Pan de Leche – Filipino Sweet Bread Rolls
Pan de leche is a Filipino sweet bread that has many regional variations. As far as I know, any yeasted bread baked with milk and sugar can be labeled pan de leche, but I have a very specific idea of what it is supposed to be like. It will be dense and feel heavy for its size. The crumb will be dry but fluffy. The glazed soft crust will have the slightest hint of chewiness. Throwing it against a wall or forehead will cause a resounding thump.
With those attributes in mind, I tried several divergent recipes before coming up with my own. I found that making pan de leche requires the most basic bread baking techniques — pre-ferments, wild yeast starters, and soakers are unnecessary and the dough should be firm and easy to handle. It should take only a few hours of fermentation, some pantry staples, a sheet pan, and a hot oven.
The simplicity of my pan de leche recipe means that it is average bread at best. To put it bluntly, most of the other breads I’ve baked, where slow fermentation spread over a few days fully develops the flavor of the resulting loaf, will taste better.
But this is exactly how I remember it, a close approximation of a childhood favorite. After several attempts, I think I finally nailed it.
World Bread Day hosted by Zorra of 1x Umruhren Bite
Pan de Leche
Filipino Sweet Milk Bread Rolls
makes 9 pan de leche rolls
Final Dough Formula:
Ingredients Volume Ounces Grams all-purpose flour 3 cups 13.5 383 whole milk 1/2 cup 4 113 butter, melted 1/2 cup 4 113 granulated sugar 1/4 cup 1.75 50 kosher salt 2 tsp instant yeast 1 tbsp large eggs 2
For the Egg Wash:
1 egg
2 tablespoons water
2 tablespoons sugar
Equipment:
1 half-sheet pan lined with parchment paper
Final Dough Instructions:
Mix Mix all of the ingredients until evenly incorporated. Knead 10 to 12 minutes Bulk Ferment 2 hours at room temperature in a lightly oiled bowl Divide 9 pieces, about 85 grams / 3 ounces each Rest 15 minutes Shape oval dinner rolls Final Proof 60 to 90 minutes at room temperature while uncovered, until almost doubled in size. Let a skin form on the rolls.
Proofed Filipino pan de leche rolls.
Preheat Oven 375ºF/190ºC Glaze glaze with the egg wash Score 2 slashes (optional)
Glazed and scored Filipino pan de leche rolls.
Bake Bake at 375ºF/190ºC for about 18 to 22 minutes, rotating
the pan halfway through baking if necessary
Cool At least 15 minutes
Say cheese.
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October 16th, 2008 at 3:02 am
Thanks for this recipe! My husband, the bread-baker will have something new to bake this week (already put another shortcut on his desktop) since he’s already perfected pandesal. Can’t wait to taste them.
October 16th, 2008 at 3:10 am
Simple and full of memories is sometimes best. I love how shiny brown those crusts are.
October 16th, 2008 at 3:43 am
They look so pretty with their beautiful shape and wonderful color! Great!
Cheers and happy WBD,
Rosa
October 16th, 2008 at 3:50 am
yummy these look gorgeous. I have a bread phobia. No matter how hard I try I always end up with ahrd rock bread.Your instructions maybe helpful though. Maybe I ll try these.
October 16th, 2008 at 5:52 am
that looks lovely, Jude. hee hee – “throwing it on a wall or against your forehead” ? – couldn’t possibly do that to these beauties!
October 16th, 2008 at 6:03 am
Hmmm… haven’t had these for a long time…
October 16th, 2008 at 7:47 am
I want to know how you know about the sound it makes when it hits someone’s forehead?
October 16th, 2008 at 9:05 am
The rolls look so appetizing and beautiful!
Ulrike from Küchenlatein
October 16th, 2008 at 9:23 am
Did you have pan de leche fights as a child, is that how you know what they sound like when thrown? The grinning rolls look very inviting.
October 16th, 2008 at 9:58 am
Say: Filipino pan de leche rolls Please! Yes. These are beautiful to look at. And there is nothing wrong with simple, variety is wonderful!
October 16th, 2008 at 10:20 am
Lovely breads – I haven’t had these in years, so it’s great to see your recipe.
October 16th, 2008 at 3:35 pm
oooo this bread brings childhood memories. the bakery down the street would have these in the afternoon. they would sprinkle sugar on top of the bread. it was great!! though not complex, these simple pleasures of our childhood often make more lasting impressions
October 16th, 2008 at 5:00 pm
So~~~~lovely and yummy rolls! Love them at first sight!
