Print

Ube Cheese Pandesal

Ube cheese pandesal rolls on a board with one split open beside a mug of Filipino coffee
Print Recipe

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star

No reviews

Soft Filipino ube pandesal rolls tinted vivid purple with ube halaya and ube extract, stuffed with a melting cube of cheese and finished with the classic breadcrumb coating. Best warm from the oven with hot coffee.

Ingredients

Units Scale

Dough:

  • 375 g bread flour
  • 40 g granulated sugar
  • 1 tsp fine sea salt
  • 2 1/4 tsp (7 g) instant dry yeast
  • 240 ml lukewarm whole milk
  • 60 g ube halaya
  • 2 tsp ube extract
  • 1 large egg, lightly beaten
  • 45 g unsalted butter, softened and cubed

Cheese filling:

  • 150 g queso de bola or sharp cheddar, cut into 12 cubes

Breadcrumb coating:

  • 100 g fine breadcrumbs
  • 1 tbsp granulated sugar

Instructions

  1. Whisk the bread flour, sugar, salt and yeast together in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook.
  2. In a separate bowl, whisk the lukewarm milk with the ube halaya and ube extract until smooth and evenly purple, then whisk in the beaten egg.
  3. Pour the wet mixture into the dry ingredients and mix on low for about 3 minutes, until a rough dough forms.
  4. Add the softened butter one cube at a time, letting each piece disappear before adding the next. Increase to medium speed and knead for 12 to 15 minutes, until the dough is soft, tacky and passes the windowpane test.
  5. Shape into a ball, place in an oiled bowl, cover and proof in a warm spot for 1 to 1.5 hours, until doubled.
  6. Turn the dough out, press the air out gently and divide into 12 pieces of about 70 g each.
  7. Flatten each piece into a disc about 8 cm across, set a cheese cube in the middle, gather the edges up and pinch firmly to seal, then roll smooth and set seam side down.
  8. Stir the breadcrumbs and 1 tbsp sugar together in a shallow bowl and roll each ball to coat all over.
  9. Space the coated rolls on parchment lined trays, cover and proof for 45 minutes to 1 hour, until visibly puffed.
  10. Heat the oven to 180°C / 350°F.
  11. Bake for 18 to 20 minutes, until deeply golden and hollow sounding when tapped underneath.
  12. Cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes and eat warm while the cheese is still soft.

Notes

  • You need both ube extract and ube halaya. The extract brings the vivid purple, the halaya brings flavour and moisture, and neither one does the whole job alone.
  • Queso de bola is the traditional cheese here. Sharp cheddar is a great stand in. Skip mozzarella, it melts too much and leaks out.
  • For plain ube pandesal, leave the cheese out and follow every other step exactly.
  • Do not skip the breadcrumb coating. It is the small detail that makes these read as pandesal rather than generic sweet buns.
  • Store airtight at room temperature for up to 2 days, or freeze for up to 1 month. Warm day old or frozen rolls in a 150°C / 300°F oven for 5 minutes to bring back the fresh baked texture.

Nutrition

Find it online: https://zhangcatherine.com/ube-cheese-pandesal/