Pandesal are Filipino bread rolls that are soft and a little sweet, with a lightly crispy outside. This easy guide will show you how to make homemade pandesal, so you’ll get perfect rolls every time.
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What is Pandesal?
Pandesal is a traditional Filipino bread roll that's a little sweet and coated in breadcrumbs. It's soft and fluffy on the inside with a crispy outer crust.
This bread is a favorite for breakfast in the Philippines, and you can often find it in local bakeries. You can enjoy it on its own or dipped in coffee or a warm cup of tablea hot chocolate.
The name "pan de sal" comes from the Spanish word for "salt bread," a reminder of the Philippines' history. But even though the name means "salt," pandesal is usually sweeter than salty.
Ingredients you'll need
Notes and substitutions
- Bread flour: This high-protein flour helps bread rise properly and get that chewy, stretchy texture. You can use all-purpose flour if that’s what you have—it’ll still make good bread, just a bit less chewy and stretchy.
- Active dry yeast: Yeast helps the bread rise. This type needs to be dissolved in warm water with a little sugar to wake it up. You can also use instant yeast and mix it straight into the dough. Just check the expiration date to make sure it's still good.
- Condensed milk: This ingredient does more than just sweeten your bread; it also makes it softer and helps you get that nice golden crust. If you don’t have it, don’t worry! Just replace the 1 cup of water in the recipe with 1 cup of regular milk (like whole or evaporated milk) and add 6 extra tablespoons of sugar.
- Breadcrumbs: I used fine, plain packaged breadcrumbs.
How to make this recipe
Note: For the best results, measure your ingredients carefully. A kitchen scale is the best, but if you don’t have one, spoon the flour into the cup and level it with a knife. Don’t scoop directly from the bag, or you might use too much.
Step 1: Activate the yeast (only if using active dry yeast)
In a medium bowl, combine 2¼ teaspoons active dry yeast, 2 tablespoons sugar, and 1 cup warm water. The water should feel warm—just a bit warmer than your body temperature, but not hot.
Stir gently and let it sit for 5-10 minutes until it’s foamy. Once you see foam, it means your yeast is awake and ready! (Skip this step if you're using instant yeast.)
PRO TIP: Why use warm water? Yeast needs warmth to become active. Cold water won’t wake it up, and hot water can kill it. The best temperature is usually between 105°F and 115°F (40°C to 46°C).
Step 2: Dry ingredients
In a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, whisk together 3½ cups bread flour and 1 teaspoon kosher salt (or about ½ teaspoon table salt).
If you're using instant yeast, add it to the dry ingredients now.
Step 3: Wet ingredients
Add 1 egg, ½ cup condensed milk, and 2 tablespoons neutral oil into the yeast mixture (from Step 1). Mix everything until it’s smooth.
If you're using instant yeast and skipped Step 1, don’t forget to add 1 cup of water and 2 tablespoons of sugar to the wet ingredients here.
Step 4: Combine wet and dry ingredients
Pour the wet ingredients into the flour mixture. Mix everything together until it forms a dough. The dough will be sticky at this point.
Step 5: Knead the dough
If you're using a stand mixer with the dough hook, mix the dough on medium speed for 12-15 minutes. At first, the dough will stick to the sides of the bowl, but keep mixing.
As the dough mixes, it will slowly start to pull away from the sides and turn into a smooth, stretchy ball. When it forms a ball by itself, it’s ready! It should feel a little sticky, but not too much.
If you're kneading by hand, place the dough on a clean surface and sprinkle a little flour so it doesn't stick. Use the heel of your hand to push the dough away from you, then fold it back over itself.
After each fold, give the dough a little turn. Keep doing this for 20-25 minutes until the dough feels smooth and stretchy. If the dough gets too sticky, sprinkle a little flour on it while you knead, but don't use too much.
Step 6: The windowpane test (to check if dough is ready)
Take a small piece of dough and gently stretch it between your fingers. If it stretches without tearing and you can see light through it, the dough is ready!
If the dough tears before you can stretch it, that means it needs more kneading to help it get stretchy.
If the dough is tough and hard to stretch, it might be over-kneaded. In that case, cover it and let it rest for about 30 minutes so it can relax and become easier to work with.
Step 7: Proof the dough (First rise)
Form the dough into a ball and place it in a bowl lightly coated with oil so it doesn't stick. Cover the bowl with a clean kitchen towel or plastic wrap, and place it in a warm spot, away from cold air. Let it sit for 1 to 2 hours, or until it doubles in size.
