Vegan Filipino Bread Recipe: Pandesal (2024)

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Jun 15, 2015 (Updated Feb 13, 2024) By: RG Enriquez

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5 from 7 votes

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Vegan Filipino Bread Recipe: Pandesal (7)

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Have you tried making your own bread at home? There’s nothing quite like it. The aroma alone is enough to make one feel warm and fuzzy inside. The experience is truly rewarding and today we have a delicious recipe for vegan pandesal bread!

Perhaps if there’s one misconception about baking bread it’s that you have to be a master baker to do it because the process could be painstaking and complicated. I for one assumed I wasn’t qualified to do it—until I tried baking pandesal.

Table of Contents

  • What is Pandesal Bread?
  • Why You Should Make Vegan Pandesal
  • How to Serve Up Your Vegan Pandesal
  • How Do I Store Pandesal?
  • More Mouthwatering Bread Recipes to Try:

What is Pandesal Bread?

Pandesal is the bread of choice among Filipinos. Growing up in the Philippines, my mom would buy a warm bag of pandesal from our neighborhood bakery at the first crack of dawn. Everyone in the family would devour every bite, either with a tasty filling or as is. Sometimes, we would dip the bread in hot chocolate or coffee. I missed those days.

Traditionally, pandesal is not vegan; it has milk, eggs, and white sugar (which can sometimes be processed with animal bone char). As it turns out, I could make vegan pandesal at home and it’s no more complicated than the traditional version. In fact, the process is quite simple. All I needed was to set some time aside to let the dough rise. Everything else is a breeze—and cruelty-free!

I hope you try these vegan Filipino bread rolls. Pandesal is usually enjoyed during breakfast but when you make it at home, the time to enjoy it is really up to you! Kain na, let’s eat!

Why You Should Make Vegan Pandesal

Pandesal can be enjoyed in a variety of ways and is really not too difficult to make! These rolls are ideal for breakfast time, cut into sliders, or enjoyed with some vegan butterand jam.

  • Lunchbox Friendly– Pandesal is perfect for tucking into your or a loved one’s lunchbox. That homemade touch is also a great way to communicate how much you care about them!
  • Prime for the Party– Having a get together and unsure of what to serve? Vegan pandesal is the perfect choice! Easy to prepare in bulk and versatile, your guests will be raving!
  • No Boring Bread Here– Sometimes eating the same sliced bread every day can get quite boring. This pandesal will keep things fresh (literally!) with their cute shape and sweet taste.

How to Serve Up Your Vegan Pandesal

Pandesal is most commonly served hot and can be enjoyed in a variety of ways, from dipping your bread in a sweet beverage to spreading a delicious filling on it. Here are a few ideas to prepare you for pandesal perfection:

  • Do the Dip– One tasty way to enjoy pandesal is to dip it in a beverage such as coffee, hot chocolate, ormilk. Imagine the fluffy bread soaking up a dairy-free cup of goodness! Yum!
  • Spread the Bread– Spread and bread go together like, well, spread and bread! With pandesal, you can go in the direction of sweet or savory when it comes to spread. Go to tastebud heaven with somevegan nutellaor get your basil on with somepesto!
  • Sandwich It Up– Pandesal is perfect for creating cute sliders. Throw someslabs of tofu, slather thehummus, and toss your favorite greens and veggieson to make some adorably awesome mini sandwiches! Great for kids, especially.

How Do I Store Pandesal?

Pandesal is best eaten warm right out of the oven but if you end up with leftovers, store them in an airtight container for up to two days. You can also keep your vegan pandesal in the freezer for up to a month—just keep in an airtight container for up to a month and pop in the oven once you’re ready!

More Mouthwatering Bread Recipes to Try:

  • Seeded Spelt Bread
  • Vegan Pita Bread
  • Vegan Chocolate Zucchini Bread
  • “Ale, Yeah” Rosemary Beer Bread
  • Vegan Jalapeño Cornbread Muffins

Vegan Filipino Bread Recipe: Pandesal (8)

Vegan Filipino Bread (Pandesal)

Author: RG Enriquez

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5 from 7 votes

This vegan, cruelty-free version of pandesal are Filipino bread rolls traditionally enjoyed during breakfast. But when you make it at home, the time to enjoy it is really up to you! Kain na, let's eat!

Vegan Filipino Bread Recipe: Pandesal (14)

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 2 hours hours 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes minutes

Total Time 2 hours hours 30 minutes minutes

Servings 20

Ingredients

  • ½ cup evaporated cane sugar, plus 1 teaspoon to activate the yeast
  • 1 teaspoon active dry yeast
  • cup lukewarm almond milk
  • 3 cups bread flour, plus more for kneading (about 2 cups)
  • ½ teaspoon baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 1 tablespoon flaxseed meal mixed in 3 tablespoons of water–let it sit for at least 3 minutes

Instructions

  • Stir sugar, yeast, and almond milk in a bowl and let it sit for 15 minutes or until foamy. Make sure that your almond milk is lukewarm. I heated mine on the stove for two minutes over medium heat. You could also microwave it for 30 seconds.

  • Using a different bowl, whisk flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt.

  • Once the yeast is foamy, add the flaxseed meal mixture and vegetable shortening. Mix well.

  • Pour the wet mixture into the dry mixture and mix using a spatula until you have a sticky dough.

  • Lightly dust some flour on a clean counter to prepare for kneading. Place the dough on the counter. Gradually add flour on the dough as you knead until the dough is smooth and no longer sticky (about 15 minutes).

