This incredibly delicious Traditional Venezuelan “Pan de Jamon” is a MUST-HAVE on your holiday table! Tender and tasty bread dough filled with ham, olives, and raisins, this showstopper bread will WOW your guests. The recipe includes step-by-step instructions and lots of tips.
Venezuelan Pan De Jamon Recipe Highlights
Pan de Jamón is a staple in Venezuelan Christmas tables. It is a slightly sweet bread filled with ham, raisins, and green olives, ingredients that give this bread its distinctive blend of savory and sweet flavors. I’m telling you… it’s like a gift from heaven!
There are many ham bread recipes around the web. Unfortunately, some of them are very complicated. I don’t like complicated recipes, especially during the holidays when we already have a lot to handle.
This recipe is very easy to make. The dough is slightly sweet and rises very well. Without any doubt, my favorite homemade dough for ham bread.
But… there is even an easier way to make it! Using store-bought frozen bread dough. Yeap!. You can save tons of time. I have done it many times, and the result is good. Not fantastic like the homemade version, but good enough.
Venezuelan Pan De Jamon Ingredients
Please check the recipe card at the bottom of the post for exact quantities and detailed instructions (scroll down).
Dough:
- Milk: For baking, I like to use whole milk. However, you can use any milk you have handy.
- Flour: I like to use bread flour for this recipe, but if you only have all-purpose flour will work fine too.
- Sugar: Regular white granulated sugar o caster sugar. I do not recommend reducing the amount of sugar or changing the type of sugar, as it will change the texture of the bread.
- Yeast: I recommend and use instant yeast since it doesn’t need to be activated; just mix it with the dry ingredients.
- Salt: I prefer kosher or sea salt. If you only have table salt handy, I recommend reducing the amount to half.
- Egg: For the eggless version, see notes.
- Butter: You will use the butter for the dough and for brushing the bread after baking. I prefer to use unsalted butter, but if you only have salted butter handy, you can use it. In this case, skip the salt called in the recipe.
Filling:
- Pimiento-stuffed green olives
- Ham – I like to use low-fat ham.
- Raisins
- Papelon syrup – See notes for instructions on how to make it. If you don’t have papelon, you can use molasses. You just need the tiniest amount.
How to Make Venezuelan Pan De Jamon Step by Step
Please check the recipe card at the bottom of the post for exact quantities and detailed instructions (scroll down).
- Make the Bread Dough
To make the bread dough, we have to combine flour, sugar, yeast, and salt in a bowl. Then add warm milk and water, egg (or egg substitute), and butter. Knead, by hand or with your stand mixer, until the dough is elastic and not sticky.
- Rise
Let the dough rise in a warm place until puffy and doubled in size, about 1-2 hours.
- From The Bread
Roll out the dough into a rectangle and top it with ham, olives, and raisins. Drizzle with papelon syrup and then roll it into a log.
- Rise Again
Cover the bread loosely with a damp towel, place it in a warm and humid area in your kitchen, and let it sit for 45 – 60 minutes or until puffy.
- Bake
Brush bread with egg wash on all sides. Bake for 40 – 45 minutes, or until golden brown. Remove the bread from the oven, and while is still hot, brush it with melted butter.
Make Ahead Pan de Jamon
This dough can be made ahead of time. Just make the dough as instructed in the recipe, then wrap it with plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to 24 hours. You don’t need to do the first rise step. Then remove from the refrigerator and follow the recipe from step 4.
Tips To Make Venezuelan Pan de Jamon
Yeast. I like to use instant yeast for this recipe since it does not need to be activated; just mix it with the dry ingredients. But if you only have active yeast handy, you need to activate it. To do so, place milk and water in a measuring cup and heat in the microwave until it reaches 110°F-115°F (43 – 45 º C). Add the yeast, mix, and let it rest for 5 – 8 minutes until foamy. If not, the yeast is dead and should be tossed.
Papelon Syrup. If you are short of time and you cannot make the papelon syrup, you can use 2-3 tablespoons of molasses.
Additions. If desired, you can add a few slices of bacon, for extra flavor.
Shortcut. When I am short of time, I use store-bought bread dough. The brand I like is Bridgford Frozen White Ready-Dough. It comes in a red plastic bag (with three loaves) and can be found in the frozen product aisle in most grocery stores.
Baking. For better results, preheat the oven for at least 20 – 30 minutes before baking the bread so it has time to reach the ideal temperature.
Serving Pan de Jamon
Pan de Jamon is eaten during the whole holiday season. Sometimes is served on its own as breakfast or mid-afternoon snack, and other times is served as a side with the traditional Venezuelan Christmas dish, which consists of Hallacas, Pernil, Ensalada de Gallina, and Pan de Jamon.
Storing & Freezing Instructions
STORE Pan de Jamon at room temperature, wrapped well in plastic wrap after it has completely cooled. It will keep well for up to two days, and then you can move it to the refrigerator for up to five days.
Frequently Asked Questions
Papelon, also known as piloncillo, panela, or rapadura, is unprocessed cane sugar sold in hard, flat discs or cones in most grocery stores (international aisle) or online.
Mix 1 tablespoon golden flax meal + 3 tablespoons cold water to substitute 1 regular egg. After mixing, let it rest for 10 minutes to thicken. According to my experience, this substitute is good to replace up to 3 regular eggs. Check out how I use this egg substitute in these Soft No-Knead Eggless Dinner Rolls.
