Pan amasado - Chilean Country Bread

The pan amasado is the quintessential country bread that defines Chilean culture. It is the rustic country bread that conjures up the thought of home sweet home with its smell and taste. Every Chilean, those living in Chile and those living abroad, eat pan amasado. 

This bread was first made in the Chilean countryside and then spread to the entire country, becoming the most popular baked bread in every household and nowadays it is even served in restaurants. 

Originally, the bread was made with lard but through time this was replaced by vegetable shortening. The particularity of this bread is its size: it's a small or medium sized individual breads.

Here I’ll be sharing my mother's recipe, the one she has been making for over fifty years. I hope you will enjoy this easy to make bread recipe. This recipe will make five medium sized breads, but if you want more breads, you just need to double the quantities.

¡Buen provecho!

Ingredients:

2 Cups white flour

1 8g yeast envelope

2 TSP of vegetable shortening or lard

1/2 tsp of salt

1,2 tsp sugar

1/2 Cup of warm milk

1 egg room temperature

Flour a baking tray

If more liquid needed add a bit more of milk or water

Mix the liquid ingredients and the shortening or lard, it will melt in the warm milk. 

Next mix all the dry ingredients including the yeast, make a well and:

Add the lukewarm milk plus the egg unto the dry ingredients

Mix well and create a ball or until the dough loosens from your hands. 

Once the ball is ready transfer to a floured surface and knead the dough during five minutes or until the dough becomes silky to the touch and form a ball. 

Then roll the dough until it becomes a cylinder of about 30cm long and a circumference of about 10 cm or the size or your choice.

Now, cut the dough in little parcels (equal pieces) and shape each piece into a circle (smashing each one). Finally transfer unto a baking tray and make a few incisions (scoring) with a fork and then cover with a kitchen linen, let it rise in the tray in a warm part of your kitchen leave it for 1H30. After an 1H30 the bread should double its size. 

Bake in the over for 20-30min until lightly golden at 350C or 662 F

Enjoy this bread just coming out of the oven with a little bit of butter, cheddar cheese or jam and a good cup of tea or coffee.  This is a delicious treat for those rainy cold days.

Enjoy!