Spanish bread is a Filipino sweet bread roll with a buttery, sugary filling. It’s then rolled in bread crumbs and baked until golden brown and delicious!
(Fan of sweet bread rolls? Try this ube bread recipe — it’s packed with ube halaya and topped with toasted coconut!)

The Philippines was under Spanish rule for more than 300 years (yes, that long) so Spain’s influence on Filipino culture runs deep and profound. The country itself is named after King Philip!
You can see obvious Spanish influence on Philippine cuisine, from champorado to leche flan.
Ironically, Spanish bread has nothing to do with Spain lol! Nobody knows for sure why it’s called “Spanish” bread but one thing’s for certain — it’s delicious.
And easier to make than you think.
What is Spanish bread?

But first, what exactly is it?
Spanish bread is a sweet, buttery bread roll. I find it difficult to find something similar to compare it to, to be honest; it’s certainly uniquely Filipino.
My recipe for Spanish bread starts with dough that’s very similar to my pandesal recipe, but softer.
After I divide the dough into equal pieces, I flatten it, spread a filling that consists of breadcrumbs, butter, sugar and milk, then roll it into a log.
Spanish bread is usually enjoyed as a snack or merienda but we eat it for breakfast too. It’s perfect with coffee or tea.
Spanish bread ingredients
To make Spanish bread, you’ll need:
- Dry yeast (in this recipe, I use active dry yeast
as opposed to instant yeast
– more on that below)
- Water
- Granulated sugar
- Oil (I use canola oil)
- All-purpose flour
- Salt
- Bread crumbs (I use plain bread crumbs
not the flavoured ones)
For the buttery filling, you’ll need:
- Unsalted butter
- Breadcrumbs
- Brown sugar
- Milk (I use skim milk, you can also use whole milk or evaporated milk)
Tools you need to make this Spanish bread recipe
When baking bread, I find the following very useful:
- Instant read thermometer
— this helps me get my warm milk or warm water to the right temperature every time
- Kitchen scale
– I always weigh my ingredients when baking for consistent results. And when dividing dough, I weigh it so each piece comes out the same size
- Silicone pastry rolling mat
– I really love this! It makes kneading easier and clean-up a breeze
- French rolling pin
– I find the french rolling pin easier to use than a regular rolling pin but that’s mostly personal preference
- Bench scraper
— I’d say this nifty little bench scraper is one of the most used gadget in my kitchen. Scrape, cut, scoop. It’s very handy
Other than these, you’ll need mixing bowls, measuring cups and spoons, and baking pans.
How to make Spanish bread
Spanish bread has two components — the dough and the filling. First, let’s work on the dough.
How to make the dough for Filipino Spanish bread
1 YEAST. In a small bowl or measuring cup, stir warm water, active dry yeast and granulated sugar until dissolved. Set aside and let stand until bubbly (about 10 minutes).
2 COMBINE. In a large bowl, stir sugar and oil until fully combined. Add salt, your yeast mixture, warm water and flour. Stir until incorporated. If your dough is too wet or sticky, add more flour a little at a time until the dough becomes manageable.
3 KNEAD. Once the dough starts pulling and sticking together in a ball, transfer it into a floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic (8-10 minutes). When in doubt, knead some more.
4 FIRST RISE. Grease a large bowl with oil. Place your dough in the greased bowl and turn to ensure the whole dough is coated. Cover with a damp cloth and allow to rise in a dry warm place (about 90F) until it doubles in size (about 1.5 hours). This is when I usually prepare the filling (see next section).
5 DIVIDE. Once the dough is ready, turn it into a lightly floured surface and knead slightly. Weigh the dough and divide into 18 pieces.

6 FLATTEN. Flatten each piece into an oval/rectangle thats approximately 10 x 3 inches. Don’t flatten it too thin; go no thinner than 2mm.

7 FILL. Spread 1-2 heaping tablespoons of buttery filling on the dough, leaving a half inch border all around.

8 ROLL. Roll the dough and pinch at the seams to seal. Roll in bread crumbs.
9 SECOND RISE. Place on lightly greased baking pans (you’ll need 2) and cover with a damp cloth. Space evenly. Allow to rise a second time (about an hour).

