Chilean Pan Dulce occupies a permanent place in the showcases of Chilean bakeries. There, along with the Mil Hojas, Berliners, Conejos, Chilenitos, Alfajores, and tea cookies, they call us on our way to work or school. As I have mentioned before, Chileans have an unrelenting sweet tooth.
The dough of the Chilean Pan Dulce is very similar to that of the Berlines (fried cake) and the Conejos (baked), other traditional treats. But unlike Conejos, the pastry cream goes into the oven. It is a yeast dough enriched with egg, butter, and milk, not dissimilar to a brioche.
The dough is easy to make, especially if they have a mixer; if not, it can be a bit heavy to knead. In that case, you have the option of letting the dough rest overnight in the fridge and continue with the recipe the next day, skipping the kneading; gluten will develop overnight.
It is better to make a firm pastry cream for this recipe, so you can place it in a pastry bag and decorate the pieces of bread.
This recipe is a fun project for an afternoon, and the house will smell delicious. Chilean Pan Dulce is perfect for snacks or a quick breakfast or coffee or afternoon tea.
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A traditional recipe for Chilean Pan Dulce.
Ingredients
for the dough,
- 1 packet of dry active granulated yeast
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 3/4 cup warm whole milk
- 4 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- Zest of 1 lemon
- Zest of 1 orange
- 3 eggs
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 8 tablespoons butter, room temperature
for the pastry cream,
- 1 cup of whole milk
- 1 egg, and 1 yolk
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
to brush the dough,
- 1 egg
- 1/4 cup milk
- 1 teaspoon of granulated sugar
- jelly or jam to brush after baking
Instructions
- Mix the warm milk (you should be able to dip your finger in it without burning yourself) with the yeast and the two tablespoons of sugar. Stir. It should start to bubble after a few minutes.
- In a bowl mix 2 cups of flour, the rest of the sugar, salt, lemon zest, and orange zest. Stir. Add the milk with the yeast. Mix everything well using a wooden spoon or in the mixer.
- Add the eggs, half of the butter, and the vanilla extract. Mix well.
- Add the rest of the butter, flour, and mix until you get a dense and sticky dough.
- Change the mixer paddle to the kneading hook and knead for 5 minutes. Or knead by hand for 10 minutes. Cover and let stand. Another option if you do not want to knead, you can let the dough rest overnight in the refrigerator.
- Make the custard: Dissolve the cornstarch in 2 tablespoons of cold milk. Add the egg, yolk, and sugar. Beat very well. Heat the rest of the milk in a small pot, when it starts to boil, always beating, add to the egg mixture. Return everything to the pot, and cook stirring until it starts to boil. Cook for 1 minute. Put in a bowl with ice and stir occasionally. When it’s cold, fill a pastry bag with a star nozzle. Refrigerate.
- Cut the dough into four equal portions and then each in 4 if you are making round pieces of bread (16 pieces) or in two for the braids (8 parts). For braids, cut each portion into three and make dough logs and braid them. Place the dough in buttered sheet pans or covered with parchment paper.
- Let rise for 1-2 hours, or until they double in size.
- Heat the oven to 180C or 350F.
- Beat the milk, egg, and sugar for the wash.
- Depress the center of the round pieces of bread. Paint with the egg wash and fill with the pastry cream. Or decorate each braid with custard.
- Bake for 30 minutes or until golden brown.
- Let stand for 10 minutes and brush with jelly or jam.
- Let cool before serving.
Keywords: Chilean Sweet Bread, Chilean recipe
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