Filipino Pandesal Recipe (Pan de Sal)

Wow I haven't been on here for a while and to those who have checked for updates since my brief absence, I truly apologize. It has been a busy time for us at BowWowDivas. Holidays, though hardly in comparison to Christmas and Thanksgiving, seem to make people want to spend money. Hey, and that is alright with us! All work matters aside, I managed to find time to perfect a bread recipe I have been working on for some time now, the Pandesal.


Back home in the Philippines, the Pandesal is a staple in every Filipino's breakfast selection. As a kid, my mother would always have some freshly baked Pandesal picked up from the first batch made from the neighborhood bakery. Paired with a hot cup of coffee, we were ready to dip and devour. So to all my Pinoy friends who doesn't have access to a Filipino bakery, here's an easy to follow recipe for Pandesal that you'll surely love.

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FILIPINO PANDESAL

1/2 cup milk (2% or skim)

2 1/2 tablespoon butter

1 egg, lightly beaten

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup sugar

2 cups bread flour (6 oz)

1 1/5 teaspoons active dry yeast

1/4 cup breadcrumbs

DIRECTIONS:

1) Microwave milk on high for 30 seconds; Warm uncracked egg to room temperature by placing under hot running water for approximately 60 seconds; Melt or soften butter to room temperature.

2) Add all ingredients, EXCEPT for the breadcrumbs, in the order your machine requires; Select the "Dough" cycle.

3) When the cycle is complete, remove the dough from the bread machine. The dough will be sticky (don't worry coz that's a good thing! gooey dough equals moist pandesal). Place the dough ball into a large pre-greased bowl (I use Pam). Cover with plastic wrap or a damp cloth and allow it to rise in a warm place for about 45 minutes, or until doubled in size.

4) After the first rise is complete, gently deflate the dough with your fist. Roll the dough out into a manageable shape (please don't over roll it). Divide the into 2-3 inch rectangles or ovals and roll them in breadcrumbs.

5) Line up each piece in a long rectangular pre-greased pan with the rolls touching each other; this will allow the dough to rise up and get some height instead of spreading out. Cover with plastic wrap or damp cloth and let rise in a warm place for about 30 minutes.

6) After second rise is complete, bake for 12 minutes or until tops are golden brown at 375F degrees (I only bake it for 10 minutes coz we like our pandesal doughy).

YIELDS 8-10 Pan de Sal

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Enjoy!!!