10 BAKE. Preheat your oven to 375F. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until a light golden brown.
How to make Spanish bread filling
To make the filling, simply combine softened unsalted butter, breadcrumbs, brown sugar and milk in small bowl until combined.
If your filling is too chunky, add more milk 1 teaspoon at a time until you get a spreadable — but still fairly thick — consistency.
Bread baking tips
New to bread baking? Check out these tips.
Working with yeast
You know that lovely freshly baked bread smell? That’s yeast! In addition to making dough rise, yeast also gives bread its “bready” smell.
There are two main kinds of yeast you’ll find in the supermarket — active dry or instant rise (sometimes also called quick rise or rapid rise).
Active dry yeast needs to be bloomed in warm water; instant dry yeast can be added directly to dry ingredients such as flour.
I almost always use active dry yeast. For one, I like how by blooming it in water I can guarantee that the yeast is still alive.
Here’s more information about yeast that’s very helpful especially if you want to substitute one for the other.
Kneading the dough

I know some bakers like to use the dough hook of their stand mixers to knead their bread dough and that’s fine.
I prefer to knead by hand because there’s less chance of over-kneading. And there’s really something very relaxing about it!
If you’re unsure what “kneading until smooth and elastic” actually means, here’s a great resource that talks all about it.
Filling and rolling bread

Between you and me, I really don’t care all that much if bread and rolls are perfectly shaped. And so what if the filling flows over? They’re still delicious.
But you want perfect rolls, here are some things you can do:
- Weigh your dough
- Measure each piece with a baking ruler as you flatten it
- Don’t flatten it too thinly (no thinner than 2mm)
- And don’t get carried away with the filling
Also, remember that practice makes perfect so the more bread you bake, the better you’ll get at it.
Dough rise time and other questions

A lot of recipes say to allow the dough to rise until “double in size”.
Depending on the recipe, this can range from 30 minutes to 2 hours. Just check in at the halfway mark so you can get an indication of how much longer you have to go.
For me, what’s important is finding the proper place to leave my dough.
It’s cold here most of the year so leaving my bowl on our not-so-warm counter is not exactly ideal.
So what I like to do is turn my oven on to its lowest setting for a few minutes, then turn it off so that it’ll be about 90F when I’m ready to put my dough in to rise.
Just remember to remove the dough from the oven when you’re ready to preheat for baking.
And do you really need a damp cloth to cover your dough while rising? I do but it’s not necessary. Sometimes I use plastic wrap. And other bakers I know use pot lids.
The key is covering the bowl with something because doing so helps the dough retain moisture and prevents it from drying out.
The best kind of flour to use when making bread
I’ve personally never used bread flour to bake bread. I always use all purpose flour because that’s what I always have on hand. And I’ve had great success with it.
So if you don’t have bread flour, no worries. You can use all purpose flour and make very tasty bread out of it.
I did read that the higher percentage of gluten in bread flour (somewhere between 11-14%) makes it ideal for bread because it makes the dough more elastic and easier to work, resulting to lighter textured breads.
So if you’re curious, you can substitute all-purpose flour for bread flour easily. It’s a 1:1 substitution. You can read all about it and the different kinds of flour here.
The best way to store Spanish bread

As with any kind of bread, the best way to store Spanish bread is freezing it.
Just place the completely cool bread in a large Ziploc bag and put the bag in the freezer. It should last at least 1 month.
To serve, thaw in the microwave for a few seconds then pop in the oven toaster until warm and toasty. Good as new.
Hope you enjoy this Spanish bread recipe. It’s a fairly long process but it’s a simple one and the results are more than worth it.
Want to try other Filipino bread recipes? Try this — the best ensaymada recipe that’s simple to follow so you can make soft, sweet, cheesy ensaymada at home any time.

