Vegan Pandesal (Filipino Bread Rolls)

Step 1

In a large cup, mix together the lukewarm water and 1 teaspoon of sugar. Add in the active dry yeast and gently mix it to combine. Set this mixture aside for 5-10 minutes to activate. You will know it is ready when it is fluffy!

Step 2

In the meantime, in a small pot over low heat, add the vegan butter and the almond milk. Heat until the butter has melted but the mixture is not boiling. Remove the mixture from heat and cool for 10 minutes, or until lukewarm.

Step 3

Transfer the mixture to a large mixing bowl (or the bowl of your standing mixer). Add in the remaining 3/4 cup of sugar and mix until well combined. Add in the yeast mixture and the salt and mix again. Next, begin to add the flour, 1/2 cup at a time, until the dough is moist but not sticky. Be sure to mix each 1/2 cup through before adding in the next. We used a total of 6 cups of flour, but you may need a little more or a little less depending on the liquid of your mixture.

Step 4

Grab another large bowl and lightly coat it with oil. Set it aside.

Step 5

On a lightly floured work surface or with a standing mixer, knead the dough until it is smooth, about 10 minutes.

Step 6

Transfer the dough to the oiled bowl, toss it around a bit to be sure it is moist, and cover it with a clean towel. Allow the dough to rise in a warm area for 1 hour, or until doubled in size. We rose ours in the oven with the oven light on (no heat!).

Step 7

In the meantime, grease your baking dish(es). Our glass baking dish is 9×12″ and it was not large enough for all of the rolls, so we also used an oiled a cake pan.

Step 8

Flour a clean work surface. Once the dough has risen, punch it down and transfer it to the work surface. Divide the dough into 20 even pieces. If you would like this to be precise, you can use a scale. Shape each dough into balls (see video for how we did ours).

Step 9

Add the breadcrumbs to a wide bowl or plate and gently coat each pandesal roll in the breadcrumbs. If the rolls are too dry to coat, you can spray them with cooking oil spray or with water to moisten them up. Transfer the rolls into the greased dish, fairly close together (about 1/2″ apart), to help them fluff up as they bake. We fit 15 rolls in our glass dish and 5 in our cake pan.

Step 10

Cover the pan(s) with a clean cloth and place them in a warm place to rise for 1 hour, or until doubled in size. We rose ours in the oven with the oven light on (no heat!).

Step 11

Preheat the oven to 375°F. If you are rising the dough in the oven, be sure to remove them before preheating! Bake the rolls for 20 to 25 minutes, or until golden brown. Cool for 10 minutes before serving. Enjoy!