Pandesal is Filipino’s counterpart to dinner roll, which oddly enough is served any time of the day except during dinner!
In case you didn’t know Inn On The Twenty Executive Chef Polingga was born and raised in Laguna, Philippines. In 2004, her love of travel and cuisine brought her to Canada where she started her formal culinary education. So this recipe is close to home and so delicious!
Pandesal Recipe
The bread roll of the Philippines
Ingredients:
2 ¼ tsp active dry yeast
1 ¼ cup whole milk, warmed to about 100F
2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
2 cups bread flour
4 tbsp unsalted butter, softened/room temperature
1/3 cup white sugar
2 eggs
Breadcrumbs for dipping
Procedure:
In a bowl mix yeast with 2 tsp of sugar (from 1/3 cup) and warm milk, leave it for about 10 minutes until it is foamy.
Mix all flour and salt in a separate bowl.
Add the remaining sugar, eggs and butter into the yeast mixture. Add flour mixture in 3 additions. Keep mixing until dough comes together in a ball.
At this point, turn dough on to lightly floured surface and knead until you have a smooth but soft dough. Try not to add too much flour, too much flour will result in a heavy/dense roll.
Place dough onto a lightly oiled bowl, then cover with a tea towel or saran wrap.
Let dough rise in room temperature for at least an hour or until it has doubled in size.
Punch dough and divide into 24, I prefer using a weighing scale so you have uniform size rolls.
Roll individual dough into balls and dip the top into the breadcrumbs and place on parchment-lined baking sheet. Cover the whole sheet with a tea towel or saran wrap and let it rise again for about 20 to 30 minutes. This process lets the dough rest before baking to achieve a nice, pillowy soft rolls.
Preheat your oven to 350F.
Remove cover and bake for 20 minutes, rotate the baking sheet then bake again for 5 to 10 minutes or until golden brown.
Serve warm or room temperature. These rolls should last for about 3 to 5 days in a sealed container or bag, although at my house you’d be lucky to have it last a day. Serve as is, with cheese, peanut butter, dip in coffee or hot chocolate.
If you still have some left over after 4 days these will be good for bread pudding!
About Executive Chef Sheila Polingga
Chef Polingga has been part of Inn On The Twenty’s culinary team since 2011, officially assuming the role of Executive Chef in late 2018.
Follow her on Instagram for more incredible recipes!