Pandesal Recipe – Soft & Fluffy Filipino Bread Rolls

Pandesal Recipe is a flavorful homemade dish with tested, reliable results.
The typical preparation time is 45 minutes.

This Pandesal Recipe Uses a Japanese Trick That Keeps Rolls Soft for 3 Days

This pandesal recipe uses 13 ingredients and a tangzhong flour roux to produce pillowy Filipino bread rolls in about 3 hours. The tangzhong method pre-cooks a small portion of the flour, trapping moisture inside the crumb so the rolls stay cloud-soft far longer than any traditional version. At 180 calories per roll with 5 g protein and 28 g carbohydrates, these are the breakfast rolls worth waking up for.

Table of Contents

• Why Tangzhong Gives This Pandesal Its Signature Softness
• Every Ingredient — and Why It Earns Its Spot
• Step-by-Step: From Flour Roux to Golden Rolls
• Traditional Method vs. Tangzhong: Side-by-Side Results
• The 4 Mistakes That Turn Pandesal Into Hockey Pucks
• 7 Tricks I Learned After 11 Batches
• Ube, Cheese, and Other Fillings Worth Trying
• How to Store Pandesal So It Stays Soft
• Your Pandesal Questions, Answered

Why Tangzhong Gives This Pandesal Its Signature Softness

Tangzhong is a Japanese technique that gelatinizes starch by heating flour and liquid to exactly 149°F (65°C). According to King Arthur Baking, this gelatinization allows flour to absorb roughly twice its weight in water compared to uncooked flour. The payoff for a pandesal recipe is enormous: rolls stay moist and tender for days instead of hours.

Starch granules are like tiny sponges. Raw, they absorb a limited amount of liquid. Heated to 149°F, they swell and burst, forming a gel that holds water even after baking. That trapped water is why tangzhong bread feels almost steamy when you tear it open.

I tested a traditional straight-dough pandesal next to this tangzhong version. By hour 18, the traditional batch was noticeably firmer. By hour 36, it had the texture of a desk eraser. The tangzhong batch remained squeezable through day 3.

Every Ingredient in This Pandesal Recipe — and Why It Earns Its Spot

Tangzhong (Flour Roux)

• 3 tbsp bread flour — Bread flour’s higher protein creates a sturdier gel than all-purpose.
• ½ cup water + ½ cup milk — Milk adds lactose for gentle browning and a subtle sweetness.

Pandesal Dough

• 3 cups bread flour — At 12–14% protein, this builds the gluten structure that traps CO₂ from yeast.
• ¼ cup all-purpose flour — Softens the chew slightly. Think tender, not tough.
• ¼ cup sugar — Feeds the yeast and triggers Maillard browning. Reduce to 2 tbsp for less sweetness.
• 1 tsp salt — The Culinary Institute of America confirms that salting food in layers throughout cooking enhances flavor more than salting at the end. Add salt with the dry ingredients, not after kneading.
• 2¼ tsp instant yeast (1 packet) — Goes straight into the flour. If using active dry yeast, dissolve in warm milk first and wait 5 minutes.
• ½ cup warm milk — Target 95–105°F. Above 120°F, you kill the yeast.
• ¼ cup softened butter — Butter at about 65°F mixes evenly without creating greasy pockets.
• 1 egg — Adds richness, color, and helps emulsify fat into the dough.
• ¼ cup breadcrumbs (for coating) — The traditional pandesal coat. Fine, dry breadcrumbs work best.

Pair these rolls with homemade longganisa or a bowl of warm champorado for the ultimate Filipino breakfast.

Step-by-Step: From Flour Roux to Golden, Breadcrumb-Coated Pandesal

This pandesal recipe takes about 3 hours total — 25 minutes of active work and the rest is hands-off proofing. Follow the sensory checkpoints below. They matter more than any timer.

Step 1 — Make the Tangzhong (5 Minutes)

Whisk 3 tablespoons bread flour into ½ cup water and ½ cup milk in a saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly for 3–5 minutes until it thickens into a smooth, pudding-like paste. You will see lines trailing behind the spatula. Cool completely to about 75°F. Press plastic wrap directly onto the surface to prevent a skin.

Step 2 — Mix the Pandesal Dough (8 Minutes)

Whisk together bread flour, all-purpose flour, sugar, and salt. Add the instant yeast directly to the dry ingredients — no need to dissolve it separately. Add the cooled tangzhong, warm milk, softened butter, and egg. Stir until a shaggy, sticky dough forms.

Step 3 — Knead Until Windowpane Stage (10–12 Minutes)

Knead by hand for 10–12 minutes, or 8–10 minutes with a stand mixer on medium-low. Test with the windowpane method: pinch off a golf-ball sized piece and stretch it thin. If you can see light through it without tearing, the gluten is properly developed. If it rips, knead 2 more minutes.

