This twist on the classic Filipino breakfast staple, Ube Pandesal, adds a delightful touch to the most popular bread in the Philippines by infusing it with the unique and vibrant flavors of purple yam, making mornings even more delicious.
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I have a bit of an obsession with all things purple and ube-flavored, so much so that I've dedicated a whole section on this blog to all things ube!
Whether it's whipping up batches of cinnabon-style ube rolls, indulging in ube crinkles, savoring the goodness of ube sopapilla, ube brownie or flipping some delightful ube pancakes, there's something magical about that vibrant hue and unique flavor.
Among my repertoire, this popular ube pandesal has become a regular in my kitchen. Even though we're surrounded by fantastic Filipino bakeries here in OC, the allure of a hot, freshly made bread is just irresistible. There's nothing quite like that warm, comforting aroma wafting through the kitchen. So, when the ube cravings strike, there's no holding back – it's officially ube pandesal time!
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Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Unique Flavor: The sweet, nutty taste of ube makes these pandesal irresistibly delicious.
- Soft and Fluffy: The perfect balance of light, airy dough with a slightly crisp exterior.
- Vibrant Color: The natural purple hue from ube makes these rolls visually stunning and fun to eat.
- Versatile Snack: Enjoy them on their own, with butter, or filled with your favorite spread.
- Easy to Make: Simple ingredients and straightforward steps for homemade bakery-quality rolls.
- Cultural Favorite: A beloved Filipino treat that brings a taste of tradition to your kitchen.
What is Ube?
Ube, also known as purple yam, is a jewel of Filipino cuisine. Its natural sweetness and vibrant hue make it a popular ingredient in various dishes, and incorporating it into pandesal elevates the bread to a whole new level.
Pandesal is a Morning Tradition
Back in the day, my wakeup call was the jingle of bells and the continuous vendor's enthusiastic shout of 'PAN-DE-SALLLLLLL' outside, signaling the start of a morning adventure – the dash to snag some freshly baked pandesal. Those warm, golden rolls were the key to a perfect breakfast.
You could get creative – slap on some cheese, peanut butter, or throw in a bit of spam, egg or bacon, basically anything your heart fancied. But for me, there was something heavenly about keeping it simple, just enjoying it plain.
A warm pandesal with a side of hot choco or coffee? Now, that's what I call the recipe for sweet memories. It's more than just bread; it's a comforting tradition that brings back all the feels with every delicious bite.
🥘Ingredients
- All-purpose flour: Provides the structure and base for these soft, fluffy rolls.
- Sugar: Use white sugar. Adds sweetness and helps activate the yeast.
- Active dry yeast: Helps the dough rise, making the pandesal light and airy.
- Lukewarm milk: Lukewarm whole milk or 2% at 110 degrees Fahrenheit. Warm milk activates the yeast, initiating fermentation and helping the dough rise.
- Egg: Contributes to the dough's richness and tenderness. Fresh eggs ensure better texture and flavor in the final product.
- Butter: Adds moisture and a rich, buttery taste to the dough.
- Ube powder and ube extract: Adds ube flavor and color to the pandesal, giving it its distinctive purple hue and sweet taste.
- Breadcrumbs: Coats the pandesal, giving it its classic crunchy exterior.
🔪How to Make Ube Pandesal?
- In a measuring cup, dissolve the yeast in lukewarm milk with 1 tablespoon of sugar. Allow it to sit until frothy, indicating that the yeast is active and ready to work its magic. Add ube extract and mix.
- Combine the flour, sugar, salt, egg, melted butter, ube powder and the activated yeast mixture.
- Using a spatula, mix the dough.
- The dough will look shaggy and sticky.
- Knead the dough on a lightly floured surface for about 10 minutes. To prevent sticking, rub a bit of oil on your hands. Shape the dough into a ball, place it in an oiled bowl, cover, and let it rise until it doubles in size.
Gently press the dough to release any air, then give it a light knead.
- Divide the dough into 12 equal size. You can use a weighing scale to do this. Each should be about 70 grams.
- Roll the balls in breadcrumbs for that perfect crust.
- Arrange the Ube-filled dough balls on a baking sheet, leaving enough space for them to rise.
- Bake at 360 degrees Fahrenheit for 15 minutes or until golden brown and delightfully fragrant.
Top Tip
After shaping the pandesal dough into rolls, you can refrigerate them overnight. Place the shaped rolls on a baking sheet, cover them with plastic wrap, and let them chill in the refrigerator. This extended resting time not only enhances the flavor but also allows for a slow rise, resulting in a more developed taste and texture.
In the morning, simply take the chilled pandesal dough out of the refrigerator, let it come to room temperature, then bake as usual. This convenient method ensures you have freshly baked pandesal ready to enjoy with minimal effort in the morning!
Storage Instruction
- Room Temperature: Store the Ube Pandesal in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. This keeps them soft and fresh.
- Refrigeration: For longer storage, place the rolls in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 1 week. Warm them in the microwave or oven before serving to restore softness.