  • Lightly grease a bowl with oil and transfer the dough to the oiled bowl. Flip the dough to oil the other side and cover it with a plastic wrap. Set it aside in a warm place until it doubled in size, about an hour.

  • After the dough has doubled its size, punch a couple of times to release air. Transfer to the counter and roll the dough into logs. Divide the logs into equal pieces. Form in desired shapes.

  • Transfer the dough pieces to a tray, leaving about an inch between each other to make room for rising. Set aside for another hour or until doubled in size.

  • Sprinkle bread crumbs on top and bake in a pre-heated oven at 400F for 12-15 minutes.

  • Serve warm with your favorite filling or enjoy as is.

Video

Nutrition

Calories: 93kcal | Carbohydrates: 19g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 0.1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.2g | Sodium: 90mg | Potassium: 27mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 0.4IU | Vitamin C: 0.004mg | Calcium: 29mg | Iron: 0.2mg

Course Bread

Cuisine Filipino

Keyword pandesal, vegan bread, vegan bread recipe, vegan filipino, vegan pandesal

If you try this vegan pandesal recipe,let us know what you think by leaving a comment and rating below! Be sure to follow along onPinterest,InstagramandFacebookfor even more vegan recipe inspiration.

Recipe and photos for vegan pandesal by RG Enriquez. Article written by RG Enriquez and edited by Amanda Meth. Please note that this article may contain affiliate links which helps to keep the lights on at World of Vegan.

Vegan Filipino Bread Recipe: Pandesal (15)

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Vegan Filipino Bread Recipe: Pandesal (2024)

FAQs

Why is my pandesal so hard? ›

Why is the crust on my pandesal so hard? Your bread should be fluffy on the inside and slightly crusty on the outside, but the crust should not be rock hard. If your crust is too hard, it could be the result of under kneading your bread. Make sure your dough is completely smooth after kneading.

What is special about pandesal? ›

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.

Can I leave the pandesal dough overnight? ›

pandesal. provide gaps between dough as this will rise later on. towels, then refrigerate them overnight. up” 60 minutes before baking.

What does sal mean in pandesal? ›

“Pan de sal” literally means “salt bread” in Spanish, though the flavor is not actually salty.

How do bakeries make bread so soft? ›

Commercial bread is softer due to the steam process used by bakeries, which is made to keep bread hydrated and fresh.

Why do Filipinos love pandesal? ›

Pandesal brings comfort and familiarity during the rush of the day. Even more so when you have your cup of hot coffee or chocolate to enjoy your warm and soft pandesal with – it's always a great way to kickstart your day!

What is the English name for pandesal? ›

Pandesal, also known as Pan de sal (Spanish: pan de sal, lit. "salt bread") is a staple bread roll in the Philippines commonly eaten for breakfast. It is made of flour, yeast, sugar, oil, and salt.

Why is my pandesal not fluffy? ›

Why is my pandesal dense and not fluffy? A dense and pandesal can be caused by using inaccurate proportions of ingredients, for example, not enough liquid or fat, or using too much flour. Another reason is under rising. If the dough did not have enough time to rise, then the bread might come out dense and hard.

Can you let dough rise for too long? ›

“If the dough has risen too long, it's going to feel fragile and might even collapse as you poke it,” says Maggie.

What ingredient makes bread soft? ›

Sugar: Not only does it sweeten the bread, but sugar also retains moisture. This means that adding sugar can indeed make bread softer. Baking Soda: When added, especially in recipes with acidic ingredients, it can make bread soft and spongy.

What to eat with pandesal? ›

How to eat pandesal? Pandesal are best eaten directly from the oven. You can store them for 2-3 days in an airtight container and reheat them in a toaster oven — if you happen to have any leftovers. They're delicious with peanut butter (as I've told you) or smeared with salted butter and honey or jam.

How do Filipinos eat pandesal? ›

Many enjoy it for breakfast, dunking it into black coffee, warm milk or tsokolate (a thick and grainy hot chocolate). It's complete on its own, but frequently enhanced with butter, coconut jam, chocolate spread, peanut butter or sweetened condensed milk.

What is the national bread of the Philippines? ›

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.

Why is my pandesal dough sticky? ›

Your dough can become sticky when you add too much water or the flour isn't suitable for the type of dough you are making. Over proofing or fermenting the dough can also result in the gluten structure weakening causing sticky dough.

How to fix hard pandesal? ›

Heat helps soften the bread while toasting the outside gives it extra flavor and texture. You can also microwave the bread, but briefly, to prevent the bread from drying out even further.

How to make pandesal soft again? ›

If you want to make stale bread soft again, wrap the bread in foil. If the crust of the bread is very hard, sprinkle a little water on the outside before you close the foil. Place the bread in a 300°F oven for 5-15 minutes or until the bread feels soft. If you added water, heat the bread until it no longer feels soggy.

Why does my homemade bread feel hard? ›

It may indicate the kneading wasn't enough for the gluten to develop properly, or the dough was proved for too short a time or the dough may have been too dry. It is also worth checking the flour you used. Always use strong flour instead of plain and make sure too much salt was not added.

Why is my homemade bread always hard? ›

Baking quick breads at too high temperatures can cause a hard outside crust. Most quick breads bake in a moderate oven (350°F to 375°F). Double check your recipe to see the temperature they recommend. Oven thermostats can vary over time, requiring adjustments by the baker or calibration by a professional.

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