Venezuelan Pan de Jamón

Pan de Jamón is a beloved Venezuelan holiday staple that beautifully combines savory and sweet flavors in one irresistible loaf. It features a combination of soft, buttery dough filled with layers of smoked ham, crispy bacon, sweet raisins, and briny olives. It’s a unique balance of flavors that instantly transports you to a festive Venezuelan Christmas table! This recipe is by Jani Díaz, our guest blogger in Venezuela!

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This Venezuelan pan de jamón is a Venezuelan Christmas favorite. Filled with ham, bacon, raisins, and olives, this delicious bread can be expensive to buy during the holidays. However, by making it at home, you can get up to three loaves for the price of one! After years of trial and error, I’ve refined this recipe to ensure a flavorful, homemade version that’s perfect for family gatherings.

Ingredients Needed

For the Dough:

• Water: Warm water is best to help activate the yeast!
• Sugar: Sugar helps to feed the yeast, making sure that the bread is nice and fluffy.
• Active Yeast: Active yeast will create a soft, flavorful bread.
• Melted Butter: For a depth of flavor and extra moisture.
• Egg: Eggs add a rich flavor to bread.
• Vanilla Extract: For a slightly sweet flavor.
• Powdered Milk: Powdered milk is the secret to a sweeter, fluffier bread.
• Salt: To balance out the flavors and control the gluten!
• Mustard: For a slightly tangy flavor.
• All-purpose Flour: All-purpose flour works great here! If you have bread flour you can use that, too.

For the Ham Filling

• Smoked Ham: You can use your favorite smoked ham for this Venezuelan ham bread.
• Raisins: For a little burst of sweet flavor!
• Olives: Olives add an umami, salty flavor that compliments the ham!
• Bacon Slices: For added savory flavor.
• Melted Butter: For glazing!

How to Make Venezuelan Christmas Bread

1. Activate the Yeast: 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. 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.

2. Combine with Additional Ingredients: 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.

3. Add Flour: 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.

4. Knead the Dough: 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.

5. Allow to Rise and Divide: 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.

6. Shape into Rectangle: 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.

7. Add Toppings: 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.

8. Roll: 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.

9. Decorate: 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.
10. Prep Baking Sheet: 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.
11. Allow Bread to Rise: 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.
12. Bake: 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.
13. Serve: 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.

Tips for Making the Best Pan de Jamón

• Make sure the yeast is activated! The yeast activates best in warm water, but not too hot. It will be frothy and foamy after it is mixed with the water and sugar! If the yeast doesn’t foam up, it might be old yeast that has died.
• Roll the dough into a thin layer. Be sure to roll out the dough into a thickness of about 5 mm to ensure even baking and perfect distribution of fillings.
• When sealing the bread, ensure the ends of the bread are left open to prevent it from bursting while baking, allowing even cooking.

Recipe Variations

• Vegetarian: Swap out the ham and bacon for smoked tempeh or a combination of vegetables! You can add veggies like roasted red peppers, mushrooms, and onions for a flavorful variety.
• Add cheese: Feel free to add a layer of Swiss or Gouda cheese between the ham slices for a creamier, richer flavor!
• Gluten-free: To make gluten-free Venezuelan pan de jamón, replace the all purpose flour with a gluten-free flour blend instead.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long does pan de jamón stay fresh?

Stored in an airtight container, pan de jamón can last up to 3-4 days in the fridge. Reheat in the oven or an air fryer to get that freshly baked taste. To freeze, wrap the Venezuelan bread in a layer of plastic wrap and then a layer of foil and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge or at room temperature and reheat in the oven until warm.

Can I make the dough ahead of time?

Yes, you can make the dough a day ahead. Let it rise, then cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate. When ready to use, let the dough come to room temperature before rolling and filling.

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.

5 from 2 votes

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Course: Bread, Breakfast, Side Dish, Snack

Cuisine: Latin American, South American, Venezuelan

Keyword: Bacon, Christmas, Ham, Holidays, Pan de jamón, Stuffed bread

Cook Time: 30 minutes minutes

Servings: 2 large bread loaves or 3 medium ones

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

• 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.
  
• 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.
  
• 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.
  
• 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.
  
• 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.
  
• 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.
  
• 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.
  
• 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.
  
• 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.
  
• 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.
  
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
  

Step by step preparation process photos for Pan de Jamon:

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