Every December, Venezuelan bakeries fill their windows with long golden loaves that, when sliced, show a spiral of pink ham, green olives and dark raisins. Pan de jamón is Venezuela's Christmas bread, and it sits on the holiday table beside hallacas as if it had always been there. In fact it is barely a century old. The food historian Miro Popić traces it to December 1905 and the Panadería Ramella in Caracas, where the first loaves were filled with ham alone; by around 1920 bakers had added olives and raisins, and the sweet, salty, briny combination has not been improved on since.

It is one of the great arguments for the holiday sandwich: soft enriched dough, savory ham, a pop of salt from the olives and a burst of sweetness from the raisins, all tied together by a glaze of papelón, the raw cane sugar Venezuelans use in everything from drinks to stews. It is a simple bread to make, rolled like a jelly roll rather than shaped with skill, and it rewards anyone who has ever struggled with fiddly baking. Wherever Venezuelans have settled, the loaf has gone with them, so if you smell it baking in Madrid or Miami in December, you have probably found a Venezuelan kitchen.

The dough

Ingredients

• 1 cup (240 ml) whole milk
• 2 1/4 teaspoons (7 g) instant yeast
• 1/4 cup (50 g) granulated sugar
• 4 cups (500 g) bread flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons fine salt
• 1 large egg
• 4 tablespoons (55 g) unsalted butter

Method

1. Pour the lukewarm milk into the mixer bowl or large bowl. Stir in the yeast and 1 tablespoon of the sugar and leave for 5 minutes.
2. Add the flour, the rest of the sugar, the salt and the egg. Mix on low speed with the dough hook, or with a wooden spoon, until there is no dry flour left, about 2 minutes. Add the soft butter a tablespoon at a time, letting each piece disappear before adding the next.
3. Knead on medium low speed for 8 minutes, or turn the dough onto a clean surface and knead by hand for 10 to 12 minutes: push it away with the heel of your hand, fold it back, turn it a quarter and repeat. Add flour only a tablespoon at a time if it is very sticky.
4. Shape the dough into a ball, put it in a lightly oiled bowl and cover with a towel or plastic wrap. Leave it somewhere warm for about 1 hour.

The filling and shaping

Ingredients

• 1 lb (450 g) smoked ham
• 8 slices (about 7 oz / 200 g) thin cut smoked bacon
• 1 cup (150 g) pimento stuffed green olives
• 3/4 cup (110 g) raisins

Method

1. Line the baking sheet with parchment. Turn the risen dough onto a lightly floured surface, press out the air and cut it in half. Roll one half into a rectangle about 12 by 14 inches (30 by 35 cm), with a long side facing you. If the dough shrinks back, cover it and let it rest for 5 minutes, then roll again.
2. Leave a 1 inch (2.5 cm) bare strip along the long edge furthest from you. Cover the rest with half the ham, overlapping the slices slightly. Lay half the bacon on top in lines running from left to right. Scatter half the olives and half the raisins evenly over everything and press them in lightly with your palm.
3. Starting from the long edge nearest you, roll the dough up tightly away from you, tucking in the filling as you go and pressing gently after each turn so there are no gaps. Brush the bare strip with a little water and press the roll onto it to seal. Pinch the seam firmly along its length.
4. Lay the log seam side down on one side of the baking sheet. Repeat with the second half of the dough and filling, leaving at least 3 inches (7.5 cm) between the logs. Prick the tops all over with a fork, going right through to the filling, about every 1 inch (2.5 cm). Cover loosely with a towel and leave for 30 to 40 minutes. Heat the oven to 350°F (175°C) during this time.

Glazing and baking

Ingredients

• 1 large egg
• 1 tablespoon (15 ml) milk
• 3 tablespoons (40 g) grated papelón or dark brown sugar

Method

1. Beat the egg and milk together in the small bowl with a fork. Pour half of it into a second cup for the first coat. Stir the papelón into the remaining half until it mostly dissolves.
2. Brush the loaves all over with the plain egg wash. Bake in the middle of the oven for 20 minutes.
3. Take the sheet out, brush the loaves generously with the papelón glaze and return them to the oven for 15 to 20 minutes more. If they darken too fast, lay a sheet of foil loosely over the top.
4. Let the loaves cool on the sheet for 10 minutes, then move them to the rack. Wait at least 20 more minutes before slicing with the serrated knife into slices about 3/4 inch (2 cm) thick.

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