Guatemalan Pan Dulce

I spent 12 years in Guatemala, from age 20 to 32. It has been 38 years since I returned to the U.S. In all that time, I have wished for the knowledge of how to make the Pan Dulce (also called Pan de Manteca) that was available down there fresh daily, usually delivered door to door by a guy on a bicycle with a huge basket of these breads attached to his handlebars.

Pan Dulce

For those who do not know anything of pan dulce, it directly translates as "sweet bread." In reality, the term more aptly applies to enriched breads, or ones whose recipes call for using lard / shortening / butter, eggs, sugar and sometimes vanilla - not all together. These are also sometimes referred to as "Pan de Manteca," manteca meaning shortening (or lard or butter). This descriptor of "pan dulce" is to mark the difference from pan frances. "Pan Frances" is translated to French Bread, which, of course, is simply a mix of flour, water, salt and yeast. Bread at its most basic, and no less delicious, for the lack of the enriching ingredients.

These enriched breads are all made as individual serving breads, all smaller, not much more than 2 ounce bits of goodness. As the vendors would ride up to the house, honking their little bicycle horns to announce themselves, we would rush out and select the bread assortment for the day. The assortment could consist of 10 different varieties of bread or more. What fantastic variety. 
 

Finding Recipes

So it has been that over the years I have occasionally looked through the internet in hopes of an inkling into what, exactly, constituted a recipe for some of these sweetened, enriched breads. I had a recipe for a roll dough that seemed like it could easily be used to make molletes. The only thing lacking was the little sugary topping part. I finally found, after a lot of searching, a mixture that worked for that sugary topping, and I made what, for all intents and purposes, were molletes, and I was ecstatic.  

Champurradas

Somewhat earlier, I had found a recipe for some cookie-like "breads" called Champurradas, and I measured out and recorded ingredients for what I had done. These "breads" were never very sweet, at least not in Guatemala. They are not a cookie, as we know cookies. Yet nowadays, as I was looking through all the (now available) recipes for champurradas, they are always termed "cookies" and always have a LOT of sugar in them, very unlike what I knew in Guatemala. Still, I wasn't completely happy with my previous champurradas recipe. They didn't taste exactly right. And so, I went about changing the recipe to one which, now, I am totally happy with. Great for dunking into coffee or hot chocolate. Yummy.

Another one of the breads that was a personal favorite out of all the amazing variety, were called Shecas (also spelled Xecas, with the "x" making the same "sh" sound, and also known as Semitas or Cemitas). Even 5 years ago, I was completely unable to find even a mention of these breads on the internet, much less a recipe (or two for comparison). Over the intervening years the availability of all things on the internet has bloomed and now there is so very much available that it is hard to even recall a time when all this was only a distant dream. And as small a country as Guatemala may be (about the size of Tennessee, and most of it rural - REALLY, REALLY rural), suddenly it is being overrun with tourists and so much has become available, be it just photos, travel blogs or recipes and videos, even from outlying places as far off as Coban. Truly amazing. 

Shecas

Shecas

And with all this, I have finally gotten a recipe for the Shecas I craved all these years, along with so many others. I have been baking daily for over a week now, and to date have made Shecas, Pan Tostada (made into different shapes: Pan de Churro, Hojaldras and Rosquitas), Campechanas and Lenguas (these last two from the same dough, but different styles), Pan de Yemas (aka Pan de Fiesta). I remade the molletes and champurradas to a better, more authentic style (and updated the recipes in those blogs to reflect the changes that made them far tastier). For today, I am setting out my own recipe for Shecas, at long last. Shecas call for "rapadura", or "piloncillo," as the sugar, these being a solid version of sugar before it has gone on to be refined into white sugar. It is usually grated. I had none of this available, and for the sake of ease for others making these, used a mix of brown sugar and molasses.

There are not a lot of recipes for Shecas out there available, and most are similar. But. The recipes are very poorly written, often omitting amounts, or giving amounts some in grams, some in cups, with no happy medium to follow. One called for 3 TABLESPOONS of baking powder! I don't think so!!! A lot of the work this past week was determining the exact amounts to make these breads turn out well. Any of the yeast breads can be made into bun-like breads, fit for any meal or occasion. Thanksgiving is coming up shortly, and whether you have Guatemalan memories, or just want something new, I hope you may give some of these recipes a try.

Shecas / Xecas

Makes 20 individual breads

In a bowl combine the first 6 dry ingredients, whisking together; set aside. In a large mixing bowl, combine the lard and molasses, then slowly stir in the water. Stir in about half the dry mixture, stirring well, then add in the remaining dry ingredients and mix well, converting to hands once mixture is too thick for a spoon.

Dough passes windowpane test

The mixing can be done in a heavy duty stand mixer, if preferred. If kneading by hand, turn out to a greased surface, and with hands also well greased, knead the dough for 15 to 20 minutes or until it passes the windowpane test, shown here. The gluten should have developed sufficiently so that when a small piece of dough is pulled out between two hands, the dough stretches enough to see light through, without tearing. 

Grease a clean bowl and set the dough in, turning once to grease both sides. Cover with a towel or plastic film and set aside to rise until nearly doubled, about an hour.

Forming Shecas with topknot

Turn the dough out onto a clean, greased surface and divide the dough into 20 equal balls of about 1.5 ounces or 44 grams each. Set a bowl out with flour in it for dusting and rolling. With each of the little balls of dough, roll each piece of dough into a nice, tight ball, then follow the sequence pictured above:

1. Using the side of your hand, roll one side of the dough into two distinct areas, rather like a bowling pin. The larger end will be the body of the roll and the smaller end will be the topknot, just like as for brioche. 
2. Lift the dough by the smaller ball end and stand upright.
3. Pinch around the "neck" of the smaller ball and begin pressing the small ball downwards, setting it deeply into the larger ball.
4. Finished and formed "Sheca."

Formed dough dredged in flour and set to rise

As each roll is formed with its topknot, dredge it in the bowl with plain flour to coat well. Set the rolls, well apart, onto a greased baking sheet.  Cover lightly with a sheet of plastic film and allow to proof for about 30 minutes.

Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Once rolls have grown to not quite twice their size. Bake them on a middle rack for 25 minutes, until nicely browned.





My passion is teaching people how to create a harmony of flavors with their cooking, and passing along my love and joy of food, both simple or exotic, plain or fancy. I continue my journey in ethnic and domestic cuisines, continuing my journey to explore diverse culinary experiences and hopefully to start you on a journey of your own. Join me also at A Harmony of Flavors on Facebook, and Pinterest.