Venezuelan Ham Bread Pan De Jamon Recipe 415

Steps:

• Make the bread: In a small pot over medium-low heat, scald milk. When milk is near boiling and bubbles form around the edge of the pot, remove from heat and let cool.
• In a small bowl, combine 1/2 cup warm water and 2 tablespoons sugar and mix well. Add yeast and let rest for 5 minutes or until bubbly.
• Using a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, whisk together 3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) butter, the rest of the sugar and the salt on medium-low speed just to combine. With mixer running, add eggs, cooled scalded milk and yeast mixture. Mix on medium speed until thoroughly combined, about 2 minutes.
• Place flours in a medium bowl and whisk to combine. Change out the stand mixer attachment for a dough hook and slowly add flours to butter mixture about 1/2 cup at a time, until fully incorporated. The dough should pull away from the bowl's edges relatively cleanly. Let rest in bowl for about 5 minutes.
• Sprinkle all-purpose flour on a clean work surface. Scrape out dough and knead for 5 minutes. If dough is too sticky to handle, add a little more flour, but do not let it get too dry. Cut dough into 2 pieces.
• Roll each piece of dough with heavy rolling pin into a 15-by-20-inch rectangle about 1/4 inch thick. Using a small offset spatula or butter knife, spread about 3 tablespoons butter in a thin layer over the top of the dough, just enough to cover.
• Fold dough into thirds like a letter: With the short end of the dough facing you, fold up from the bottom, and then fold down from the top. Then, take the letter-shaped dough and fold one more time lengthwise, making a small square.
• Wrap each of the pieces in plastic or place each one in a plastic bag and let them rest in the refrigerator for about 4 hours. Repeat process of rolling, buttering, folding and refrigerating 2 more times with both pieces of dough. This will take a total of 12 hours, but additional chilling time between rollings is O.K., allowing you to break up the process overnight. (For instance, the first rolling can be done the night before, followed by subsequent rollings the next day.)
• Remove dough from refrigerator and divide each piece into 2 equal sections, for 4 pieces of dough in total. Lightly flour a clean work surface and roll one piece into a thin 15-by-20-inch rectangle, rewrapping in plastic and returning the other pieces to the refrigerator.
• Fill the bread: Working lengthwise, put down a stripe of ham strips in a single layer. Below that place a stripe of bacon strips and below that, a sparse stripe of raisins and olives. (Make sure to use a light hand with the raisins and olives.) Repeat this pattern until the surface of the dough is covered.
• Take one of the short edges of the dough, and carefully roll it up, like a jelly roll, tucking it in as you go to make sure it is tight. When it is fully rolled, tuck the open edges on either side underneath the roll, and place the whole roll seam-side down on a parchment-lined baking sheet so it doesn't pop open while baking. Repeat rolling-and-filling process with the other 3 pieces of dough. Place loaves on 2 baking sheets lined with parchment, 2 to a sheet. Cover loaves with a clean dish towel and let rise for 45 minutes.
• Heat oven to 350 degrees. Bake 2 loaves at a time for about 40 minutes, checking to make sure tops are becoming golden without burning. If loaves are browning too quickly, tent with foil.
• Prepare the glaze: While the bread bakes, add milk and sugar to a small bowl and stir to dissolve.
• At the 40-minute mark, pull the loaves out of the oven, and, using a pastry brush, glaze their tops. Bake for another 5 minutes, until the loaves have a slight sheen and are deep golden brown in color. Remove from oven and let bread rest for 10 minutes before slicing and serving.

Steps:

• To prepare the dough, place the yeast, 1/2 tsp sugar, and the warm water in a small bowl. Loosely cover the bowl with a warm, damp towel. Let it sit for 15 minutes. Pour the milk, butter, salt, and 1 Tbsp of sugar into a small pot set over low heat. Warm up the mixture until the butter melts and the sugar dissolves. Do not boil. Remove the pan from the heat. Place the flour into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the hook (bread paddle) attachment. Add the yeast and milk mixture to the bowl and mix on medium speed until incorporated. Increase the speed to medium-high and mix until the dough forms a ball and pulls away from the sides of the bowl, about 6-8 minutes. Remove the dough and place it in a mixing bowl that has been lightly sprayed with oil. Loosely cover with a warm, damp towel and place the bowl in a warm, humid area in your kitchen. Let the bread rise for 3 hours. To prepare the loaf, line a baking sheet with parchment paper and spray the paper with cooking spray; set aside. Place the dough on a lightly floured surface and punch it down. Then, roll it into a 20"L x 16"W rectangle. Line the dough with the ham slices, slightly overlapping each piece and covering the entire surface of the dough, except for a 3/4" border around the edges. Sprinkle the raisins and olives on top of the ham, scattering them evenly throughout. Fold the 3/4" border, only from the width sides, in to prevent the filling from leaking out. Lightly brush egg wash along the borders and then roll the bread lengthwise to form a log. (Do not discard the egg wash.) Place the rolled bread, seam side down, onto the prepared sheet pan. Put a warm damp towel, loosely on top of the bread, place it in a warm and humid area in your kitchen and let it sit for 45 minutes. Position an oven rack in the bottom-middle part of the oven and preheat to 350°F. Remove the towel from the bread. Carefully dock the bread on the top and sides with a fork. Brush the bread with egg wash, completely covering top and sides. Bake for 45 to 50 minutes, or until golden brown. Let the loaf cool completely before serving.