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Pan de arroz
Pan de arroz: golden rings of rice flour and salty cheese, coffee-time bread of the Llanos
Coffee in Arauca or Casanare rarely comes alone: there is usually a basket of pan de arroz, small golden rings made from rice flour and grated salty cheese, sold at roadside stalls, bakeries and village fiestas across the plains. They bake crisp on the outside and soft, slightly chewy and cheesy within, a cousin of pandebono but lighter and more crumbly. Eat them warm with a cup of tinto or hot chocolate in the afternoon. The cheese on the plains is queso llanero, a firm, salty farm cheese; mix feta-style cheese with a little mozzarella if you cannot find it, and as both are usually made with animal rennet, choose vegetarian (microbial-rennet) ones. The mistake that causes trouble is coarse, lumpy cheese, which makes the dough crack as you shape it; crumble or grate it very finely. Chef's tip: rest the dough for 10 minutes before shaping so the rice flour hydrates and the rings close without splitting.
- Total time
- 50 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 8
Ingredients
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Method
0/7 doneStep 1: Heat the oven to 400°F. Line two baking trays with baking paper.
Step 2: Mix 9 oz rice flour, 9 oz queso llanero or firm feta-style cheese, 2 tbsp sugar, 1 tsp gluten-free baking powder and 1 pinch salt in a bowl. Rub in 1 ¾ oz butter with your fingertips until it looks like damp sand.
Step 3: Beat in 2 eggs, then add ¼ cup whole milk a little at a time and knead for 3 minutes, until the dough is smooth, soft and holds together without cracking.
3 minStep 4: Cover and rest for 10 minutes.
10 minStep 5: Divide into 16 pieces. Roll each into a rope about 15 cm long and join the ends into a ring, pressing them together firmly. Space them on the trays.
Step 6: Bake for 20–25 minutes, until golden brown on top and firm underneath.
22 minStep 7: Cool on the trays for 5 minutes, until they crisp up, and serve warm.
5 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 280 kcal
- Protein
- 11 g
- Carbs
- 27 g
- Fat
- 14 g
- Fibre
- 1 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does pan de arroz take?
- About 50 minutes in total: 25 minutes to prepare and 25 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 8 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- What can I use instead of butter?
- The same weight of ghee or coconut oil (for frying and most baking).
- What can I use instead of sugar?
- Caster sugar, same amount.
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