Let the Holidays Begin

Pan de Jamón (Ham Bread)

Oct 25, 2021

Hello Holidays!

If you are like me, the holiday season starts when I bake the first “Pan de Jamón.” This is one of my favorite recipes in the whole world. It’s an enriched dough made with sugar and butter, the result is a soft brioche-like bread. The sweet dough makes a nice contrast with the saltiness of the ham and the olives, it’s a very complex but balanced combination. The recipe itself is not very difficult, but it’s one of those that you need to make sure you prep ahead. Read the whole recipe before you start and measure all your ingredients to have everything lined up and ready to go.

I adapted this recipe years ago from the cookbook “Mi Cocina” by Armando Scannone and every year I make a little tweak. The last batch I made for in-person dinners was featured by The New York Times in January 2020, in the context of the article “Pop-Up Dinners That Share a Culture, Course by Course”.

Tips and Tricks

To make things easier here are a couple tips that I have been implementing throughout the years.

Yeast. This recipe has been made and tested using active dry yeast, the one that comes in tiny granules, other types of yeast can be used but the result may vary and it will need to be tested. If you do not have this type of yeast handy, I recommend that you read about how to make substitutions for proper results.

Salt. The amount of salt to be added will always vary depending on the type of salt you are using, these measures are based on coarse sea salt. Table salt and kosher salt tend to be stronger so I recommend tasting the milk mix to make sure the salt is to your liking to make sure the dough will have a nice enhanced flavor. Bland bread is not good in this case!

Soak the raisins. Use a good quality red wine, one that you would be willing to drink. The raisins will absorb all the flavor and we want very tasty raisins. I use them for different preparations during the holiday season, that is why I begin marinating them in a glass jar in the fridge as soon as October begins, then have them available throughout the season.

Papelón. It’s is raw cane sugar available at supermarkets and groceries stores, look in the Latin section. It comes in a conical shape or as a solid block of brown compact sugar. Its name varies per country: piloncillo (Mexico), panela (Colombia), papelón (Venezuela.) Replace with maple syrup or molasses if you cannot find it.

The stuffing. Traditionally this bread is stuffed with ham, bacon, olives and raisins. The best breads I have made have also included mortadella, scrumptious! You can also make lighter meat variations with smoked turkey or chicken hams.

Vegetarian versions. You could make vegetarian variations with plant-based deli style ham and bacon and garnish the traditional way. I have also tested this bread recipe with other vegetarian stuffings: A mix of ricotta and sautéd rainbow chard, a pumpkin spread with salty cheese and coconut bacon... I hope you can find this inspiring.

Metric system. I prefer to measure by weight instead of volume, it’s just more precise. And precision is important when you are baking breads. There are plenty of cheap scales on the market and I find it essential for any kitchen.

Yield: 4 medium-size breads | Difficulty: intermediate | Prep time: 1 hour + proofing | Cooking: 30 mins

Ingredients for the bread:

3 g (½ teaspoon) sugar

150 ml lukewarm water

10 g active dry yeast (see tips)

500 ml lukewarm milk (any milk, I normally use almond milk)

125 g unsalted butter (unsalted butter has better quality than salted)

100 g sugar

8 g (1 tablespoon) salt (see tips)

1 kg all purpose flour

Ingredients for the filling:

1.5 kg sliced ham (not too thin)

200 g pimiento stuffed olives (avoid the ones with pits)

150 g sliced bacon (4 slices per bread, more or less)

150 g black raisins (soaked in red wine at least overnight, see tip)

200 g raw cane sugar (papelón)

Method:

In a medium bowl dissolve the sugar in the warm water, then add the yeast and mix to incorporate. Set aside and let it rest for about 10 minutes in a warm and dark place — a cabinet, the microwave or the over are good options — this process will activate the yeast in an even way.
In a different bowl combine milk, butter, sugar and teaspoon of salt. Heat up at very low temperature until the sugar and butter have dissolved and melted completely. If it gets too hot you should let it rest before mixing it with the yeast, the temperature should be warm to the touch.
In a large container, start combining all the ingredients. Start combining the mixture of milk with the flour and slowly add the activated yeast. Continue mixing with your hand or with the help of a machine until you have an homogenous dough, this requires some patience.
At this point, the humidity of the dough will depend on the type of flour you are using. Some flours will need more hydration than others. When the dough is homogeneous move it to a flat surface to continue kneading. Sprinkle some flour on the surface so that the dough does not stick, but not too much because you do not want the dough to begin to dry out and harden. Knead until the dough does not stick to your hands, all you are doing at this point is activating the gluten that is the protein in the flour.
Once the desired consistency is achieved, cover the dough with a towel and let it rest in a warm place for about an hour. During this time the dough will double its size.
Divide the dough into four portions (approximately 400g each one). Shape them into balls and keep them covered on a floured surface.

Assemble:

Extend the dough into a rectangle with the help of a rolling pin until it’s about 1/4 inch (1/2 cm) thick.
Once stretched, spread a thin layer of raw cane sugar syrup on the extended dough and place follow with the rest of the ingredients in the following order: ham, bacon, olives (in two separate rows) and raisins.
Carefully forming a roll with the dough, without tightening it too much, remember that the bread will raise on a second proof and if it is too tight the dough can open up during the bake and the juices will come out of the bread, which will result in a dry roll.
Repeat this process with the three remaining dough balls.
Place the breads on trays covered with parchment paper to prevent them to stick to the tray. Pinch them a fork and let them rest for about 15-20 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 400F (200C). This temperature depends on the oven, I have had ovens where I have cooked breads at 425F (220C). If this it the first time you are baking this bread using this oven, I recommend that you bake a first one as a test and keep an eye on it, this is an enriched dough with sugars and it tends to brown faster than other recipes.
When the oven reaches the temperature insert the loaves and bake them for 20 minutes, until they rise and begin to brown. Once browned, remove them from the oven and brush with a thin layer of raw cane sugar syrup. Return to the oven to finish cooking for about 10 minutes to finish to get a caramel color on the surface.
Remove from the oven and let stand for at least 10 minutes so that the juices are distributed inside the bread and not released on the cutting board.