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Pan de Jamón (Venezuelan Christmas Ham Bread)

Soft, slightly sweet bread rolled around smoked ham, bacon, green olives and raisins, with a shiny papelón glaze.

By Wanda Oyola 2 h 55 min Medium

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Recipe in testing: I'm cooking it in my TM7™ and will update the steps and the photo with my own.

A rolled pan de jamón with a glossy golden crust, sliced to show spirals of ham, green olives and raisins.

Pan de jamón is the bread of a Venezuelan Christmas table, served next to hallacas, chicken salad and pernil. A soft, slightly sweet dough is rolled around smoked ham, bacon, green olives and raisins, so every slice shows a spiral of salty and sweet. It has been a December favorite in Caracas bakeries for more than a hundred years.

The Thermomix® TM7™ makes a papelón syrup for the glaze, warms the milk with the yeast and kneads the dough, so all you do is roll, fill and shape. The oven bakes the two loaves until deep golden, and a last brush of syrup gives them their shine. One loaf for the table and one to share.

Made in the Thermomix® TM7™

Pan de Jamón (Venezuelan Christmas Ham Bread)

Makes: 2 loaves

  • Prep2 h 15 min
  • Cook40 min
  • Total2 h 55 min
  • Serves16

Ingredients

For the glaze

For the dough

For the filling

To finish

Instructions

  1. Place the papelón and water in the mixing bowl and cook 4 min/100°C (212°F)/speed 2, until dissolved. Pour the syrup into a cup and rinse the mixing bowl.
  2. Place the milk, sugar, yeast and butter in the mixing bowl and warm 3 min/37°C (98°F)/speed 2. Add the egg, flour and salt and knead 4 min/dough mode. The dough should be soft, smooth and slightly tacky.
  3. Shape the dough into a ball, place it in a greased bowl, cover and let it rise in a warm spot about 1 hour, until doubled. Meanwhile, cook the bacon in a skillet on the stove 3 to 4 minutes, until cooked but still soft, and drain on paper towels.
  4. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Divide the dough in half. On a lightly floured counter, roll each half into a 30 x 35 cm (12 x 14 in) rectangle about 5 mm (1/4 in) thick, with a long side facing you.
  5. Cover each rectangle with half of the ham, leaving a 2 cm (3/4 in) border on the far edge. Lay the bacon on top and scatter the raisins and olives over it.
  6. Roll each one up tightly from the long side closest to you, pinch the seam closed and tuck the ends under. Place both loaves seam side down on the sheet, brush with egg wash and make shallow diagonal cuts across the tops. Cover and let rise 30 to 40 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F).
  7. Brush the loaves again with egg wash and bake 30 to 35 minutes, until deep golden; the center of the bread should reach 88°C (190°F). Brush with the papelón glaze and bake 3 minutes more for a shiny crust.
  8. Let the loaves cool on a rack for at least 30 minutes before slicing.

Tips

  • Make ahead: after shaping, cover the loaves and refrigerate them overnight. The next day, let them sit at room temperature for 1 hour, then bake.
  • Because of the ham, keep the bread in the fridge, well wrapped, for up to 5 days, and warm slices in the oven at 160°C (325°F) for 5 to 8 minutes.
  • Pan de jamón freezes well for up to 2 months, whole or sliced.
  • Roll tightly and seal the seam well so the spiral stays neat when you slice it.

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