Late last year, a bakery in Cavite had the idea of flavoring pandesal with ube, then stuffing it with cheese. We immediately tried to make our own, with leftover ube extract and Eden cheese in our pantry. It was glorious, and so we're sharing our ube cheese pandesal recipe with you.
It's important to use the best ube extract you can find to really get the flavor in there. And for the cheese, we found that kesong puti matches the profile really well. Alternatively, you can use cream cheese or Quickmelt.
Whoever thought of flavoring pandesal with ube, then filling it with cheese is a genius. Here's how to make ube cheese pandesal at home.
You will need a stand mixer with a dough hook attachment to make the bread.
Make dough: Combine flour, salt, sugar, yeast, and powdered milk in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook. Beat on low speed until the dry ingredients are well combined. Add the water and ube extract, then increase mixer speed to medium. Run for 3–5 minutes or until a rough dough forms. While still on medium speed, add butter by the tablespoon. Continue to work the dough until smooth and elastic, about 15 minutes total.
Proof dough: Remove bowl from the mixer and cover in plastic wrap. Let the dough rise at room temperature for 1 hour or until doubled in size.
Prepare for shaping: Line a 9x9-inch square pan with parchment paper. Dust a wooden chopping board, work counter, or clean work surface with flour.
Shape pandesal: Turn dough out onto a floured surface and cut into 12 equal pieces. Roll each piece into a ball, and keep them covered in plastic wrap while you shape each pandesal. Working one piece at a time, flatten the dough ball into a circle with your palms. Place a piece of white cheese in the center. Gather the edges of the dough over the cheese to seal it inside. Pinch the edges shut. Roll dough back into a ball and cover in breadcrumbs until well coated. Transfer to the lined pan and cover with plastic wrap. Repeat with remaining dough and cheese.
Proof pandesal: Cover the lined baking sheet with plastic. Let the dough rise again for 30–40 minutes, or until doubled in size.
Bake: Preheat the oven to 350°F. Bake pandesal in preheated oven for 25–30 minutes, or until golden in color. Let cool for a bit before serving warm.
