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Pan aliñado
Sweet and salty cheese bread braid
Colombia's soft, sweet-and-salty braided cheese bread
ColombianColombian panaderías fill their glass cases with pan aliñado, a shiny braided loaf that is sweet on the outside and salty from the crumbled white cheese worked through the dough. In Bogotá and across the Andean towns it is torn into chunks at the onces, the late-afternoon break, and dunked in a cup of hot chocolate, ideally with an extra slice of fresh cheese melting in the cup. The texture should be soft and pillowy, the crust thin and glossy with a sugary shine. Queso costeño is the usual cheese; a mix of feta and low-moisture mozzarella is the closest substitute (choose ones made with vegetarian rennet). Adding the cheese at the start is the common error: it smears and stops the dough developing, so knead it in last. Chef's tip: sprinkle sugar over the egg wash just before baking for the sweet, crackly top that makes it pan aliñado.
- Total time
- 178 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 12
Ingredients
For the dough
- 1 ⅛ lb strong white bread flour
- ⅓ oz instant dried yeast
- 2 ⅞ oz sugar
- ¾ tsp salt
- ¾ cup whole milklukewarm
- 2 eggs
- 2 ½ oz buttersoftened
- 2 ⅞ oz queso costeño or fetafinely crumbled; vegetarian rennet
- 2 ⅛ oz low-moisture mozzarellagrated; vegetarian rennet
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Method
0/9 doneStep 1: Mix 1 ⅛ lb strong white bread flour, ⅓ oz instant dried yeast, 2 ⅞ oz sugar and ¾ tsp salt. Add ¾ cup whole milk and 2 eggs and mix to a soft dough.
Step 2: Knead for 8 minutes, then knead in 2 ½ oz butter until smooth and elastic.
10 minStep 3: Flatten the dough, scatter over 2 ⅞ oz queso costeño or feta and 2 ⅛ oz low-moisture mozzarella, fold it in and knead for 2 minutes more until evenly speckled.
2 minStep 4: Cover and leave in a warm place for 1–1½ hours, until doubled.
75 minStep 5: Divide into 6 equal pieces and roll each into a 35 cm rope. Braid three ropes into a loaf, tucking the ends under, and repeat with the rest. Set both on a lined tray.
Step 6: Cover and prove for 40 minutes, until puffy and soft. Heat the oven to 350°F (325°F fan).
40 minStep 8: Bake for 25–28 minutes, until deep golden and glossy, the bases sound hollow when tapped and the centre reads 88–194°F.
27 minStep 9: Cool on a rack for at least 20 minutes. Best within 2 days; warm leftovers briefly before serving.
20 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 270 kcal
- Protein
- 9 g
- Carbs
- 37 g
- Fat
- 10 g
- Fibre
- 1 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does pan aliñado take?
- About 178 minutes in total: 150 minutes to prepare and 28 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 12 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- 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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