Name: How to Make Pandesal
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 120 min
Ingredients: 2 cups warm water (110 degrees F); 2 teaspoons active dry yeast; 1 teaspoon sugar; 1 cup sugar; 1/3 cup vegetable oil; 2 teaspoons salt; 6 cups all-purpose flour

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Know how to make Pandesal in beginner steps! These homemade Filipino-style sweet rolls are best enjoyed in the morning, filled with any spread or filling! It's delicious, soft, and airy and will become your favorite bread.

Love Filipino bread? Try my Ube Pandesal, Red Velvet Pandesal, Spanish Bread, or my Malunggay Whole Bread!

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What is Pandesal?
Substitutions
Variations
Storage
Ingredients
Top Tips
FAQ
How to Make Pandesal

What is Pandesal?

Pandesal, or Pan de Sal, is the most common bread roll in the Philippines. It actually traces its roots back to the Spaniards, who introduced baking traditions during the colonial period. Originally inspired by Pan de Suelo, this Filipino adaptation uses commercial yeast and all-purpose or bread flour, making it softer and lighter.

You’ll find it everywhere—from home kitchens to local panaderias, and even sold by street vendors early in the morning. Many Filipinos enjoy their pandesal with cheese, eggs, or just plain coffee. It’s simple, affordable, and loved across all generations!

Substitutions

Active dry yeast – Use instant yeast (no need to proof)
Sugar – Use honey, coconut sugar, or brown sugar
Vegetable oil – Can be replaced with butter, dairy-free butter, or coconut oil
All-purpose flour – Use bread flour for chewier rolls, or whole wheat flour for more fiber and nutrients

Variations

Cheese Pandesal – Add a cube of cheese inside each portion
Egg-Stuffed Pandesal – Place a boiled egg in the center for a protein boost
Healthier version – Use whole wheat flour and reduce sugar
Stuffed with coconut jam – Add a local touch with sweet coconut filling
Herbed pandesal – Add garlic, malunggay, or rosemary to the dough for a savory twist

Storage

Countertop – Store in a sealed container for 2–3 days
Refrigerator – Keeps well for up to 1 week
Freezer – Freeze baked rolls for 1 month; reheat before serving

Ingredients

Instructions

We will be using our hands a lot in kneading the pandesal dough so we have to wash it carefully and dry it completely:

Add the active dry yeast and the 1 teaspoon of sugar to the 2 cups of warm water mix and set aside till frothy (about 5 minutes):

activating dry yeast in a bowl for pandesal recipe

In a separate mixing bowl, add sugar, oil, salt, and 1 cup of flour then mix. Then add the active dry yeast mix to the mixture:

putting flour to yeast mixture for pandesal recipe

Important Reminder:

Gradually add the flour ½ a cup at a time. This will help you knead it properly since it will clump up if you add all of the flour at once.

Place the dough onto your clean kitchen counter so you can knead it carefully:

To prevent the dough from sticking to your hands while kneading, sprinkle a bit of flour on the dough or you can simply rub flour in your hands:

After kneading, place it in a deep bowl for the dough to double in size. It is important to oil the bowl so you can take out the dough easily after it has risen:

putting oil in a bowl for pandesal dough

Once all the flour is mixed, set aside in an oiled bowl in a warm place until the dough is doubled (about 1 hour). Cover it with saran wrap or a damp towel:

I placed my dough under a lamp so it makes the room temperature higher, as it helps the dough rise fully:

After about an hour or so, take out the dough from the bowl and put it on a floured surface. Now it's time to shape the dough into your desired sizes:

shaping pandesal dough into desired pieces

This part is optional. Most pandesal lovers want bread crumbs but personally, I do not like to coat them with bread crumbs as I make a huge mess when I eat them. (Imagine breadcrumbs all over the floor or tabletop, lol!)

After shaping the dough, place it in a baking tray of your choice, cover it and wait for it to rise again for only 30 minutes:

Place in oven at 375 degrees F for 20 minutes:

After the baking time, take it out from the oven and let them cool in a cookie rack:

This Filipino bread is best eaten when freshly baked. If you have a sweet tooth like me, pair it with peanut butter, condensed milk, or even ice cream!

