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5.0 from 6 votes

Venezuelan Pan de Jamón

Recipe for homemade pan de jamon, this traditional Venezuelan Christmas dish consists of a soft, buttery bread loaf filled with layers of smoked ham, crispy bacon, sweet raisins, and briny olives.

Cook Time
mins
Servings: 2 large bread loaves or 3 medium ones
Course: Side Dish , Breakfast , Snacks , Bread
Cuisine: South American , American , Venezuelan

Ingredients

For the bread dough:
  • 1 ½ cup water
  • 1 tablespoon sugar
  • 1 tablespoon active yeast
  • 7 tablespoons of butter melted - 7 tbs = 100 grams
  • ½ cup sugar 100 grams
  • 1 egg
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
  • 2 tablespoons powdered milk
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 1 tablespoon mustard
  • 750 g. all-purpose flour sifted - 750 grams=6 cups
For the ham filling:
  • 750 g. smoked ham in thin slices
  • 2 cups raisins 250 g.
  • 2 ½ cups olives stuffed with pimentos 250 g.
  • 300 g. smoked bacon slices
  • ½ cup melted butter for glazing

Instructions

    Cup of Yum
  1. Place half a cup of water in a large bowl. Place the bowl in the microwave and heat it for about 20 seconds. Remove the bowl from the microwave and dissolve a tablespoon of sugar and the yeast in the water. Whisk it with a spoon until the baking powder dissolves.
  2. Let it sit for about ten minutes until the yeast activates. You'll know the yeast is active when the liquid starts to bubble or foam.
  3. When the yeast has been activated, add the rest of the water, the melted butter, the rest of the sugar, the egg, the vanilla extract, the powdered milk, the salt, and the mustard. Stir this mixture well until all the ingredients are well combined.
  4. Then, start adding the sifted flour little by little. First, stir with a wooden spoon. And when the dough becomes denser, knead it with your hands. You can also do it with a mixer or food processor.
  5. When the dough no longer sticks to the edges of the bowl, place it on a flat surface. Sprinkle with salt and a little flour and knead gently for about 5 to 10 minutes. Form the dough into a ball and return it to the bowl. Cover the bowl with a kitchen towel and let the dough rise for 30 to 45 minutes or until it doubles in size.
  6. After rising, sprinkle a little flour on a flat surface. Transfer the dough onto the surface. Knead a little and then divide the dough into two or three equal parts.
  7. Form each piece into a ball, choose one, and roll it out with a rolling pin until it is no thicker than 5mm. Trim off the excess edges to make a perfect rectangle. Reserve this excess dough if you want to decorate the bread.
  8. Cover the entire rectangle of rolled-out dough with a layer of ham, leaving only about 3 cm of dough uncovered at one end so you can roll the bread. Add about ten strips of bacon, two handfuls of raisins, and two handfuls of olives, and spread them evenly over the dough.
  9. Roll the bread, on the broadest or widest part, and use the section without the ham/toppings to close or seal the bread. Press hard on the edges to close it at the top. If some raisins or olives came out while rolling it, tuck them into the ends. Leave both ends open so the bread can “breathe” and cook evenly in the center.
  10. Then, prick the bread on top with a fork to make little holes. With the leftover dough, make decorations to your liking. I usually make braids and place them on top of the bread.
  11. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. If you don't have parchment paper, grease the baking sheet with a small amount of butter and sprinkle flour over the entire sheet.
  12. Place the bread on the baking sheet, and let it rest for another half hour. Space the loaves far enough apart, as they tend to rise. Repeat the same procedure with the remaining dough.
  13. While the loaves are rising, preheat the oven to 160°C/320°F. Bake the loaves, using top and bottom heat, for approximately 30 minutes or until golden on top. Remove from the oven and brush with melted butter twice.
  14. To serve, cut into slices about 2 cm thick. This bread is a side dish for the traditional Venezuelan Christmas dinner, but it can also be served as a breakfast or an afternoon snack.