The Successful Pandesal

Hello Pandesal!

I am not a baker. Apart from some easy bake brownies that always ended up tasting weird from my fledgling attempts through Elementary and High School, I have purposefully avoided the art of baking most of my adult life.

Its been long decided that I have neither the patience nor the talent for baking. Regardless of how much I love the smell of fresh baked bread, how I can finish a full cake on my own in a day, or how eerily familiar I am with all of Red Ribbon's and The French Baker's baked offerings -- alas, I am not a fan of baking and neither is baking a fan of mine.

Unfortunately, living overseas means there are a few things from home that I am bound to miss out on. My types of breads and cakes are some of these tragic misses. At some point, in this long imposed deprivation, the craving overrides common sense and I bring out the flour again.

My Irish Coconut Macaroons

To date, I have had three attempts with two wins and one hideously embarrassing loss. The first were coconut macaroons made in Ireland that turned out both pretty and yummy. Second, were my chicken empanadas which aren't really pastry-pastries strictly speaking, but I used flour on them and popped them into the oven, so they should count. Not to mention the fact that they were surprisingly good and I am eager to claim as many baking wins as I can so don't bother trying to convince me otherwise. 

My last attempt was an utter and absolute disaster. I had wanted to make pandesal but thought maybe ensaymadas would be much easier and more interesting to make. At the end of my traumatic escapade my ensaymadas, even after some loving from the oven, still turned out custardy, blobby, and goopish. PIC has since christened them yemas (a sticky cream colored treat from home) and had the gall to broadcast my shame on Facebook for all to read. Oh the joys of wedded bliss.

So what is it about the elusive pandesal? For as long as I can remember, we always had pandesal in the morning for breakfast. I can have it without any spread or needing to dip it in Milo or coffee as I got older. When I started working, I'd still try and have pandesal by indulging in Starbucks' snootier option of corned beef pandesal. In fact, one of my fondest childhood memory was being carried by my yaya (as I pretended to be too sleepy to walk) to the local baker and finally "waking up" in the back room to pick my pandesals for the morning as the little buns slid off the giant trays and into their giant baskets.

It was inevitable that I attempt this feat. It was just a matter of when, and how gloriously will I succeed or fail.

The Command Center

Armed with ingredients purchased from months before, my trusty iPad set up and poised to start on a YouTube video from Panlasang Pinoy, I was ready to make a mess of my kitchen.

20 to 30 minutes later I gave up. I hated the smell of yeast and I thought the dough was too ungainly and icky for me to fool around with. I now remember why I'm not a fan of baking. At this stage everything has been mixed and kneaded and I'm now supposed to let it rest and rise for an hour. I left the kitchen thinking that the bl**dy thing is going to stay as flat as I left it and I am going to be in for another depressing let down. 

Two hours later PIC comes home and I meet him in the kitchen and completely forget about saying "Hi!" and welcoming him home -- the dough rose! So I kneaded and rolled and cut it in portions and pre-heated the oven. Wow this is exciting, I thought. My first attempt at pandesal and I now have a 70% chance of making it work - I just hope to God it bakes properly and is at least edible!

A few minutes later and they're done. I was amazed to see they looked decent enough. I then had the foresight to pick one up, stick it up PIC's face and say "If you truly care for me, you'll have a bite..." and he did. Thankfully, he didn't keel over gagging or twitching. Instead, he proclaimed my pandesal edible and believable. Yay! Now, if only I knew what to do with all this bread...

Final output! Hmm... did not realize they'd almost double in size again

Hello You - The Pandesal Test #1 Does it look the part?

The Pandesal Test #2 Is it squishy soft?

The Pandesal Taste Test - Passed!