Step 8: Shape the dough
Gently press down on the risen dough to let out some of the air—you're just popping the big bubbles, not flattening it completely. Then, divide the dough in half to make it easier to handle.
Roll each half into a long, even log shape. Then, use a knife or dough scraper to cut each log into 10 equal pieces.
Shape each piece into a smooth ball by rolling it in your hands in a circular motion. If you want, you can leave the pieces in a "football" shape, which is common for pandesal. Then, roll each ball in breadcrumbs to coat it well.
For perfectly even pandesal, you can weigh each piece on a kitchen scale. If you don’t have one, just eyeballing it works fine too!
Step 9: Proof the dough (Second rise)
Place the dough balls on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, leaving space between them for the second rise. Cover with a clean towel or loosely cover with plastic wrap to keep them from drying out. Let them rise for 30-45 minutes until they look puffy.
Step 10: Bake
Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C). Bake the pandesal at this high temperature for 5 minutes to help them rise and form a golden crust. After 5 minutes, lower the temperature to 350°F (175°C) and bake for another 12-14 minutes, or until they’re nicely browned.
If you're not ready to bake right away, you can plan ahead and store the dough in the fridge or freezer. You can choose one of these options:
- Refrigerate before the first rise: Once the dough is properly kneaded (Step 6), cover it with plastic wrap and refrigerate for a few hours or overnight. When you're ready to bake, take it out and let it rise at room temperature until it doubles in size, then continue with the recipe.
- Refrigerate after shaping: After shaping the dough into rolls and coating them with breadcrumbs (Step 8), place them on a baking sheet. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for a few hours or overnight. When ready to bake, take them out and let them rise at room temperature until they're puffy, then bake as usual.
- Freeze after shaping: Shape the dough into individual pieces without adding breadcrumbs (Step 8), place them on a tray to freeze until solid, then store them in a freezer bag. When you're ready to bake, coat with breadcrumbs, let them rise, and bake as usual.
Let the Pandesal cool slightly before you enjoy it. It's great on its own, but you can also pair it with butter, Cheese Pimiento, or Ham. You may also like to try Ube Cheese Pandesal or Spanish bread with a sweet filling!
If you have leftovers, keep them in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days, but make sure it’s completely cooled before storing so it doesn’t get soggy. You can also keep it in the fridge for up to 1 week or freeze for up to 3 months—just make sure it’s wrapped well to keep it fresh!
How to get a crispy crust on your Pandesal (Optional!)
Want a super crispy crust? Here's how to do it:
- Place a shallow pan or tray at the bottom of your oven.
- Preheat your oven as usual.
- Right before putting the Pandesal in, carefully add hot water to the pan. This will make steam, helping your bread get extra crispy!
- Now, bake your pandesal as you normally would, and enjoy that crispy crust!
Recipe FAQs
Kneading dough helps build a strong, stretchy network of gluten. This lets the dough trap the gases that yeast produces, which helps the bread rise and become light and airy. Without kneading, the dough wouldn’t have the right structure and elasticity, making the bread dense and heavy.
Using condensed milk instead of regular milk or water in Pandesal changes the texture and flavor because it has more sugar and fat. It makes the bread sweeter, richer, and softer. The extra sugar also helps the crust brown more, giving the bread a nice, golden color.
This can happen if the dough wasn’t kneaded enough, or if the yeast was old and didn’t work. Knead the dough until it’s smooth and can stretch without breaking (this is called the "windowpane test"). Also, double-check that your yeast isn’t expired before you start!
Make sure your oven is preheated to the right temperature. You can use an oven thermometer to check if the heat is correct, since some ovens don’t heat evenly. Try placing the pandesal on a higher rack to get more even heat and maybe bake it a little longer. Also, double-check the recipe to make sure you’re using the right ingredients and amounts.
Other bread and pastries you may like
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📖 Recipe
Pandesal
Equipment
- Stand mixer with a dough hook attachment (optional)
- Baking Sheet
Ingredients
- 2¼ teaspoons active dry yeast (1 standard packet, 0.25 oz or 7 g) sub: instant yeast (see note)
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 1 cup warm water
- 3½ cups bread flour sub: all-purpose flour (see note)
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt sub: about ½ teaspoon table salt
- 1 egg at room temperature
- ½ cup condensed milk at room temperature (see note)
- 2 tablespoons neutral oil or melted butter
- ½ cup fine breadcrumbs (see note)
Instructions
- Activate the yeast (only if using active dry yeast): In a medium bowl, combine 2¼ teaspoons active dry yeast, 2 tablespoons sugar, and 1 cup warm water. Stir and let sit for 5-10 minutes until foamy. (Skip if using instant yeast.)
