There are things that you just miss when you are in a foreign land.... mostly Filipino delicacies. The adobo just does not taste nearly as good when you use the white vinegar and soy sauce that you find in American groceries. Finding Datu Puti sukang puti and soy sauce was a heady experience, therefore, when I caught sight of this package in an Asian grocery store.
Sinigang is another dish that my family loves so much but I just could not find "gabi" and "kangkong" even in Asian grocery stores. I am still experimenting with various other substitute but so far, none that satisfies my taste buds.
Then my high school classmate sent me this pan de sal recipe which I was just as eager to try. My first experiment was a comedy. Just as when my yeast mixture was already bubbly and just ready to be mixed into the dry ingredients, I suddenly realized that I ran out of flour. In a desperate move to save my yeast mixture, I got hold of a pancake mix and thought, "this is also flour anyway...". Well, it was not a very accurate thought. My pan de sal ended like a McDonald's biscuit. It was passable in taste and the aroma was delightful but the texture was far from the pan de sal that I have been dreaming of.
So this time, I googled other pan de sal recipes, made some variations in the original recipe that my classmate made to suit my taste and came up with this recipe. Of course, I also made sure I had enough supply of flour for my ingredients.
PAN DE SAL
Mix 1 tablespoon of active dry yeast with 1 1/4 cups of warm water (100-110F). Add 1/2 cup of white sugar and allow to bubble for 10 minutes to activate the yeast.
Meanwhile, mix 1/2 cup white sugar, 1/4 cup vegetable oil, 1 teaspoon salt , 1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder and 1 cup flour in a separate bowl. Add the yeast mixture (once activated) to the bowl and put 3 cups of all-purpose flour (1/2 cup at a time) until the dough is formed and no longer sticks to the sides of the bowl. Transfer the dough into a flat, clean surface and start to knead. Powder the surface and the dough with flour every now and then and knead for 10 minutes.
Oil a clean bowl and transfer the dough into the bowl making sure that the dough is coated with oil. Cover the dough with plastic cling wrap and allow the dough to rise for 2 hours. Keep the bowl of dough in a warm place for better results. I put mine in the garage, ha, ha, ha, since the house is cool because of the air conditioning and the oven is not nearly warm enough for the dough to rise. But I have to think of other place in the winter. Perhaps, it will be beside the fireplace.
Anyway, once doubled in size, punch the dough in the middle several times until it folds up into the center. Form the dough into small balls of desired size and coat with bread crumbs. Other recipes would recommend rolling the dough into 2 inch width rolls and cutting it to form square buns. Whichever way you prefer does not really matter. Just make sure you don't forget to coat with the bread crumbs because that's what makes the pan de sal different from a dinner roll.
Arrange in baking pan and allow to rise for 20-40 minutes in a warm place. Heat the oven to 350F and transfer the baking pan inside the oven once the dough has risen. Bake for 30 minutes or until golden brown.
Enjoy the aroma of freshly baked pan de sal in your house. You may freeze remaining cooled, uneaten buns. This can be toasted and enjoy the same experience of eating freshly-baked pan de sal over and over again.
Sinigang is another dish that my family loves so much but I just could not find "gabi" and "kangkong" even in Asian grocery stores. I am still experimenting with various other substitute but so far, none that satisfies my taste buds.
Then my high school classmate sent me this pan de sal recipe which I was just as eager to try. My first experiment was a comedy. Just as when my yeast mixture was already bubbly and just ready to be mixed into the dry ingredients, I suddenly realized that I ran out of flour. In a desperate move to save my yeast mixture, I got hold of a pancake mix and thought, "this is also flour anyway...". Well, it was not a very accurate thought. My pan de sal ended like a McDonald's biscuit. It was passable in taste and the aroma was delightful but the texture was far from the pan de sal that I have been dreaming of.
So this time, I googled other pan de sal recipes, made some variations in the original recipe that my classmate made to suit my taste and came up with this recipe. Of course, I also made sure I had enough supply of flour for my ingredients.
PAN DE SAL
Mix 1 tablespoon of active dry yeast with 1 1/4 cups of warm water (100-110F). Add 1/2 cup of white sugar and allow to bubble for 10 minutes to activate the yeast.
Meanwhile, mix 1/2 cup white sugar, 1/4 cup vegetable oil, 1 teaspoon salt , 1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder and 1 cup flour in a separate bowl. Add the yeast mixture (once activated) to the bowl and put 3 cups of all-purpose flour (1/2 cup at a time) until the dough is formed and no longer sticks to the sides of the bowl. Transfer the dough into a flat, clean surface and start to knead. Powder the surface and the dough with flour every now and then and knead for 10 minutes.
Oil a clean bowl and transfer the dough into the bowl making sure that the dough is coated with oil. Cover the dough with plastic cling wrap and allow the dough to rise for 2 hours. Keep the bowl of dough in a warm place for better results. I put mine in the garage, ha, ha, ha, since the house is cool because of the air conditioning and the oven is not nearly warm enough for the dough to rise. But I have to think of other place in the winter. Perhaps, it will be beside the fireplace.
Anyway, once doubled in size, punch the dough in the middle several times until it folds up into the center. Form the dough into small balls of desired size and coat with bread crumbs. Other recipes would recommend rolling the dough into 2 inch width rolls and cutting it to form square buns. Whichever way you prefer does not really matter. Just make sure you don't forget to coat with the bread crumbs because that's what makes the pan de sal different from a dinner roll.
Arrange in baking pan and allow to rise for 20-40 minutes in a warm place. Heat the oven to 350F and transfer the baking pan inside the oven once the dough has risen. Bake for 30 minutes or until golden brown.
Enjoy the aroma of freshly baked pan de sal in your house. You may freeze remaining cooled, uneaten buns. This can be toasted and enjoy the same experience of eating freshly-baked pan de sal over and over again.
2 comments:
Hi, Lanie! Great to know you have this blog pala. Gosh, I need to read the past entries! :)
I miss reading your blog after i canceled my friendster account last year.
Keep on writing! :) -Mima
Yup, just can't resist writing, Mima. It's my worst vice, ha, ha, ha. Sana mapagkakitaan ko. :)
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