Pan de Sal

This is a re-posting from my old kusina, featuring how to make pan de sal using bread machine/breadmaker for the dough (or use manual method using the same recipe). I have received emails about how their pandesal using this recipe/method has received rave reviews from fellow Pinoys. May I add that I have served this also to Americans and most of them loved this crusty-on -the-outside, soft-on-the-inside buns. There's a slide show of how to shape and cut the dough and then bake them in conventional oven, to make learning easier for those who are going to try this for the first time. Pardon the poem inspired by the smell of the yeast dough as it was rising...

From pandesal

Nung nasa Pilipinas pa ang inyong Manang
At dumating ang bayaw na balikbayan,
Araw-araw, nagpapabili ng pandesal,
Ito kasi ang nami-miss nya sa kanyang almusal.

Ngayon, si Manang, nasa parehong kalagayan,
Pero walang panaderyang nagbebenta ng pandesal
Nang ipamalita ang "Kusina" sa mga kaibigan,
"Ayan! I-feature mo ang paggawa ng pandesal!"
(Patay! Ang pandesal, di ko pa nasubukan...)

Kaya sa alaala, pilit na hinalughog
Mga panaderong sa masa ay humubog
Ipinikit ang mata upang balikan
Mahigit dalawang dekada nang nakaraan.

Tulad ni Sassy, humanap ng sweet bread recipe
Pang bread machine, mula Fleischmann's Bakery
Kasi ang sangkap, pang-family size lang
Para pag pumalpak, di nakakahinayang
(Mahal kasi grocery eh! At mas madali ubusin.)

Si Manong Ken, me resipi nga,
Pero sabi nya, me halong daya
Di kasi kanya yun, di sya panadero
Ang sangkap at proseso, iba sa alam ko.
(Parang mahirap ba...)

Nung bata kasi ako, sa panaderya ni Tatay
Sa paghulma at pagsalansan, laging nakaantabay
Sa kakahawak ng dough, nahasa ang mga kamay
Yung nga lang, resipi't sangkap, di ako nasanay.

Paggamit ng pugon, di rin natutunan
Para sa batang patpatin, medyo me kahirapan
Pero paglabas dun, alam ko ang gagawin
Palamigin, hiwain, balutin, KAININ!

Kaya eto ngayon, aking sinusubukan
Papel ng panadero, kaya bang gampanan?
Unang subok, sumobra, medyo natusta
Pangalawang subok, umubra, tamang-tama ang timpla!

Wish ko lang pandesal ko ay inyong matikman
Keso o mantekilya ang gawing palaman
Pero ang tangi ko lang kayang gawin
Ilagay sa website nang sa inyo ay maihain.

Lika, kusina ko ay iyong bisitahin
Paggawa ng pandesal, iyo ring subukin (excited ka na no?)
Sana kahit paano, natulungan kita,
Kahit araw-araw, me pandesal ka na!

*************
On to pan de sal making...

INGREDIENTS (using Basic Egg Bread recipe from Breadworld.com. Other suggested recipes are Old Fashioned Buttermilk Bread and Buttery Sweet Bread.):

1-POUND LOAF	INGREDIENTS	1-1/2-POUND LOAF
1/2 cup 1 1 tbsp 3/4 tsp 2 cups 1 tbsp 1-1/2 tsp	milk large egg(s) butter, cut up salt bread flour sugar bread machine yeast	2/3 cup 2 2 tbsp 1 tsp 3 cups 2 tbsp 2 tsp

DIRECTIONS: Update 7-20-09 - I added the manual method after the bread machine method due to readers asking for recipe if they do not have a bread machine.

BREAD MACHINE METHOD:
1. Use the 1-pound recipe if your machine pan holds 10 cups or less of water. Add ingredients to bread machine pan in the order suggested by manufacturer.
2. Set the bread machine to DOUGH CYCLE and let it do its job. (Saves you from getting your hands messy!
3-4. Wait for the dough cycle to complete the initial rising. While waiting, prepare the table (grease a bit), baking sheet (grease), and breadcrumbs. Grease your hands as well.
5. Punch the dough down (actually, as soon as you try to remove this from the pan, it will deflate.)
6. Lay the dough on the table and stretch as shown in the slide.
7. Using your two hands, roll the dough while squeezing some bubbles to make it more compact and turn it into a log about 2-3 inches in diameter. (Imagine wringing a towel, that is the effect you want to achieve here, only not too tight.)
8. Sprinkle the log on all sides with bread crumbs. (See how I make my own bread crumbs here.) Optional: Cover with plastic and allow to rise for 10 minutes. This will lessen your final rising time.)
9. Using a dough cutter, cut the log at intervals of 1 to 1-1/2 inches. Roll again on bread crumbs to coat the cut sides. (This makes about 20 pieces.)
10. Lay on lightly greased (with shortening) baking pan slightly diagonally, with the cut side up, 1 inch apart or at least one fingerbreadth apart. Cover with Cling wrap (or damp flour sack) and let rise for about 30 minutes (or 10 if you did an earlier optional rising of log) in a draft-free place. Alternatively, you may want to put it inside the oven and turn the oven on bake for 1 minute then turn off. This will make the oven warm and will hasten rising (about 10 minutes only, plus it is draft-free, but if you want fluffier pan de sal you can extend to 30 minutes. Just be careful when you open the door to take it our prior to setting the temp for baking per se. You do not want to create a sudden rush of air or else you might end up with a flat bread.)
11. Bake at 350 deg F for 12-15 minutes or until golden brown (depends on the size, spacing and oven used). If you want it darker, bake at 375 for 10-12 minutes).
12. Let cool (kung makakatiis ka!) for about 1 minute.
13. Enjoy either plain or with your favorite filling! (Mine is Reno liver spread, but I do not have access to that here, so I content myself with butter, jam, or Kraft Old English cheese spread.)


