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Pan de yema
Egg yolk bread with sesame
Oaxaca's rich egg-yolk bread topped with sesame, for dunking in chocolate
Sesame-flecked and burnished almost to mahogany, Oaxaca's pan de yema is made for dunking. Bakeries in the city and in the bread town of San Antonio de la Cal turn it out daily, but it is most loved around Día de Muertos, when it sits on the family altar with marigolds and a painted dough face, and is broken into bowls of frothy Oaxacan hot chocolate made with water or milk. The crumb is dense, yellow and close, with a gentle orange note. Some bakers use lard; butter and vegetable shortening are used here so it stays vegetarian. A pale loaf is the giveaway of skipping the second yolk wash: brush twice for that deep, shiny crust. Chef's tip: the dough is heavy and sticky with yolks, so knead it by machine and resist adding flour; it firms up as it develops.
- Total time
- 240 min
- Difficulty
- hard
- Serves
- 8
Ingredients
For the sponge
- 3 ½ oz plain flour
- ½ cup lukewarm water
- ⅓ oz instant dried yeast
For the dough
- 1 ⅛ lb plain flour
- 4 oz sugar
- 1 tsp salt
- ¼ cup whole milklukewarm
- 1 tsp orange zest
- 2 ⅞ oz buttersoftened
- 1 ⅜ oz vegetable shorteningsoftened
To finish
- 1 egg yolkbeaten with 1 tbsp milk; or use milk with a little melted butter for an egg-free finish
- 3 tbsp sesame seeds
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Method
0/9 doneStep 1: Stir 3 ½ oz plain flour, ½ cup lukewarm water and ⅓ oz instant dried yeast together, cover and leave for 30 minutes, until bubbly.
30 minStep 2: Put the sponge in a mixer bowl with 1 ⅛ lb plain flour, 4 oz sugar, 1 tsp salt, 8 egg yolks, ¼ cup whole milk and 1 tsp orange zest. Knead with the dough hook on low for 5 minutes.
5 minStep 3: Add 2 ⅞ oz butter and 1 ⅜ oz vegetable shortening a spoonful at a time, then knead on medium for 10–12 minutes, until the dough is smooth, shiny and comes away from the bowl.
12 minStep 4: Cover and leave in a warm place for 1½ hours, until doubled.
90 minStep 5: Divide into 8 pieces. Pinch off a walnut-sized knob from each and roll the rest into tight balls. Set them on lined trays, press a dip in the top and sit the small knob in it like a topknot.
Step 6: Cover and prove for 45 minutes, until puffy and they spring back slowly when pressed.
45 minStep 7: Heat the oven to 350°F (325°F fan). Brush with 1 egg yolk, wait 5 minutes, brush again and sprinkle thickly with 3 tbsp sesame seeds.
5 minStep 8: Bake for 25–30 minutes, until a deep glossy mahogany, the bases sound hollow when tapped and the centre reads 88–194°F.
28 minStep 9: Cool on a rack for at least 20 minutes. They keep 3 days wrapped and are even better for dunking on day two.
20 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 470 kcal
- Protein
- 11 g
- Carbs
- 70 g
- Fat
- 17 g
- Fibre
- 3 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does pan de yema take?
- About 240 minutes in total: 210 minutes to prepare and 30 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.
- Can I make it ahead?
- Yes. It keeps well, so you can cook it earlier in the day or the day before and reheat it.
- What can I use instead of plain flour?
- Self-raising flour, same amount (then leave out the baking powder).
- What can I use instead of plain flour?
- Self-raising flour, same amount (then leave out the baking powder).
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