Pan de Sal (Filipino bread roll)

Ever since I can remember, my family and I used to go to a small Filipino bakery and buy bags and bags of their homemade bread rolls, also known as Pan de Sal. Served warm, the outside was lightly coated in breadcrumbs and the inside was so incredibly soft. The rolls didn't need any butter or condiments as they had a subtle sweetness to them. Sadly, this bakery closed down years ago and I haven't been able to enjoy one since. Until! I have discovered a wonderful recipe for these rolls that created an exact replica of the same bread I used to enjoy. Hooray!

Pan de Sal (Filipino bread rolls)

Recipe from salu-salo.com

Cooking time: 3 hours, 45 minutes

Yield: 24 rolls

Ingredients

2 1/4 tsp active dry yesat

1/4 cup warm water

1 cup lukewarm milk

2 tbsp unsalted butter at room temperature

1/2 cup sugar

1 tsp salt

2 eggs, beaten

4 1/2 cups all purpose flour or more as necessary

breadcrumbs

Directions

1. Add the yeast to warm water (between 100-110 degrees F) and let stand for about 10 minutes, allowing the yeast to activate. 
2. In a large bowl, mix together the milk, butter, eggs, sugar, and salt. Add the yeast and water mixture and 2 cups of flour, mixing with a wooden spoon. Gradually add in the remaining 2 1/2 cups flour, adding more if needed.
3. Lightly dust your counter with flour. Transfer the dough to the counter and knead until the dough is smooth and elastic, about 10 minutes. You can also use an electric mixer, kneading with the dough hook.
4. Lightly grease a medium bowl with cooking spray or oil and transfer the dough. Cover and proof the dough for 1 hour or until doubled in size.
5. Portion the dough into 24 equal portions. Roll each portion into a ball. Coat in breadcrumbs and lay on a lined baking sheet. Cover with a wet cloth and proof for one more hour or until doubled in size.
6. Preheat oven to 225 degrees F.
7. Bake the rolls for 20 minutes at 225 degrees. Increase the heat to 325 and continue to bake for 10-15 minutes or until the rolls are golden brown. Cool or serve warm. 

Nutritional Analysis:
per serving: 120 calories, 1.6g fat (0.8g saturated, 0.2g polyunsaturated, 0.4g monounsaturated),  22.7g carbohydrates, 0.7g fiber, 3.4g protein

**Helpful tips and common mistakes

If you happen to have a handy bread machine at your disposal, there is also a recipe for the machine on salu-salo.com. I decided to make these by hand today.

When beating the milk mixture with the yeast and 2 cups of flour, you will get the smoothest consistency using an electric mixer. It may not be completely smooth if you use a wooden spoon, but get it as smooth as you can and it will be fine. 

To get the right consistency, I added an additional 1/4 cup of flour to the dough. 

For the breadcrumbs, I decided to make my own rather than buying already made. Simply process one slice of white bread until they become crumbs. Day old bread will work the best or I simply toasted the bread and then processed until crumbly. 

This dough was extremely easy to handle; I didn't even need any additional flour to roll out the dough because it was not sticking to the counter. Personally, the size of these rolls were on the smaller side. The ones I used to purchase was equivalent to two of these rolls but the size is up to you.

One hour later of proofing and 30 minutes in the oven and voila! Beautiful Filipino bread rolls! I have to say, these came out exactly how I wanted them to. I was very pleased with the outcome: incredibly soft interior with a golden shell and slightly sweet taste. Success! 

You can also choose to freeze any leftovers and reheat them before serving. The rolls are best when warm. No more searching for Pan de Sal!