MANUAL METHOD:
1. In a pyrex measuring cup, microwave the liquid ingredients for about 30 sec to 1 min to make it lukewarm (80-100 deg F or room temp).
2. In a large bowl, place all dry ingredients and make a well at the center.
3. Place liquid ingredients in the well at the center. Using wooden spoon, mix liquid with dry starting from center until all dry ingredients from the sides are incorporated and you have a soft dough.
4. Transfer to a lightly floured surface and knead for about 8 mins.
5. Cover with plastic wrap and let rest for 10 mins.
6. Stretch as shown on slides and form into a tight log.
7. You may opt to sprinkle with breadcrumbs and (1) slice at this point or (2) let rest for another 10 mins before slicing.
8. Coat the sliced dough pieces and placing on greased baking pan.
9. Place in pre-warmed oven (to hasten rising time) and let rise some more for (1) 30 minutes if they were cut right away, or (2) 10-20 mins if they rose before cutting. The point is, get them to a good size before baking (remember that they will do a final rise when you place them in hot oven, so bake them when they reach a size just a little bit smaller than the size of pan de sal you want to eat).
10. Bake at 350 mins (or 365 if you want them darker) for 10-15 mins (keep watching after 10 mins by opening the oven door and looking at how dark they are).
IMPORTANT TIPS for beginners in yeast doughs:
A bread machine not only makes it less messy for your hands during the initial phase of dough preparation. You can also learn how the dough must feel if you will touch and poke it before it goes into the initial rising phase (that is 30 minutes after you start the dough cycle). Familiarize yourself with that dough and then also after the initial rising (end of dough cycle). Once you have done so, you can then have the courage to do the conventional way of kneading the dough by hand and judging if the initial rising time is enough.

Make sure you don't disturb the initial rising phase and that it is warm and moist and there is no draft (bread machines have that ideal setting).

When checking for brownness, OPEN the door and bring the bread under natural light instead of looking through the oven glass (the yellow light shows the bread being white when in fact it is already brown, you might toast it).

If you want to use the old-fashioned buttermilk recipe, but you don't have buttermilk on hand, you can substitute it with 1 tbsp cider vinegar or lemon juice plus enough fresh milk to make 1 cup, then use the right proportion in preparing the dough as per ingredients. (I saw this tip in the Cooking Pleasures Magazine of CookingClub.com, which sparked the idea of trying that recipe in making pandesal.)

For those without fresh milk (presuming I have followers in the Philippines, but please help our small businesses by patronizing the local bakeries), use 1:1 ratio of evaporated milk and water.

Place the buns right away on a cooling rack so they don't sweat at the bottom and make the bottom soggy.

In STORING pan de sal:
Let the buns cool on the wire rack completely but do not overdo that they dry up (this take about 10-30 mins here in my place depending on the weather or season). Then place in ziploc bags or airtight container. If you do this while they are still warm, they will sweat and will invite molds very soon. If you do it too late, they will be hard.
VARIATIONS:

Corned Beef Pan de Sal: If you have access to Argentina CB, get a small can and add a small, chopped onion. Without the breadcrumbs, cut the pan de sal into pieces about the size of pingpong ball, flatten and place a tbsp of CB mixture, seal the edges and roll in breadcrumbs. (I used to sell these when I was still studying in Med school, but without the breadcrumbs. They sold fast! Perfect breakfast!)

Hotdog Pan de Sal: Roll pieces to flatten (like in my spanish bread post) then put the hotdog in, wrap the dough around, then roll on breadcrumbs. (This is probably the equivalent of "hoagie" here.)

Yun lang...

This re-posting is so that I can have it labeled properly and make it easier to locate.

UPDATE: Some Americans (my co-workers, friends' friends, relatives) have tried these and absolutely loved the soft interior and the crusty exterior. Just try to offer them to your co-workers or relatives who are open to new things, and I guarantee you, they will see you with new eyes...