Pan de jamón
Christmas ham bread
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
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
0/7 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.
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
Basque burnt cheesecake
This crustless cheesecake was created in the early 1990s at La Viña, a pintxos bar in the old town of San Sebastián (Donostia) in the Basque Country, and is now famous around the world. It's baked very hot so the top caramelises almost black and the sides rise and crack, while the middle stays soft and creamy, almost runny. There's no base and no water bath, and the rough, rustic look is the point: it's lined with crumpled baking paper. La Viña uses a spoonful of wheat flour; cornflour does the same job and keeps it gluten free. Chef's tip: take it out of the oven while the centre still wobbles like a soft set custard; it firms up as it cools, and if it looks set in the oven, the middle will be dry instead of creamy.
Spanish
Almond cookiesOat, coconut and almond cookies
A big batch of crunchy cookies with rolled oats, coconut, chopped almonds and chunks of cooking chocolate. For a change, use cashew nuts instead of almonds.
FororoToasted corn porridge
Fororo is the name for finely ground toasted corn, and for the smooth porridge made from it that grandmothers in Lara, Barinas and the rest of the Llanos give to children before school or to anyone feeling under the weather. It tastes gently nutty, like warm popcorn in a cup, sweetened with panela and scented with cinnamon. If you can't find fororo flour, toasting fine cornmeal in a dry pan gives the same result. The common mistake is tipping the flour straight into hot milk, which makes lumps. Chef's tip: whisk the flour into a little cold milk first, then pour it into the pot.
Perfect for:Christmas