Colombian Pan Blandito (Soft Bread Rolls)
For me, one of the best pleasures in life, is eating fresh baked bread and then spread a little bit of butter on top. ¡It’s simply awesome! The best bread to do that with is definitely Colombian soft bread, which isn’t really a Colombian recipe, but it’s so famous in Colombia that we claim it as our own.
But it’s true, this bread is so basic and so delicious that you can find it in many other countries. Here in the US we just roll them into small balls to make dinner rolls that are served with all kinds of food. In Colombia, we simply roll them in and many times we fill them with cheese and every now and then we’ll also add some guava paste.
You can serve this soft bread at any time of day and with any kind of food, you can even serve it with Colombian tamales!
¡Buen provecho!
Colombian Soft Bread Rolls
Ingredients
- 1 cup 240 ml warm water (100ºF - 110ºF / 37ºC - 43ºC)
- 2 tsp active dry yeast (Or 1 packet which is approx. 7 g)
- ¼ tsp white granulated sugar
- 3 tbsp unsalted butter (melted)
- 3 cups 480 g bread flour (you can also use all purpose flour ~ 420 g)
- 3 tbsp white granulated sugar
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tbsp oil
- 1 egg beaten
- Mozzarella cheese cut into 4 inch (10 cm pieces (Optional))
- Guava paste cut into 3 inch (7½ cm pieces (Optional))
Instructions
- Using a Stand Mixer: Mix water, dry yeast and ¼ tsp of white sugar in a small container and let it stand for about 5-8 minutes or until a foam forms on top indicating that the yeast is activated.
- Add the the melted butter and stir.
- Add flour, white sugar and salt to the bowl of a standing mixer and whisk well.
- Add the yeast mixture. Start mixing with the mixer's dough hook at low speed, then increase to medium speed and let it work the dough for about 8-10 minutes or until the dough is smooth and elastic. Process continues in step 8 below.
- Kneading Dough By Hand: Follow steps 1 & 2 above.
- Add flour, white sugar and salt to a large bowl and whisk well.
- Make a well in the center and add the yeast mixture. Stir with a wooden spoon or spatula until the dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl. Place the dough on a flat, floured surface and knead with the palm of your hand for about 8-10 minutes. To knead the dough, fold it over and push down with the heel of your hand. Repeat this process during the entire kneading time. The dough is ready when it is smooth and elastic. Process continues in step 8 below.
- Grease a large bowl with the oil.
- Shape dough into a ball and place it in the greased bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and let it rise in a warm place for about 1 hour. Tip: You can turn on a microwave for about 1 minute to warm it up and then place the dough inside. This will help it rise better.
- Place the dough on a flat surface and loosely shape it into a log measuring about 16 inches (40 cm) long. Divide it into 8 equal pieces measuring about 2 inches (5 cm) each. Shape each piece into a small ball and roll it flat with a rolling pin until it's ¼ inch (.64 cm) thick. Cut off about ½ inch (1.27 cm) from the bottom with a knife and press the edge with the rolling pin. Roll in the dough starting at the top to form a bread roll. You can also stuff the bread with mozzarella cheese and/or guava paste by placing each piece at the top of the dough before rolling it in.
- Place each roll about ½ inch (1.27 cm) apart, seam side down on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or a silicone mat. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let the rolls rise in a warm place for about 45 minutes. You can use the microwave method to help them rise again.
- Brush the rolls with the beaten egg and bake at 350ºF (180ºC) for about 15-20 minutes or until golden brown. Serve immediately.
Could I use baking powder instead yeast?
Unfortunately, no. When baking bread you always need yeast so that it can rise and give you that soft dough that you need. Baking powder only works when baking cakes or cupcakes.
I can also stuff the bread with mozzarella cheese and guava paste by placing each piece at the top of the dough before soft bread rolls.
I just want to know wheather I can use my bread maker to do it.
I'm sure you could, but since I always make them by hand and not a bread machine, I wouldn't know how it would work.
Lo he hecho hoy y quedo delicioso ahora toca volver a hacer porque quieren repetir. Por cierto lo he hecho a mano y fue muy fácil. Un saludo desde Madrid
Many machines come with a timer, but not all. If you have a model that doesn't have a built in timer, use the bake cycle while keeping a close eye. bread machines
Can i used powdered sugar instant to granulated sugar, thank you so much
Powdered sugar usually contains cornstarch and that may ruin the texture of the bread, so it’s always better to use regular sugar.
Is it called Pan Blandito or Pan Alinado in Colombia?
These are called pan blandito. For some reason I have seen the bigger version called pan aliñado, which makes no sense at all.