PAN DULCE

Chocolate Pan dulce with a vanilla pan dulce with a piece torn out so you can see the center sitting on a white plate

One of my favorite childhood memories is my Grandmother taking me to get Pan Dulce.  With this No-Knead Brioche dough I was able to recreate the deliciousness at home.

Course: Breakfast Cake
Cuisine: Mexican
Prep Time: 30 mins
Cook Time: 20 mins
Total Time: 50 mins
Servings: 2 batches
Calories: 342 kcal
INGREDIENTS
  • 1 1/2 cups lukewarm water
  • 1 1/2 Tbsp granulated yeast (2 packets)
  • 1 1/2 Tbsp coarse sea salt or kosher salt
  • 8 eggs lightly beaten
  • 1/2 cup honey
  • 1 1/2 Cups unsalted butter , melted (3 sticks)
  • 7 1/2 cups all purpose flour
TOPPING FOR PAN DUICE
  • 6 Tbsp unsalted butter , softened
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 3/4 cup confectioners sugar
  • 2/3 cup all purpose flour
  • 2 tsp cocoa powder , sifted after measuring
INSTRUCTIONS
  1. Mix the yeast, salt, water in the bowl of your mixer, mix well
  2. Add in eggs, honey and melted butter, and continue to mix until well blended
  3. Add in flour and using your dough hook, incorporate all the flour, mix just enough so that all the flour is mixed in.
  4. The dough may look loose and wetter than you think it should be, it may also look like it has lumps, that’s ok.
  5. Transfer dough to another bowl, cover with a towel and allow to sit and rise for two hours.
  6. Chill dough for at least 2 hours, before making the rolls*
TOPPING
  1. In the bowl of your mixer cream butter using the paddle attachment
  2. Add in confectioners sugar and flour and continue to mix until creamy.
  3. Add in vanilla and increase speed to whip into mixture.
  4. Scrape down bowl and remove half of the mixture. Mixture should have the consistency of a soft dough.
  5. Add cocoa powder to remaining dough and mix well.
  6. roll doughs on floured surface making logs of each flavor topping.
  7. roll logs in plastic wrap and set aside
  8. cut out twelve 2 oz pieces of dough, using floured hands roll each piece into a ball, by pulling the dough down and around, pulling it tight at the bottom.
  9. Place dough ball on baking sheet and continue the process until all are done.
  10. cover with a towel and allow to rise for 20 minutes.
  11. Preheat oven to 375 degrees
  12. After the rolls have puffed slightly* take each cylinder of the topping and slice into six equal pieces.
  13. Flatten the pieces out with your hand until they are as big as the roll top.
  14. Place each piece on a roll, and flatten the buns out some
  15. use a knife blade side up, and mark the topping on each bun by making 3-4 lines in the dough with the knife(don’t cut the topping, just leave deep impressions)
  16. make any type of cross patterns that you like.
  17. Cover the buns and allow to rise for another 20 minutes
  18. Bake for 20 minutes or until the roll is a nice deep golden brown.
RECIPE NOTES

I did make this from fresh dough that had risen at room temperature for 2 1/2 hours and they were perfect! you can also just use coarse granulated sugar as the topping