Pandesal (Filipino Rolls)

What Are Pandesal?

Besides water, milk, and rice, pandesal has been a mainstay in my diet since I was an infant. 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. A popular breakfast choice, pandesal are also eaten as a snack throughout the day and can be slathered with copious amounts of butter, stuffed with cheese or eggs, spread with jam or peanut butter, and used as the base for a simple yet tasty sandwich.

Wheat isn't indigenous to the Philippines, so bread is a relatively recent addition to the cuisine. Wheat was introduced by the Portuguese during the 1500s, and with the arrival of Spanish colonizers and the opening of the country’s first panaderia, or bakery, in the mid-1600s, bread production flourished. Back then, bread had a sturdier crust and firmer structure, a result of being baked directly on the floors of wood-fired ovens. Over time, it incorporated cheaper, lower protein flour and commercial yeast, and was baked on baking sheets (brought over by Americans)—all of which contributed to the modern version of pandesal. 

This everyday staple is typically bought fresh from the panaderia, not baked at home. Growing up, my mom always returned from grocery shopping with a bag of pandesal. Prior to developing this recipe, the idea of baking my own pandesal never crossed my mind, my thinking being, basically, how can I improve on perfection. But after perusing quite a few ingredient lists and conducting my own tests, I’ve successfully created a version of pandesal at home that I'd proudly serve my mom. 

Pandesal's Ingredients

My initial test batches started out with all-purpose flour, sugar, salt, instant yeast, milk, eggs, and butter. Although I liked the richness from the addition of butter, those first batches tasted more like crusty dinner rolls than pandesal. I swapped out the butter for vegetable oil, added in an extra egg yolk, and increased the quantity of milk and sugar (here, oil provides tenderness, eggs add structure, flavor, and color, and milk and sugar contribute color while improving shelf life), and I ended up with what I think of as my ideal pandesal—airy, plush, and slightly sweet with a bit of chew. My next step was figuring out how to shape it. 

Oval vs. Round

Traditionally, the dough is rolled into a log, cut into individual oval-shaped pieces, and dipped in breadcrumbs. However, I’m accustomed to eating pandesal that are uniformly round in shape, a type that is widely available. The dough is divided into equal portions, formed into smooth balls, and rolled in breadcrumbs. I baked up batches both ways but found that I preferred the aesthetic of the smooth, round pandesal (directions for which I’ve included below) over the irregularity of the sliced ones. 

Ways to Enjoy Pandesal

Since its fluffy texture diminishes as it cools, pandesal should be eaten hot, straight out of the oven (they also reheat well). I’m a fan of eating pandesal just smeared with butter, but they're excellent when paired with something salty and meaty, like when they're stuffed with crispy Spam or Filipino-style sautéed corned beef. Plate up two, maybe even three, of these rolls along with a steaming hot mug of coffee and you’ve got one satisfying breakfast.