyright

    A PARTICIPANT IN THE AMAZON ASSOCIATES PROGRAM, AN AFFILIATE ADVERTISING PROGRAM DESIGNED TO PROVIDE A MEANS FOR SITES TO EARN ADVERTISING FEES BY ADVERTISING AND LINKING TO AMAZON.COM.

    Copyright © 2023. FOOD AND JOURNEYS®