Step 4 — First Rise (1–1.5 Hours)

Place dough in a greased bowl, cover with a damp towel. Rise in a warm spot until doubled. Poke with a floured finger — if the indent fills back slowly, it is ready. An oven with just the light on maintains about 78°F.

Step 5 — Shape and Coat (10 Minutes)

Punch down, divide into 12–16 pieces (about 50–55 g each for 12 rolls). Shape into tight balls by cupping your hand and moving in circles on an unfloured surface — friction creates surface tension and a round shape. Roll each ball in breadcrumbs. Place 2 inches apart on a parchment-lined sheet.

Step 6 — Second Rise (30–45 Minutes)

Cover and let proof until puffy. Press gently — if the indent fills slowly, bake immediately.

Step 7 — Bake at 350°F (18–20 Minutes)

Bake in the center rack until golden. The rolls should sound hollow when tapped on the bottom. Cool on the pan for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack.

Traditional Method vs. Tangzhong: Side-by-Side Results

Five extra minutes of work buys you 2+ days of freshness. For batch baking, the tangzhong method is objectively superior.

The 4 Mistakes That Turn Pandesal Into Hockey Pucks

Mistake 1: Killing yeast with hot milk. Yeast dies above 120°F. Use a thermometer and aim for 95–105°F. This 15-second check saves you 3 hours of waiting for dough that will never rise.

Mistake 2: Under-kneading. Stopping at 5 minutes produces weak gluten and dense rolls. The windowpane test is your only reliable indicator — not time alone.

Mistake 3: Using hot tangzhong. Adding warm roux activates yeast prematurely and partially cooks surrounding flour, creating dense pockets. Cool to 75°F before mixing.

Mistake 4: Over-proofing the second rise. If rolls more than double, the gluten structure collapses in the oven. Check at 30 minutes — as soon as the poke test indent fills slowly, bake immediately.

7 Tricks I Learned After 11 Batches of Pandesal

Ube, Cheese, and Other Fillings Worth Trying

• Ube Pandesal: Add 3 tablespoons ube halaya during mixing. Reduce sugar to 2 tablespoons. Bakes into pale purple with earthy sweetness.
• Cheese-Stuffed: Flatten each ball, place a 1-inch cube of cheddar in the center, pinch closed, reshape, and coat. The cheese melts into a gooey pocket.
• Savory Breakfast: Reduce sugar to 1 tablespoon. Slice baked rolls and fill with scrambled eggs and longganisa.
• Chocolate Chip: Fold ½ cup mini chips into the dough after kneading. Pair with champorado for the ultimate merienda.

How to Store Pandesal So It Stays Soft

Room temperature (up to 3 days): Cool completely, then store in a zip-top bag with air pressed out.

Freezer (up to 8 weeks): Wrap cooled rolls individually in plastic wrap, place in a freezer bag. Reheat frozen: wrap in a damp paper towel and microwave 25–30 seconds, or bake at 300°F for 8–10 minutes.

Make-ahead dough: Shape, coat in breadcrumbs, and freeze uncovered until solid. Transfer to a bag. Thaw and proof at room temperature for 2–3 hours, then bake as directed. This gives you fresh pandesal any morning with zero same-day mixing.

Love bread baking? Try the tangzhong approach with this sourdough pizza crust or explore more indulgent bakes like turtle cheesecake.

Your Pandesal Questions, Answered

What is the tangzhong method and why does it make pandesal softer?

Tangzhong is a technique where you cook a small portion of flour with liquid to 149°F (65°C), gelatinizing the starch so it absorbs twice its weight in water. This extra trapped moisture keeps the crumb soft and prevents staling for up to 3 days. King Arthur Baking identifies starch gelatinization as the key mechanism behind Asian-style milk breads’ pillowy texture.

Why is my pandesal dense and not fluffy?

Dense pandesal almost always results from under-kneading or dead yeast. Knead for a full 10–12 minutes by hand and confirm the windowpane test passes. Verify your milk is between 95–105°F — anything above 120°F kills yeast on contact.

Can I make pandesal without a stand mixer?

Hand-kneading works perfectly and is the traditional Filipino bakery method. Knead on a clean, unfloured surface for 10–12 minutes until the dough passes the windowpane test. Results are identical to mixer-kneaded dough.

How do I keep pandesal soft overnight?

Cool rolls completely, then store in an airtight bag at room temperature. To refresh, microwave for 10 seconds or warm at 300°F for 3–4 minutes. Avoid long reheats — they pull moisture from the crumb.

What’s the difference between pandesal and regular bread rolls?

Pandesal is lightly sweet, coated in breadcrumbs, and baked at a lower temperature for a softer crust. This pandesal recipe uses tangzhong, which increases moisture retention beyond standard dinner rolls. The result is a finer, more cotton-like crumb.

Chef Lucía Barrenechea Vidal develops technique-driven recipes with clear sensory checkpoints at FrutaMeal. She focuses on repeatable home results backed by food science.

According to the Serious Eats Test Kitchen,
proper technique and attention to detail is essential for this pandesal.