Pan de Sal

The Sunday after-church spread in the small southern Virginia community where I grew up often included pan de sal, pillowy rolls that the Filipino women in our Catholic congregation would bring along with them from home. The rolls, which take a tumble in bread crumbs before proofing and baking, have a sweet and tender, spongy interior. I still crave them today, far from home, so I make them myself. Whether fresh from the oven, buttered and dipped into coffee, or sandwiching country ham, there's nothing better.