October 16th, 2008 at 7:18 pm
I’m putting together my own site rating of good blogs like yours would you allow me to add yours? Thanks.
October 16th, 2008 at 10:22 pm
They are the cutest little buns! I love the colour on them too. Happy World Bread Day!
October 17th, 2008 at 12:39 am
This is absolutely beautiful. Wow, I am so impressed with your bread baking skills.
October 17th, 2008 at 1:53 am
My mom always taught me never to play with food… these are tempting me to try the sounds they make! Happy happy breads, love the gloss!
October 17th, 2008 at 7:33 am
These I think are the poster child for World Bread Day. They are just begging to be made by me. My husbands friend lived int he Phillipines. I think I need to make them for him and his family. GREAT looking bread!
October 17th, 2008 at 9:47 am
Looks delicious.You have given a wonderful description about the bread.But I do not think it should be thrown against a wall
.On a serious note bookmarked.It is a comfort food
October 17th, 2008 at 10:28 am
if there’s anything better than regular ol’ bread, it’s sweet bread. not sweetbreads, mind you, but sweet bread.
October 17th, 2008 at 11:13 am
I have trouble believing these taste anything less than fabulous! I could bite into my computer screen…
October 17th, 2008 at 11:15 am
i will have to show ‘dad’ this recipe, he might be interested!:) kindly refresh my memory, with half a cup sugar and ‘de leche’…is this supposed to be sweeter than the pan de sal? i have completely forgotten how it tastes like!:(
October 17th, 2008 at 2:46 pm
Such beautiful rolls! You inspire me to move beyond the loaf pan, which I seem to use as a crutch for lack of shaping skills…
October 17th, 2008 at 3:10 pm
Wow! The rolls looks very delicious and your photos are so great.
October 17th, 2008 at 7:00 pm
Must be gratifying to recreate a childhood favorite. They look stunning. (BTW, the guy with the buggle is using it to sell his wares as they are freshly baked.)
October 18th, 2008 at 8:47 am
I need to make these soon! Thanks for your participation in WBD’08.
October 18th, 2008 at 10:42 pm
Love the caption on the last picture.
I think simple breads are also beutiful. I’m definitely going to make these.
Btw, is it the eggs that give the dough a yellow tinge?
October 19th, 2008 at 12:30 pm
Caroline – I want your pan de sal recipe
Snooky – These rolls are supposed to be dense so it should be worth a try.
Kat – Just aim and put a bit of backspin on it.
Susan – Being the youngest, I was usually on the receiving end.
Paoix – Some extra on top sugar would be nice.
Ces – Pan de leche is a bit sweeter and richer than pan de sal. It varies, but the pan de leche I remember is a lot more dense than pan de sal.
Aparna – It’s probably the eggs and butter that give it a yellow tinge.
Thanks everyone!
October 21st, 2008 at 5:52 pm
Even though, like you, I prefer whole grain breads, there is something really wonderful about this kind of soft roll. (I’ve found that adding the leftovers from feeding wild yeast can improve the overall flavour for people like us, without taking away from it at all for people who love simple plain sweet bread.)
-Elizabeth
October 27th, 2008 at 12:48 pm
These look awesome. Thanks for the recipe, this is a bread I have not tried yet.
October 28th, 2008 at 4:21 am
My family loved them, tks for sharing a great recipe.
October 29th, 2008 at 7:32 pm
They look so cute! Hee.
November 7th, 2008 at 6:58 pm
do you have other recipes a bread with seasoning?!…
May 20th, 2010 at 4:00 pm
Hi Jude,
I, too, like to bake. In my search for a particular pandesal recipe, i stumbled upon your website. I think your pan de leche recipe is good, you instructions are very clear. Can’t wait to try it. Is this also called “Putok” in some areas in the Phils. like Nueva Ecija? Also, do you have a recipe for the type of pandesal that is more yellowish in color, softer, and covered with powdery cheese instead of bread crumbs? I don’t know what they call it back in the PI. If you do please, please can you also publish it here. I missed it so much and can’t find it anywhere here in HI. Thank you!!!
June 17th, 2010 at 12:55 pm
Whether is an indian or italian wedding, we always pay attention to the smallest detail