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ube pandesal with cheese filling
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5 from 17 votes

Ube Cheese Pandesal

Ube Pandesal with Cheese are soft, fluffy, and loaded with purple yam flavor. These Filipino bread rolls are delicious for breakfast or snack.
Prep Time30 minutes
Cook Time20 minutes
Rise2 hours 30 minutes
Total Time3 hours 20 minutes
Course: Baked Goods
Cuisine: Filipino
Servings: 14 Servings
Calories: 228kcal

Ingredients

  • ¼ cup warm water
  • 1 packet (2 ¼ teaspoons) active dry yeast
  • 6 tablespoons white granulated sugar
  • 3 tablespoons butter, softened
  • 2 eggs, lightly beaten
  • ¼ cup warm milk
  • ½ cup mashed cooked ube
  • 1 ½ tablespoons liquid ube flavoring
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 3 ½ cups flour
  • 1 tablespoon vegetable oil, for kneading
  • ½ pound Velvetta cheese (or any quick melat cheese), cut into 14 two-inch and ¼-inch thick squares
  • ½ cup bread crumbs

Instructions

  • In a mixing bowl, add the warm water (105 to 110 F in temperature) and sprinkle the active dry yeast and 1 tablespoon of the sugar. Stir the mixture and let stand for about 5 minutes, or until foamy.
  • Add the softened butter, eggs, the remaining sugar, warm milk, mashed purple yam, ube flavoring, and salt. With a wooden spoon, stir the ingredients until well combined.
  • Add 3 cups of the flour, one cup at a time, stirring well after each addition until the dough forms a shaggy mass. Add just enough of the remaining flour (you might not use the whole ½ cup) to manage stickiness and stir until the dough comes together in the center of the bowl.
  • Lightly grease a kneading board with the oil, and turn the dough out.
  • Lightly grease hands with oil and knead the dough,  pushing the dough down and away from your body using the heels of your palms, until it's smooth and elastic but still somewhat tacky.
  • Place the kneaded dough in a lightly oiled bowl and cover with a kitchen towel. Let rise for about 1 ½ to 2 hours or until double in size.
  • .Gently deflate the risen dough and form into a 20 to 22-inch log. Cut the log vertically in half and then cut each half into 7 smaller portions to yield 14 portions.
  • Using the palm of hands, flatten each dough portion and place a piece of cheese in the center. Fold the dough around the cheese and form it into a smooth ball, tucking the ends under to seal.
  • Roll the dough in bread crumbs and arrange in a single layer at about ½ inch apart on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Cover loosely with a clean kitchen towel and let rise for about 30 to 60 minutes or until puffy and have doubled in size.
  • Bake in a preheated 350 F oven for about 20-23 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to slightly cool as the filling will be hot!

Video

Notes

  • Check the temperature of the water used for proofing the yeast to ensure it’s within 105-115 F range as very hot liquids can kill the yeast.
  • The dough will be sticky. To make kneading easier while keeping the bread texture soft, use oil and about 1 teaspoon flour. Grease work surface and your hands as needed but do so sparingly as oversaturating the dough with oil will keep it from rising and too much flour will make it dry.
  • The dough will gradually lose its stickiness as you knead, but it will remain somewhat tacky. 
  • To check if the dough is well-kneaded, do the windowpane test. Take a small portion of the dough and with your fingers, stretch it out to form a square. A translucent film should form in the center without breaking easily.
  • Cut the cheese into squares instead of cubes so you get more cheesy areas inside the buns.

Nutrition

Calories: 228kcal | Carbohydrates: 34g | Protein: 8g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Cholesterol: 37mg | Sodium: 488mg | Potassium: 141mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 949IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 115mg | Iron: 2mg