Crusty on the outside, soft on the inside that’s how I remember the pandesal from my childhood. It’s what we usually have when my mom didn’t have time to cook breakfast and our favorite after-school snack. We buy it fresh and hot from a neighborhood bakery; I like to eat some on the way home from the bakery, I remember my mom scolding me for bringing home a lot less pandesal than what she’s asked me to buy ..well, the smell of fresh bread is hard to resist, you know. :D

A good pandesal doesn’t really need anything, it’s very good on it’s own already but a pat of butter and a sprinkling of sugar makes it a real treat for us. A slice of cheese tucked inside is equally yummy especially when paired with instant pancit canton. We also like to eat it with champorado and my favorite way of eating pandesal when I was young is dunking it in hot chocolate drink..yummm!! :)

I’ve tried making pandesal few times before and failed (ugh) but after many kilograms of bread flour, I finally found the recipe that works for me (with a little tweaking). There is still room for improvement with this recipe of course but so far, for now, this is working for us.. we like it a lot!

The recipe below only makes a dozen or more; I like to make small quantities when baking or cooking, just enough to finish in a day..left-overs are no good for me because I tend to forget it. Another reason is to share a recipe that those new to baking won’t be intimated to try.. that has been a problem to me before (and still is, sometimes), I get overwhelmed by the amount of ingredients; I’m aware that if I fail, it will all go to waste.

Mix ingredients together, knead, knead , knead the dough then let it rise for about an hour or until double in sze..

punch down dough and form into narrow rectangle and roll into a cylinder

sprinkle with fine bread crums

cut dough into 12 or more pieces then arrange on a baking sheet, cut side up

bake until top is browned

serve with coffee or hot chocolate..yum!!

PAN de SAL
Makes one dozen

Ingredients
2 1/4 cups bread flour, sifted
1 teaspoon instant yeast
3/4 warm fresh milk
1 1/2 tablespoons oil
3/4 teaspoon salt
5 tablespoons sugar

Here’s How:
Combine warm milk, salt, sugar, oil in a measuring cup or bowl pour over bread flour; mix and turn dough to floured work surface. Knead for about 8 minutes by hand, form dough into a ball and put in a greased bowl; cover and let rise for about an hour in a warm place.

Punch risen dough down and flatten into a rectangle about 16×3 inches. Starting at one end, roll up the dough with the right hand while sealing with the left hand to form cylindrical strip of dough. Sprinkle top of dough with breadcrumbs; let rest for about 15-20 minutes.

Cut dough into 12-14 equal pieces; place in baking sheets and let it rise until light.

Preheat oven to 350 F degrees. Bake pan de sal for about 15 minutes or until top is browned. Serve warm with hot coffee or hot chocolate.

♥ Have a nice day! :) God Bless! ♥

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