Pan de Jamon
Submitted by happyzhangbo
Pan de jamon is the Venezuelan Christmas bread: a soft, butter-rich dough rolled around ham, smoked bacon, olives, and raisins, then baked into a golden spiral loaf.
YIELD
10 servingsPREP
15 minCOOK
60 minREADY
2½ hrsPan de jamon is the bread Venezuelan families have made every December since the early 1900s. A soft, butter-rich yeast dough gets rolled out flat, brushed with more butter, then layered thick with sliced ham, smoked bacon, green olives, and sweet raisins. The whole thing rolls up like a jelly roll, seals with egg wash, and bakes into a golden, spiral-cut loaf.
The sweet-savory contrast is what makes it iconic. Each slice reveals ribbons of salty cured meat interrupted by briny olives and soft pops of raisin. The smoked bacon ties everything together with a backbone of campfire-like depth.
Baker Tips
- Proof the yeast in warm (not hot) water with a teaspoon of sugar until it develops a foamy head. No head means dead yeast and a dense brick of bread.
- Knead for the full 15 minutes. Pan de jamon needs strong gluten to hold its spiral shape through baking without tearing.
- Roll the dough tight and even. Loose rolls develop gaps during the bake and the slices lose their beautiful spiral pattern.
- Leave a clean strip of dough at the far end when laying out the filling. That bare edge is your sealing flap; fill to the edge and it will burst open in the oven.
Variations
Ingredients
Directions
In a bowl, mix the water and the sugar; add the yeast and let stand for 15 minutes until it has a “head".
Add the butter to the warm milk, the sugar and the salt.
Pour the milk onto the flour, mix and add the yeast.
Make a dough and knead for 15 minutes.
Beat down on a table and put in an oiled bowl and cover with a damp cloth.
Set aside for an hour.
Roll out the dough with a rolling pin.
Coat with butter.
Arange the ham, bacon, olives and the raisins (except for a small part at the end, so you can seal the bread up).
Roll it up like a swiss roll and brush the"tongue” with some egg to seal it.
Bake at 350° F for ¾ of an hour.
Serve cool.
Can be kept in fridge for up to 4 days.
Sprinkle with water and heat up on a low heat before serving.
Comments
There is a major error in the ingredient list: it calls for yeast but there is no yeast or amount listed in the ingredients. However sugar is listed twice so perhaps one of the sugars was a typing error and the author meant that to have been yeast.