Filipino Pandesal Is the Perfect Breakfast Bead (2024)

FAQs

What is special about pandesal? ›

Pandesal is the most popular bread in the Philippines for a good reason! With a golden, crumb-coated exterior, slightly sweet taste, and soft, fluffy texture, this Filipino-style bread roll is delicious on its own or with your choice of filling. Perfect for breakfast or as a snack!

Pandesal flourished in the American colonial era in the early 1900s, when cheaper American wheat became readily available. It has since become a staple breakfast bread in the Philippines.

This bread is a staple food for Filipinos, like rice is in other cultures. Pan de sal is a traditional breakfast–just that and coffee. In the Philippines, people just walk down the block to their local baker and pick up fresh pan de sal daily.

Some prefer to dunk Pandesal in their morning coffee and eat it that way. Others fill their Pandesal with Reno Liver Spread, Mayonnaise, Scrambled Eggs, Fried Spam or Hotdog, Ham, Peanut Butter, Coconut jam or just plain good old butter…

HEALTH BENEFITS OF PAN DE SAL: Pan de sal has 4 grams of protein, 25 grams of carbohydrates, 1 gram fiber, and 3 grams of fat. Pandesal also has iron, which is necessary for developing hemoglobin, for carrying oxygen in the blood. This is helpful for people with anemia and pregnant women.

Since wheat flour was not as accessible to the Philippines, they used a more affordable type of flour that resulted in bread that was more airy and soft.

Sinangag at itlog (silog)

No matter what the protein may be, a side of salted tomatoes, sawsawan (vinegar for dipping) and perhaps some banana ketchup typically round out the meal. The basis of most Filipino breakfasts is sinangag, or garlic fried rice.

Whether it's a cup of creamy coffee or the bold simplicity of black coffee, the dunking ritual is a comforting way to infuse flavour into the bread, especially when spreads are scarce on the breakfast table.

A popular breakfast choice, pandesal are also eaten as a snack throughout the day and can be slathered with copious amounts of butter, stuffed with cheese or eggs, spread with jam or peanut butter, and used as the base for a simple yet tasty sandwich.

The Bottom Line

In general, you want to look for whole-grain bread that has some fiber, protein and not too much sodium or added sugar per slice. Sprouted grain bread hits all those marks and has a hearty texture that I think is delicious when toasted.

Is pandesal high in protein? ›

There are new pandesal variants such as malunggay (horseradish) pandesal, squash pandesal, cheese pandesal, to mention a few. The flour used for making pandesal is typically medium to high protein (about 12% to 13%) and has good tolerance to mixing and fermentation.

The pan de sal

Pan de sal, literally translated as salt bread, is the national bread of the Philippines and while we think we're all initiated with it, there are as many pan de sal varieties as there is adobo.

The pandesal keeps for 3 days at room temperature. If you can't finish them within 3 days, FREEZE! Then take out the night before or an hour before eating.

A freshly baked pandesal is great on its own, but Filipinos most commonly eat it dipped in coffee or hot chocolate, filled with breakfast staples like Spam and eggs, or topped with rich spreads like peanut butter, coconut jam, or kesong puti (fresh farmer's cheese).

bread (n.) food made from dough of flour or meal and usually raised with yeast or baking powder and then baked. foodstuff rich in natural starch (especially potatoes, rice, bread).

The defining characteristic of Pandesal from other local breads is the salt added to the dough as well as the use of breadcrumbs after molding and panning. The breadcrumbs are ultimately responsible for the rough surface texture of the Pandesal crust after baking.

Filipino pandesal, which means salt bread in Spanish, is reminiscent of the American-style dinner roll but it leans more sweet than savory, with a pillowy interior and a golden, sandy exterior dusted with breadcrumbs.

Pandesal has soft, buttery, and slightly sweet flavors. Its fluffy center is combined with a crisp golden brown outer layer of bread crumbs making every bite delightful. This popular Filipino yeast-raised bread roll or pandesal recipe is worth making at home.