- Dry ingredients: In a large bowl or stand mixer, whisk together 3½ cups bread flour and 1 teaspoon kosher salt (or ½ teaspoon table salt). If using instant yeast, add it now.
- Wet ingredients: Add 1 egg, ½ cup condensed milk, and 2 tablespoons neutral oil to the yeast mixture. Mix until smooth. If using instant yeast, add 1 cup warm water and 2 tablespoon sugar here.
- Combine dry and wet Ingredients: Pour the wet ingredients into the flour mixture. Mix until a sticky dough forms.
- Knead the dough: If using a stand mixer, knead on medium speed for 12-15 minutes. The dough will start sticky but will eventually form a smooth, stretchy ball. When it pulls away from the sides of the bowl, it's ready.If kneading by hand, place the dough on a floured surface and knead for 20-25 minutes until smooth and stretchy. Add a little flour if the dough gets too sticky.
- The windowpane test: Take a small piece of dough and gently stretch it. If it stretches without tearing and you can see light through it, the dough is ready.If it tears, knead the dough more. If it’s tough and hard to stretch, it’s over-kneaded. Let it rest for 30 minutes to relax and make shaping easier.
- Proof the dough (First rise): Form the dough into a ball and place it in a bowl lightly coated with oil so it doesn't stick. Cover with a towel or plastic wrap and set it in a warm, draft-free spot. Let it rise for 1-2 hours, or until it doubles in size.
- Shape the pandesal: Gently press down the dough to release air. Divide the dough in half and roll each into a long, even log shape. Cut each log into 10 equal pieces. Shape each piece into a smooth ball or football shape, then roll in breadcrumbs to coat.
- Proof the dough (Second rise): Place the rolls on a parchment-lined baking sheet, leaving space between each. Cover them and let them rise until they’re puffy, about 30 to 45 minutes.
- Bake: Preheat your oven to 400°F (205°C). Once it’s heated, bake the Pandesal for 5 minutes. Then, lower the temperature to 350°F (175°C) and bake for another 12-14 minutes, or until golden brown.
Notes
- Bread Flour: This flour makes the bread chewy and stretchy. You can use all-purpose flour, but there will be a slight difference.
- Active Dry Yeast: Yeast helps the dough rise. This type needs to be dissolved in warm water with sugar to activate. You can also use the same amount of instant yeast and mix it directly into the dry ingredients since it doesn't need activation. Check the expiration date to make sure it's still good.
- Condensed Milk: Adds sweetness and helps create a soft bread with a golden crust. If you don't have it, replace the 1 cup of water in the recipe with 1 cup of regular milk (like whole or evaporated milk) and add 6 extra tablespoons of sugar.
- Breadcrumbs: Use fine, plain breadcrumbs for coating.
- Refrigerate before the first rise: Once the dough is properly kneaded (Step 6), cover it with plastic wrap and refrigerate for a few hours or overnight. When ready to bake, let it rise at room temperature until doubled in size, then continue with the recipe.
- Refrigerate after shaping: Once shaped and coated with breadcrumbs (Step 8), cover the rolls with plastic wrap and refrigerate for a few hours or overnight. When ready to bake, let them rise at room temperature until puffy, then bake.
- Freeze afte shaping: Shape the dough into individual pieces without adding breadcrumbs (Step 8), freeze on a tray until solid, then store in a freezer bag. When ready to bake, coat with breadcrumbs, let them rise, and bake as usual.
Normie
I cant wait to make this!! Is it better to use instant yeast or active? Thanks!!!
Nora Reyes
Hello Normie,
I'm excited to hear you're looking forward to making pandesal! Regarding your question, both instant yeast and active dry yeast work well, but instant yeast is a bit more convenient as it doesn't need to be proofed in warm water first. I used active dry yeast to make sure it's alive and active - a little proofing in warm water shows it's ready to go. But feel free to use instant yeast if you're confident it's fresh and good. Both types will give you delicious pandesal, as long as the yeast is active! Happy baking, and I hope your pandesal turns out beautifully!