Top Tips

If you don't like the bottom crust of your pandesal burnt, use glass baking containers as it just makes the bottom crust lightly toasted. If you do not have glass bakewares on hand, you can avoid burning the bottom crust of your pandesal by lowering the oven temperature to 350 F instead of 375 F
Always have extra all-purpose flour handy. It is very useful in the kneading part where the dough is very sticky and makes the kneading work a bit hard. Just coat your hands with flour or sprinkle a bit of flour on top of the dough as needed
Check expiration dates of ingredients especially for the active dry yeast - this is the leavening agent of your pandesal so if you have an expired one, it defeats its purpose of making the dough rise
Punch your dough! Seriously, this is a very important step after having your dough rise for about an hour. "Punching" it down removes the air bubbles inside and doing so produces a fine-textured pandesal
Do not forget to cover your dough during the rising time - it helps speed up the rising of the dough and it prevents the dough from drying out
What makes a longer rise time of the dough? It could be two things - your room is a little bit too cold or the yeast that you used for the dough is dead
For a healthier alternative when greasing the large bowl for dough, use vegan butter or margarine.

FAQ

What does a pandesal taste like?

Pandesal gets its fluffiness from proper proofing and the use of commercial yeast, which helps the dough rise and creates a light, airy texture. Kneading well to develop gluten also makes it soft and fluffy inside.

How is pandesal different from bread?

Pandesal is a type of bread, but what makes it different is its slightly sweet flavor, soft texture, and the light coating of breadcrumbs. Unlike typical Western rolls, it’s often eaten plain or with savory fillings like cheese, egg, or coconut jam.

What makes pandesal fluffy?

Pandesal gets its fluffiness from proper proofing and the use of yeast, which helps the dough rise and creates a light, airy texture. Kneading well to develop gluten also makes it soft and fluffy inside.

Looking for more Filipino Dishes? Check out some of my favorites:

Happy Baking!

5 from 3 votes

Print Pin Recipe

How to Make Pandesal

Bake soft and fluffy Filipino Pandesal bread rolls, perfect for breakfast or snacks! Learn how to make pandesal that is sweet, easy to make, and totally comforting!

Prep Time10

Cook Time20

Rise Time1 30

Total Time2

Course: Bread

Cuisine: Filipino

Servings: 12 - 16 rolls

Calories: 348kcal

Author: Lainey

Ingredients

Instructions

Add the active dry yeast and the 1 teaspoon of sugar to the 2 cups of warm water mix and set aside till frothy (about 5 minutes)
In a separate bowl, add sugar, oil, salt, and 1 cup of flour then mix. Then add the active dry yeast mix to the mix.
Gradually add the flour ½ a cup at a time.
Once all the flour is mixed in set aside in a oiled bowl in a warm place until dough is doubled (about 1 hour).
Shape dough to desired sizes and let it sit for 30 minutes.
Place in oven at 375 degrees F for 20 minutes.

Notes

Importance of Kneading Bread:
Kneading is important in baking bread as it develops gluten. When flour is mixed with liquid, gluten forms and binds the dough, providing a cohesive texture that helps the loaf hold its shape during baking.

Serving: 1rollCalories: 348kcalCarbohydrates: 65gProtein: 7gFat: 7gSaturated Fat: 1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 4gMonounsaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0.04gSodium: 391mgPotassium: 72mgFiber: 2gSugar: 17gVitamin C: 0.002mgCalcium: 11mgIron: 3mg

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I. LOVE. PANDESAL. Many of you may ask what is pandesal? Pandesal is a Filipino Bread that is fluffy and sweet. It can be eaten at any time of the time day with any kind of spread.

I grew up eating this every morning for breakfast before school. My mom would wake up early and stop by the local bread shop and pick up some pandesal and my siblings and I would eat it with Nutella. When I got older, I got so obsessed with eating pandesal that I wanted to learn how to make it so I can eat it any time of the day. I have many different versions of pandesal, but this one is the easiest one I have!