- Freezing: To freeze, wrap each pandesal individually in plastic wrap or aluminum foil, then place them in a freezer-safe bag or container. They can be frozen for up to 3 months. To enjoy, thaw at room temperature or reheat in the oven at 350°F (175°C) for 5-10 minutes until warm.
If you want to keep your bread fresh longer, check out our guide on How to Prevent Bread from Molding. It’s packed with simple tips to keep your homemade bread delicious and mold-free!
Variations of Pandesal
People are more creative nowadays, aside from my favorite plain and ube pandesal, here are some more other variations you can try.
- Ube Chese Pandesal: Add a savory twist by incorporating cheese into the dough or stuffing each pandesal with your favorite cheese.
- Coco Pandesal: Mix desiccated coconut into the dough to create a tropical and coconut-flavored pandesal.
- Spanish Bread Pandesal: Roll the dough with a butter-sugar-cinnamon filling for a sweet and buttery taste reminiscent of Spanish bread.
- Pandesal with Malunggay: Boost the nutritional content by adding malunggay (moringa) leaves to the dough for a healthy and green pandesal.
- Whole Wheat Pandesal: Use whole wheat flour for a heartier and healthier version of this Filipino favorite.
- Pandesal with Ham and Cheese: Incorporate diced ham and cheese into the dough for a savory and filling breakfast treat.
- Tsokolate Pandesal: Mix cocoa powder into the dough and pair the pandesal with a cup of traditional Filipino tsokolate (hot chocolate).
- Peanut Butter-filled Pandesal: Stuff each pandesal with a dollop of peanut butter for a nutty and satisfying twist.
- Pandan Pandesal: Infuse the dough with pandan extract for a fragrant and subtly sweet pandesal.
- Chicken Adobo Pandesal: Incorporate shredded chicken adobo into the dough for a savory and Filipino-flavored pandesal.
- Corned Beef Pandesal: Mix in corned beef for a hearty and flavorful twist to your pandesal.
What Do You Eat With Pandesal?
- Champorado (Chocolate Rice Porridge): The rich chocolate flavor of champorado perfectly balances the sweet, fluffy texture of ube pandesal. Or, if you prefer, try ube champorado.
- Arroz Caldo (Filipino Rice Porridge): Savory arroz caldo offers a delicious contrast to the sweet, soft ube pandesal, perfect for dipping.
- Hot Chocolate or Tsokolate: Pair ube pandesal with Filipino-style hot chocolate for a rich and creamy flavor experience.
- Cream Cheese or Ube Cheese Spread: Spread cream cheese or ube cheese for a creamy, tangy addition to the sweet bread.
- Longganisa (Filipino Sweet Sausage): Sweet and savory longganisa enhances the caramelized, garlicky flavor when paired with ube pandesal.
- Taho (Sweet Silken Tofu): Taho's sweet syrup and chewy sago pair well with the soft, subtly sweet ube pandesal.
- Sweetened Condensed Milk or Dulce de Leche: Drizzle condensed milk or dulce de leche on ube pandesal for an indulgent, dessert-like snack.
Recipe FAQs
No, it’s not recommended because it will make it denser. However, you can use halaya as a delicious filling after baking for an added burst of flavor!
The dough usually takes 1-2 hours to double in size, depending on the room temperature.
Absolutely! Store them in an airtight container and freeze for up to 3 months. Reheat in the oven or microwave.
Yes! Adding cheese, ube halaya, or other fillings inside the dough before baking creates a delicious surprise.
More Ube Recipes
Pinoy Breakfast Ideas
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📋 Recipe
Filipino Ube Pandesal
Equipment
- 1 mixing bowls
- 1 baking tray
- 1 weighing scale optional
Ingredients
- 3 cups All-purpose flour
- ¼ cup sugar + 1 tablespoon
- 1 ½ teaspoon active dry yeast
- 1 cup warm milk 110 degrees Fahrenheit
- 1 whole egg
- 2 tablespoon butter softened
- 1 tablespoon ube powder
- 2 teaspoon ube extract Add more if needed (color varies depending on the brand you're using)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ¾ cup Breadcrumbs for coating
Instructions
- In a measuring cup, dissolve the yeast in lukewarm milk with 1 tablespoon of sugar. Allow it to sit until frothy, indicating that the yeast is active and ready to work its magic. Add ube extract and mix.
- Combine the flour, sugar, salt, egg, melted butter, ube powder and the activated yeast mixture.
- Using a spatula, mix the dough. The dough will look shaggy and sticky.
- Knead the dough on a lightly floured surface for about 10 minutes. To prevent sticking, rub a bit of oil on your hands. Shape the dough into a ball, place it in an oiled bowl, cover, and let it rise until it doubles in size.
- Gently press the dough to release any air, then give it a light knead.
- Divide the dough into 12 equal size. You can use a weighing scale to do this. Each should be about 70 grams.
- Roll the balls in breadcrumbs for that perfect crust.
- Arrange the Ube-filled dough balls on a baking sheet, leaving enough space for them to rise.
- Bake at 360 degrees Fahrenheit for 15 minutes or until golden brown and delightfully fragrant.
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