Pan de jamón
Pan de jamón: Venezuela's Christmas bread rolled with ham, bacon, olives and raisins
Caracas bakeries start taking orders for pan de jamón in early December, and families set it on the Christmas table beside the hallacas: a soft, slightly sweet bread rolled around cooked ham and smoked bacon (both pork), green olives and raisins, glazed with panela syrup. Each slice shows a spiral of salty and sweet. The common mistake is rolling loosely, which leaves gaps in the spiral. Chef's tip: roll it as tightly as you can, pressing as you go, and seal the seam well before it proves.
- Total time
- 170 min
- Difficulty
- hard
- Serves
- 10
Ingredients
For the dough
- 1 ⅛ lb strong white bread flour
- 2 ⅛ oz sugar
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 cup whole milklukewarm
- 1 egg
- 2 ⅛ oz buttersoft
For the filling
- 10 ½ oz sliced cooked ham
- 5 ½ oz smoked streaky bacon
- 3 ½ oz pimento-stuffed green olivessliced
- 2 ⅞ oz raisinssoaked 10 min in hot water and drained
To finish
- 1 eggbeaten
- 2 tbsp panela or brown sugar
- 2 tbsp water
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Method
0/7 doneStep 1: Mix 1 ⅛ lb strong white bread flour, 2 ⅛ oz sugar, ¼ oz fast-action dried yeast and 1 tsp salt. Add 1 cup whole milk and 1 egg and knead for 8 minutes, then knead in 2 ⅛ oz butter until the dough is smooth and elastic, about 5 minutes more.
15 minStep 2: Cover and leave in a warm place for 1 hour, until doubled.
60 minStep 3: Meanwhile fry 5 ½ oz smoked streaky bacon in a dry pan for 3–4 minutes, until it is cooked but still soft. Cool on kitchen paper.
5 minStep 4: Roll the dough into a 40 × 30 cm rectangle. Cover with 10 ½ oz sliced cooked ham, leaving a 2 cm border, then lay over the bacon and scatter 3 ½ oz pimento-stuffed green olives and 2 ⅞ oz raisins.
10 minStep 5: Roll up tightly from the long side, pressing as you go. Pinch the seam and ends closed and set seam-side down on a lined tray. Prove for 30 minutes and heat the oven to 350°F.
35 minStep 6: Prick the top all over with a fork, brush with 1 egg and bake for 35–40 minutes, until deep golden and hollow-sounding when tapped underneath.
40 minStep 7: Boil 2 tbsp panela or brown sugar with 2 tbsp water for 1 minute and brush it over the hot loaf. Cool for 20 minutes before slicing.
3 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 380 kcal
- Protein
- 17 g
- Carbs
- 48 g
- Fat
- 13 g
- Fibre
- 2 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does pan de jamón take?
- About 170 minutes in total: 130 minutes to prepare and 40 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 10 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- What can I use instead of strong white bread flour?
- Plain flour, same amount (the dough will be softer and rise a little less).
- What can I use instead of sugar?
- Caster sugar, same amount.
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