Ube Cheese Pandesal – Pandesal is one of many classic pieces of bread to enjoy in the Philippines. One popular variation of this bread is cheese pandesal. Think of pandesal as a fluffy bread roll with a slightly savory flavor. Usually, pandesal is enjoyed plainly with a warm drink. However, with this type of pandesal, you get a depth of sweetness with an added savoriness of cheese filling. Due to the addition of ube into the bread mixture, it generally results in the usually golden brown bread turning purple. Just like bread with filling, there are different ways you can go about making this dish. This recipe is one of them:
Ube Cheese Pandesal
Ingredients
- 1 cup whole milk warmed at 150F
- ½ cup granulated sugar + 1 tablespoon
- 2 teaspoons instant dry yeast
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- ¾ cups bread flour
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup vegetable oil
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon ube flavor extract
- 1 cup cheddar cheese cut into cubes
- ½ cup bread crumbs
Instructions
Dough Making Process
- Pour the warmed milk, a tablespoon of white sugar, and instant dry yeast into a bowl and mix them all together until they are fully incorporated
- Allow the mixture to bloom for 10 minutes then set it aside for later.
- Add all-purpose flour, bread flour, white sugar, salt into a mixing bowl and whisk until combined.
- Once the dry ingredients are combined, add the yeast mixture, vegetable oil, vanilla essence, ube extract, and mix until a rough dough forms.
- Knead the dough by hand for 13 minutes or have it kneaded on a stand mixer for 10 mixer
- Grease a bowl with butter or cooking owl then transfer the dough into it and cover it with cling film
- Let the dough rise for 1 ½ half hours or until the dough's size is doubled.
Bread Filling and Baking Process
- Preheat your oven to 350F or 176C
- Once the dough has risen, punch out any air holes and divide it into 20-22 equal portions.
- Flatten the dough, add the cheese cubes in the middle, then seal and shape into a ball.
- Scatter the breadcrumbs onto a flat surface then roll the dough into the breadcrumbs.
- Place the prepared dough into a baking pan lined with parchment paper.
- Cover with the pan a moist clean towel and let it rise for another 30 minutes.
- Bake for 14 minutes
- Once baked, let the pandesal cool on the tray before transferring them to a plate to serve
What to know about Ube Cheese Pandesal
As stated, ube is a popular flavoring in the Philipines. While there is no certainty on where the combo of ube and cheese came from, it is one of many ways one can enjoy pandesal. When it comes to making this type of pandesal, you also have the option to use an ube filling with cheese on top as an alternative. You can also do a mixture of ube and cheese filling if you’d like. Whatever you decide to do, you’re sure to end up with a sweet and savory treat for a snack. Generally, you can enjoy this treat by itself, but you also have the option to pair it with some coffee if you’d like.
You can also check out our other ube baked treats such as our “Ube Ensaymada Recipe” and “Ube Hopia Recipe.“
