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This moringa bread is a twist on the classic fluffy Filipino pandesal recipe. Moringa adds nutritional benefits and a light, peppery flavor, perfect for savory sandwiches!
What is pandesal?
Pandesal is a fluffy Filipino bread roll that is dusted with bread crumbs. I have a pandesal recipe on the blog, and so many people LOVE the flavor and texture! Try this pandesal recipe if you want to try it without moringa first.
What is “moringa”?
Moringa is a vegetable that I’ve typically eaten in a Filipino chicken ginger soup called “tinola”. It looks like a plant with lots of thin branches and tiny, round leaves. Moringa has a stronger taste and firmer texture compared to spinach, and slightly peppery. It has a ton of health benefits, and I devour so much of it when I can get my hands on some!
I use moringa in its powdered form in this recipe. Feel free to adjust how much you put in based on your preference. I recommend 2 tablespoons of moringa powder for a mild flavor. Use 3 tablespoons if you want a more prominent flavor.
You can get the moringa powder I used from Amazon (affiliate link)
Process
For full list of ingredients and detailed steps, check out the recipe card at the bottom of this page.
Mix dry ingredients then add wet ingredients and knead until dough passes the window pane test.
Let the dough proof for at least an hour before tipping out onto a well-floured surface. Dive and shape into individual rolls.
Cover each roll with cream crackers or whatever alternative you have. Then put them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Let these proof for another hour.
Bake in the oven and enjoy!
VIDEO: I’ve had suggestions to make moringa pandesal so I had to try it out
Equipment
KitchenAid Stand Mixer (link)
I LOVE my stand mixer! I save so much time and energy kneading dough with the help of my KitchenAid. Use the dough hook attachment to knead this moringa pandesal bread dough.
Baking Sheets (link)
I prefer the lighter colored baking sheets; the darker baking sheets tend to brown my breads a lot faster.
Lid for baking sheets (link)
These baking sheet lids are LIFE CHANGING! I no longer need to use plastic bags when proofing my bread rolls, and I’m able to stack multiple sheets on top of each other and protect the food inside!
Recipe
Moringa Bread
Ingredients
Method
- In a stand mixer, combine all-purpose flour, yeast, salt (make sure the salt doesn’t make direct contact with the yeast), moringa powder, and sugar. Mix all the dry ingredients together.
- Add the eggs and milk. Add just enough milk to pick up all the flour at the bottom of the bowl, then add a splash more (I like my pandesal dough to be a bit wet and sticky!)
- Add the butter, then put your stand mixer on medium speed. Knead for about 5-7 minutes, or until it passes the windowpane test. Make sure you don’t over-knead your dough!
- Once it’s kneaded, scrape the sides of the bowl to combine the dough into one ball. Cover the dough with plastic wrap, and let the dough rise for about 1 hour or until it has doubled in size.
- If you have not yet turned your cream crackers (or alternative) into a powder do so now. A blender will speed it up but you could grind it by hand with a mortar & pestle or just simply smashing them while in a plastic Ziploc bag.
- Once you poke the dough and it doesn’t spring back, tip the dough out on a lightly floured surface and press out all the air bubbles.
- Divide the dough into 24 even pieces, and shape them into balls. Then coat the dough balls with the powdered cream crackers (or alternative).
- Place the dough on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet, allowing a little room in between the rolls to puff up.
- Let the shaped rolls rise for another hour, or until you poke the dough and it only springs back halfway.
- Place your baking tray in a preheated 350ºF oven in the middle rack, and bake for about 20-25 minutes or until the pandesal get golden-brown tops.
- Remove the tray from the oven and allow the pandesal to cool down for about 5 minutes before eating!
Notes
- Some alternatives for cream crackers are Marie biscuits, plain animal crackers, or just plain bread crumbs.
- You can order moringa powder online (affiliate link)