Ube Cheese Pandesal Recipe certainly hit the jackpot when it became a sudden hit in the Philippines.
With the goodness of the sweet ube and creamy cheese combined together into the Filipino favorite pandesal, it immediately captured the hearts of many Filipinos nationwide.
Just open your Facebook account and you will see almost every one of your friends are posting about how much they want to try the delicious bread.
But since it is just a new discovery, it is somehow hard to obtain by everyone. Then why not try making it yourself? Because it sure is possible!
A lot of Filipino desserts have already managed to add this delicious combination to many of their variations.
You can even find the flavor in desserts like ice cream, and it is no surprise that it is one of the favorite flavors of most Filipinos.
This shows how Pinoys already developed an attraction to this unique combination of flavors, and once they were associated with another favorite which is pandesal, the result will surely end up everyone’s best-loved dessert.
It is just pretty recent when this major hit of a dessert became a nationwide craze. A humble bakeshop in Silang, Cavite was responsible for its discovery, and they made it known to the world by posting this new creation on their Facebook account.
Just by seeing how each purple-colored pandesal looks with its oozing cheese inside already made everyone’s mouth water. Thus, it began the sudden hunt for the famed bakeshop in Cavite.
TIPS HOW TO MAKE UBE CHEESE PANDESAL
You may use 1 tsp ube liquid flavor or more as needed. Alternatively, use ½ cup ube powder, fresh or ube halaya, depending on which is available in your area. Please note that you may need to adjust the flour.
For ultimate flavor, I suggest you add ½ cup ube halaya to this recipe.
If you can't buy bread flour, just use plain flour instead.
Make sure the milk is not too hot when proofing the yeast. Let mixture stand for about 5-10 minutes until it begins to foam vigorously.
Remember to rise the dough inside a warm place of your house. I usually preheat the oven at 100°C for 10 minutes then turn it off and place the dough inside. This will help to raise the dough, especially in winter months.
To make ahead, prepare the dough, cover with cling wrap and put it in the fridge overnight. The next day, let it sit at room temperature for about 30 minutes. Add the cheese filling and shape into a ball. Arrange in pan baking tray and cover with a tea towel. Allow it to rise for another 30 minutes before baking.
It sure is nice to buy it from where it originally came from, but not all people have the opportunity to travel all the way to Cavite just to be able to taste it. The solution? A homemade version of Ube Cheese Pandesal Recipe!
It will be a nice change to wake up to ube cheese pandesal instead of the usual bread that Pinoys eat for breakfast.
Not only will be a lot healthier because of the additional ingredients which are both nutritious, but kids will also love its flavor for sure!
Ube Cheese Pandesal
Ube Cheese Pandesal is simply a Filipino version of a bread roll infused with cheese and purple yam or ube as we call it.
INGREDIENTS
1 cup fresh milk warm
2 tsp dry yeast
2 cups plain flour
1 cup bread flour
½ cup white sugar
½ cup vegetable oil
1 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla essence
1 tsp purple yam flavor alternatively, use ½ cup ube powder or ube halaya but you may need to adjust the flour
1 block cheddar cheese cut into cubes
½ cup bread crumbs
INSTRUCTIONS
In a small bowl or cup, combine the warm milk ( not too hot) and 1 tbsp sugar. Mix until dissolved. Add the dry yeast and let it stand for about 5-10 minutes until it becomes foamy.
Combine the dry ingredients (flour, bread flour, salt and white sugar) in a large bowl and mix thoroughly. Make a well in the centre of the bowl then add the yeast mixture, cooking oil, vanilla essence and ube flavor. You can also use fresh ube, powder or ube halaya instead.
Mix the dough until it forms. Transfer in a clean flat surfface and manually knead the dough for at lease 8 minutes until smooth.When you lightly press your finger into the dough, it should bounce back.
Place the dough in a greased bowl, cover with tea towel and let it stand for about 1 ½ hour or until size is doubled. I prefer to pre-heat the oven at 100°C for 10 minutes then turn it off and place the dough inside. This will help to rise the dough, specially in winter months.
Gently deflate the dough by giving it a punch. Roll the dough into a log, cut and divide it into 20-25 pieces. Flatten the dough and add in the cheese filling, seal and shape into a ball.
Line baking sheets with parchment paper and arrange the dough with ½ inch apart. Cover it with a clean tea towel and let rise for another 30 minutes or an hour. Meanwhile, pre-heat the oven at 180°C.
Roll each dough with bread crumbs. Bake at 180°C for 10 - 15 minute until the top is lightly brown. Serve warm or store in an air-tight container at room temperature.
Xoxo
Gil
