AI-generated image
Pan bon
Dark spiced fruit and cheese bread
Pan bon: Limón's dark spiced Caribbean bread with cheese and fruit
On Costa Rica's Caribbean coast, the Afro-Caribbean families of Limón and Cahuita bake pan bon for Easter, Christmas and any big gathering, a recipe brought by Jamaican railway workers in the late 1800s. The loaf is dark and fragrant with molasses and burnt-sugar syrup, studded with raisins, candied peel and little cubes of salty cheese that melt into pockets. It is sliced thick and eaten with coffee. Dense, heavy loaves usually come from adding the fruit and cheese too early; knead them in only after the dough is smooth. Hard cheese is often made with animal rennet, so pick a vegetarian one if needed. Chef's tip: brush the warm loaf with the burnt-sugar syrup straight from the oven for its signature sticky, shining crust.
- Total time
- 120 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 12
Ingredients
For the dough
- 1 ⅛ lb strong white bread flour
- 2 ⅞ oz dark brown sugar
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 tsp ground cinnamon
- ½ tsp ground nutmeg
- 1 tsp ground ginger
- 3 tbsp molasses or black treacle
- 1 cup warm milk
- 2 ⅛ oz buttersoftened
- 3 ½ oz raisins
- 1 ¾ oz mixed candied peel
- 3 ½ oz firm salty cheesein 1 cm cubes; vegetarian if needed
For the burnt-sugar syrup
- 2 ⅛ oz sugar
- ¼ cup water
Shop this recipe on Amazon
Spices & pantry
Fresh ingredients (4)
Links open Amazon in a new tab. As an Amazon Associate, WhatToEat.Today earns from qualifying purchases.
Method
0/6 doneStep 1: Make the syrup: heat 2 ⅛ oz sugar in a small pan without stirring until it melts and turns very dark amber, nearly smoking. Take off the heat and carefully pour in ¼ cup water (it will spit). Stir to a thin, dark syrup and cool.
8 minStep 2: Mix 1 ⅛ lb strong white bread flour, ¼ oz fast-action dried yeast, 2 ⅞ oz dark brown sugar, 1 tsp salt, 2 tsp ground cinnamon, ½ tsp ground nutmeg and 1 tsp ground ginger. Add 3 tbsp molasses or black treacle, 1 cup warm milk and 2 tablespoons of the syrup and knead for 8 minutes, working in 2 ⅛ oz butter halfway, until smooth and elastic.
12 minStep 3: Flatten the dough, scatter over 3 ½ oz raisins, 1 ¾ oz mixed candied peel and 3 ½ oz firm salty cheese, fold and knead briefly until evenly spread.
3 minStep 4: Shape into a round loaf, set on a lined tray, cover and leave in a warm place until doubled.
60 minStep 5: Heat the oven to 350°F (325°F fan). Bake for 35–40 minutes until dark brown and hollow-sounding underneath.
40 minStep 6: Brush the hot loaf twice with the remaining syrup. Cool on a rack before slicing.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 290 kcal
- Protein
- 8 g
- Carbs
- 52 g
- Fat
- 7 g
- Fibre
- 2 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does pan bon take?
- About 120 minutes in total: 80 minutes to prepare and 40 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.
- 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 strong white bread flour?
- Plain flour, same amount (the dough will be softer and rise a little less).
- What can I use instead of fast-action dried yeast?
- Fresh yeast, three times the weight.
Reviews
No reviews yet. Be the first to cook it.
Rate this recipe
Sign in to rate and review this recipe.
You might also like
Reform tortaWalnut meringue chocolate cake
Belgrade pastry shops have sold reform torta since the early twentieth century, and it is still the cake Serbian families bring out for birthdays, weddings and the slava. Three thin layers of walnut meringue, crisp at the edge and chewy inside, are stacked with a dense chocolate butter cream made with egg yolks cooked over steam until thick. It is very rich, so cut thin slices and serve with strong coffee. The usual slip is beating the butter into a chocolate mixture that is still warm, which melts it and splits the cream; let it cool to room temperature first. Chef's tip: assemble the cake the day before; overnight in the fridge the meringue softens a little and the cake slices cleanly with a hot knife.
Ma'amoulDate and walnut butter pastries
Ma'amoul are delicate shortbread-like pastries made for Eid and Easter across the Middle East. A soft, rose-scented butter dough is wrapped around a filling of dates, walnuts, almonds and pistachios cooked with cinnamon, marked with a fork, baked pale and dusted with icing sugar. Makes 35; they keep well in a tin.
Cranberry and apple ring
A light, eggless and butter-free cake made with self-raising flour, cinnamon, light muscovado sugar, apple juice and a little sunflower oil, studded with juicy cranberries and diced apple and baked in a ring mould. Drizzled with warm cranberry jam and decorated with apple slices, it looks festive and is low in fat.