Filipino Spanish Bread – Easy No-Fail Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
For the yeast mixture:
- 1 envelope active dry yeast 1 envelope = 2¼ teaspoons
- 1 tsp granulated sugar
- 1 cup warm water about 110F
For the Spanish bread dough:
- ⅔ cup granulated sugar
- ¼ cup canola oil + more for coating can substitute with vegetable oil
- 1 cup warm water warm water from the tap is fine
- 2 tsp salt
- 6 cup all-purpose flour
For the Spanish bread buttery filling:
- ½ cup unsalted butter softened
- ¾ cup plain breadcrumbs + more for rolling
- ½ cup brown sugar packed
- 3 tbsp milk
Instructions
For the Spanish bread dough:
- In a small bowl or measuring cup, stir 1 envelope active dry yeast and 1 tsp granulated sugar in warm water (about 110F) until dissolved. Set aside and let stand until bubbly (about 10 minutes).
- In a large bowl, stir ⅔ cup sugar and ¼ cup oil until fully combined.
- Add 2 tsp salt, your yeast mixture, 1 cup warm water and 1 cup flour. Stir until incorporated. Proceed to add the rest of your flour 1/2 cup at a time combining well after each addition (see notes).
- Once the dough starts pulling and sticking together in a ball, transfer it into a floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic (8-10 minutes). When in doubt, knead some more.
- Grease a large bowl with oil. Place your dough in the greased bowl and turn to ensure the whole dough is coated. Cover with a damp cloth and allow to rise in a dry warm place (about 90F) until it doubles in size (about 1.5 hours).
- Once the dough is ready, turn it into a lightly floured surface and knead slightly. Weigh the dough and divide into 18 pieces.
- Flatten each piece into an oval/rectangle that's approximately 10 x 3 inches. Don’t flatten it too thin; go no thinner than 2mm.
- Spread 1-2 heaping tablespoons of buttery filling (instructions follow) on the dough, leaving a half inch border all around.
- Roll the dough and pinch at the seams to seal.
- Roll in bread crumbs until full covered.
- Place on lightly greased baking pans (you'll need 2) and cover with a damp cloth. Space evenly. Allow to rise a second time (about an hour).
- Preheat your oven to 375F. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until the bread turns a light golden brown.
For the Spanish bread filling:
- In a small bowl, combine ½ cup softened unsalted butter, ¾ cup breadcrumbs, ½ cup brown sugar and 1-3 tbsp milk (see notes) until combined.
Video
Notes
- If your dough is too wet or sticky, add more flour a little at a time until the dough becomes manageable.
- When making your filling, start with 1 tbsp milk and add more until you achieve spreadable consistency.
- Since you’re using 2 pans, it would be a good idea to rotate the pans halfway through baking especially if your oven has hot spots. Check in and see. I use 2 half sheet pans that’s 18×13 inches each.
- See the post for the complete step-by-step photos and bread baking tips.
Nutrition
Nutritional information are estimates only.
Happy baking!
Did you make Filipino Spanish bread? I’d love to hear from you in the comments section below.
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Kita Bryant says
This looks like such a delicious recipe! They would be awesome for breakfast!
Clarissa says
This looks delicious! Haven’t tried a bread like this, must try.
Catalina says
I am sure this bread will be our new favorite. Seems easy to make it at home!
May says
Yes spanish bread! I remember them from my grade school days. I’m not much of a baker but I might just try to recreate this fave from childhood. So good!
Kathy says
This bread looks amazing. I need to give it a try. I’ve been wanting to make some new bread recipes, so this would be perfect.
Lynndee says
One of my fave breads and I made some a few days ago. I will have to make some again. Yum!
Jolina says
I plan to bake a whole lot of of bread over the holidays too! 🙂 Happy baking Lynndee! Glad you liked them.
Ruth says
Yum! this is really a yummy bread. I love to eat this with coffee. I already tasted this but haven’t get to try making it for myself. Maybe I’ll give it a try, it sounds fun and I’m always curious to bake.
Celeste says
We used to buy spanish bread from a bakery near our house and devour them for merienda with coke litro! Thanks for the nostalgia trip Jolina. Im going to make this soon.
Jolina says
Yes, coke litro! 🙂 The memories lol. Happy baking!
Beth says
Oh my, Spanish bread looks amazing! I have not had much Filipino food, but I’ve liked all that I’ve tried. My friend loves to bake bread, I’ll have to share this recipe with her (and hope she gives me some!)
MELANIE EDJOURIAN says
I love that it’s a no fail recipe. I’m a bit hit and miss with my bread making.
Nikki Wayne says
This is one of my favorite Pinoy bread of all time.
Gervin Khan says
This is one of my favorite Filipino bread to eat and this is so delicious!
Tasheena says
This looks so yummy. I wish I had everything on hand to make this right now.
Bri says
OH YUM! This sounds amazing! I will definitely be trying this soon!
Heather says
I have to make this. I’ve been wanting to make bread for a while now. This looks like a recipe I can follow!
Melissa Chapman says
I am not a baker very often but these sweet rolls do look like they would be worth trying. I will keep this handy and try it before the holidays.
Tomi C says
This was a holiday staple at company potlucks when I lived in the SF Bay Area. I may have to add it to my quarantine baking schedule.
Pam Wattenbarger says
Oh, that looks so good. We purchase a bread that is similar to this at Beauford Farmer’s Market in Atlanta.
Amber Myers says
I’ve never tried bread like this before. It looks and sounds delicious, so I’m sure I’d love it.