Pan de Sal Bread Rolls

Pan de Sal Bread Rolls

Despite its name (Pan de Sal literally means “salt bread”), Pan de Sal Bread Rolls actually taste more sweet than salty. Originally made with just yeast, flour, water, and salt, the recipe has been improved over the years by adding sugar and breadcrumbs.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup (125 ml) lukewarm water

1/4 oz (1 envelope) active dry yeast

1 teaspoon plus 1/2 cup (100 g) sugar

1 cup (250 ml) water

3 tablespoons oil

1 tablespoon salt

5 cups (625 g) all-purpose flour

3 tablespoons breadcrumbs

Makes about 15 to 20 bread rolls 

Preparation time: 20 minutes + 3 hours rising time 

Baking time: 20 minutes

Direction:

1. Pour the lukewarm water (about 110° F/45°C) in a large mixing bowl, and add the yeast. Add 1 teaspoon of the sugar to activate the yeast, and stir gently to dissolve. Let stand in a warm place for 15 minutes.
2. Add the water, oil, 1/ 2 cup (100 g) of sugar, salt, and flour little by little and mix thoroughly. Knead the dough on a floured surface until smooth and pliable.
3. Place the kneaded dough in a large, lightly greased bowl. Cover with a clean kitchen cloth or hand towel and let rest in a warm place for 2 hours or until dough doubles in size. The ideal room temperature for bread dough to rise is about 75°F (24°C).
4. When the dough has doubled in size, place it on a floured surface. Punch the dough down and then divide it into 15 to 20 pieces. Form each roll into a ball with your hands.
5. Place the balls on a lightly greased baking sheet and sprinkle the breadcrumbs on top. Make sure to leave a little space between the rolls. Let them stand in a warm place for 1 hour or until they double in size.
6. Bake the rolls for about 20 minutes in a pre-heated oven (325°F or 160°C), or until lightly browned. To test if they are done, gently press the top of one of the rolls; if it springs back, it is done.

Tips for baking bread:

• Each oven bakes differently, so take time to get to know your oven. For instance, electric ovens tend to get hotter and cook faster than gas ovens.

• Sometimes it is difficult to find a warm place to let the yeast or dough rise. Try putting it inside a preheated oven set to the lowest setting (and turn the oven off halfway through the rising process to make sure it doesn’t cook the dough).

• When dissolving the yeast in the lukewarm water, the temperature should be about 110°F (45°C). If the water is too hot or too cold, the dough will not rise.

• Make sure to use fresh yeast. The dough will not rise properly if the yeast is expired.

• It is tempting to add too much flour when kneading, but that will result in stiff bread.

• Overbaked bread will turn hard after some time even if it looks fine right out of the oven.