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Pandesal

My famous pandesal in its traditional form
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Proof Time 2 hours
Total Time 2 hours 30 minutes
Servings 24 rolls

Ingredients
  

  • 2 teaspoons instant yeast OR 2¼ teaspoons active dry yeast
  • 1 ¼ cups (285 g) whole milk warmed to 100-105º F
  • 4 ½ cups (585 g) all-purpose flour
  • 1 ½ teaspooons salt
  • 3 tablespoons (43 g) granulated sugar
  • 2 large eggs lightly whisked
  • ½ cup ground cream crackers

Instructions
 

  • In a stand mixer, combine all-purpose flouryeastsalt (make sure the salt doesn’t make direct contact with the yeast), 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 an 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!