Just combine 2 tablespoons of whole milk and 1 tablespoon of maple syrup.
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Recipe Card 📖
Venezuelan Pan de Jamon
Equipment
Ingredients
For the dough:
- 2/3 cup (160 ml) milk
- 2/3 cup (160 ml) water
- 4 cups + 1 tablespoon (580 g) bread flour (all-purpose flour will work fine too)
- 2 tablespoons (24 g) granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon instant yeast ( 1 envelope – about 7 g)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 egg (for eggless version see notes)
- 4 tablespoons (60 g) unsalted butter, melted (more melted butter for brushing the bread after baking)
- Egg wash = 1 whole egg + 1 tablespoon water (see notes for eggless version)
Filling:
- 2 cups pimiento-stuffed green olives, drained and sliced
- 1 lb (450 g) sliced ham (I use low fat ham)
- 1 1/2 cups raisins
- 1/4 cup papelon syrup (see notes) (optional)
Important
Don’t forget to check out the step-by-step photos above in the post—they’ll guide you through the process and make everything super clear!
Instructions
- Line a baking tray with parchment. Lightly spray with cooking spray.
- In a microwave-safe bowl, combine milk and water and microwave in 30-second increments until the mixture is warmed (110°F approx.)
- Add flour, sugar, yeast, and salt into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the hook (bread paddle) attachment. Make a well in the center and add the warmed milk mixture, egg and melted butter to the well; 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 bowl's sides, about 8 – 10 minutes. The dough should be elastic but not sticky; if too sticky, add a little more flour, about a tablespoon at a time.
- Place the dough on a lightly floured surface and form a ball. Place the dough ball in a lightly greased bowl. Cover and let it rise in a warm place until puffy and doubled in size, about 1-2 hours.
- After the dough has risen, place it on a lightly floured surface and roll it into a 23-x-20 inch (60-x-50 cm) rectangle, about ½ inch (1.5 cm) thick. NOTE: This a big pan de jamon, if you prefer, divide the dough into 2 equal portions and make two smaller breads.
- Arrange a row of whole olives on the upper edge. Slice the rest of the olives. Note: you can see step-by-step photos in the post content above.
- Line the dough with the ham slices, slightly overlapping each piece and covering the dough's entire surface.
- Sprinkle the raisins and sliced olives on top of the ham, scattering them evenly throughout. Drizzle with papelon syrup, if using.
- Firmly roll it up like a Swiss roll. Transfer the roll, seam-side down, to the prepared baking sheet. Cover loosely with a damp towel. Place it in a warm and humid area in your kitchen, and let it rest for 60 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 350º F (180º C).
- Brush bread with egg wash on all sides. Bake for 40 – 45 minutes, or until golden brown. Remove the bread from the oven, and while is still hot brush wit ith melted butter.
- Let the bread cool for 15 – 20 minutes before serving.
- Yeast. I like to use instant yeast for this recipe since it does not need to be activated; just mix it with the dry ingredients. But if you only have active yeast handy, you need to activate it. To do so, place milk and water in a measuring cup and heat in the microwave until it reaches 110°F-115°F (43 – 45 º C). Add the yeast, mix, and let it rest for 5 – 8 minutes until foamy. If not, the yeast is dead and should be tossed.
- Papelon Syrup. If you are short of time and you cannot make the papelon syrup, you can use 2-3 tablespoons of molasses.
- Additions. If desired, you can add a few slices of bacon, for extra flavor.
- Shortcut. When I am short of time, I use store-bought bread dough. The brand I like is Bridgford Frozen White Ready-Dough. It comes in a red plastic bag (with three loaves) and can be found in the frozen product aisle in most grocery stores. If using frozen bread dough, let the dough thaw according to the package instructions. Then roll out, fill, and roll into a log. Let it rise until puffy, and then bake.
- Baking. For better results, preheat the oven for at least 20 – 30 minutes before baking the bread so it has time to reach the ideal temperature.
Nutrition
Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.
Eggless Baking Frequently Asked Questions
You’ve asked, and I’ve answered! Read on for a handful of answers to the most frequently asked questions about eggless baking.
Disclosure: I worked together with the California Raisin Marketing Board to create this recipe and was compensated for my time. The opinions below are mine and mine alone and do not represent those of the California Raisin Marketing Board.
This recipe was originally published in December 2018. The recipe remains the same, but more notes, tips, photos, and information have been added to the post in December 2022 to make it as helpful as possible!
Super easy and super delicious! I am so happy how it turned out! I have a Venezuelan family staying with me and I made this for NYE, they said it was perfect! Thank you for making Venezuelan food so accessible & delicious!!
Hello Erin! 😄 I’m thrilled to hear that the recipe worked out so well for you, especially for New Year’s Eve! It’s awesome that your Venezuelan family enjoyed it and gave it the stamp of approval. Making Venezuelan food accessible and delicious is what it’s all about, and I’m so glad it brought joy to your celebration. If you ever need more recipes or have any culinary adventures to share, I’m here! Cheers to good food and great times! 🎉🍽️ xo – Oriana
Excellent recipe! So easy for beginners to follow 😀
Hello Nina! It sounds like you nailed it! Thanks so much for trying my recipe and taking the time to come back and let me know.