VENEZUELAN CHRISTMAS HAM BREAD

For the Venezuelan people this is not an ordinary bread. It is

a tradition, it smell as "family" as "party", it taste like
"happiness" and "culture".

Traditionally the Ham Bread is bake for Christmas Holidays,

but there is no specific time to enjoy a big delicious slice of
PAN DE JAMON .

Here is the recipe I use. It is from Chef Laszlo Gyomrey a great

Venezuelan Master Baker.

enjoy it !

Asdrubal Medina

INGREDIENTS FOR TWO BREADS

DOUGH

 All purpose flour 638 grams

NOTE 1: In bakery is more accurate to
 Water 128 grams
weigh everything. Including liquids
 Milk 128 grams
 Instant Yeast 6 grams
 Salt 10 grams
 Eggs 2 Units
 Butter 64 grams
 Sugar 32 grams

FILLING

 Smoked or York Ham (sliced) 800 grams NOTE 2: Molasses . You can find in Tokos,
 Smoked Bacon 150 grams raw sugar in blocks. They know the Spanish
name "panela" or "palm suiker" Blocks can
 Pepper filled Olives 200 grams
be dissolved by putting it in a pan with a little
 Raisins 100 grams
water and cook until it is complete
 Molasses 100 grams dissolved/melted

The most important ingredient for the whole process of baking Pan de Jamón is GOOD MUSIC ! When
preparing the bread listen a very loud and happy music.
 BAKING PROCESS

 Mixing by hand / Mixer 12/8 minutes

 Fermentation 5 minutes
 Proofing 90 minutes
 Shape Rolled
 Baking 45 min at 180 oC

PREPARATION

It is actually very easy to make Pan de Jamón.

To prepare the dough:

 mix all the ingredients, except de flour, in a blender IMPORTANT: DO NOT MELT THE BUTTER
 pour the mix in a bowl with the flour and mix well by hand
 On the table knead the dough for about 12 min (or in a machine for 8 min.)
 Let the dough rest for 5 min.
 Roll the dough, then fold it in two and roll again. Repeat this process 8 times.
 At this time the dough will be very soft and silky. Cut a piece of around 100 gram and saved for later to
decorate the bread. Divide the rest in two and form two balls.
 On a table spread with butter, roll a ball into a square form of approximately 40x40 cm.
 Spread/paint the dough with molasses.

 Place the jam covering all the surface of the dough, then on top
put the bacon on both ends of the square and in the center.
 Now spread the olives (could be cut in pieces) and the raisins, all
over the surface.
 Carefully roll the dough to form the bread. Let it rise for 90 min.
Decorate the bread as you will with the dough that you put aside
at the beginning of the process.
 Pre-heat the oven for about 10 min. Bake the bread for 45 min.
 As soon as the bread comes out of the oven paint it with butter.

Enjoy it !