Pan Bon
A dark, sweet-spiced Limón bread studded with dried fruit and finished with a little cheese — brought by Afro-Caribbean migrants and eaten especially around Easter.
Ingredients
- 4 cupsflour
- 1 cupbrown sugar or panela
- 1 packetyeast
- 1 cupwarm water or coconut milk
- 1/2 cupbutter (softened)
- 1 cupdried fruit (raisins, candied fruit)
- 1 tspcinnamon
- 1/2 tspnutmeg
- 2 tbspmolasses (for color)
- 1/2 cupgrated cheese (for topping (optional))
- 1 egg (for egg wash)
Instructions
- 1
Bloom the yeast: dissolve it in warm water or coconut milk with a spoonful of sugar and let it foam, about 10 minutes.
10:00 - 2
Mix the flour, brown sugar or panela, cinnamon, nutmeg, softened butter, molasses (for color and depth), and dried fruit with the yeast mixture. Knead into a smooth, slightly sticky dough.
- 3
Cover and let rise until doubled, about 1.5 hours.
300:00 - 4
Shape into round loaves and let rise again, about 30 minutes. Brush with egg wash and, if you like, press grated cheese on top — the sweet-and-cheese contrast is traditional.
30:00 - 5
Bake at 350°F (175°C) until deep brown and hollow-sounding when tapped, about 35 minutes. Cool before slicing.
35:00
Notes
Molasses (or dark panela) gives pan bon its characteristic dark color and depth. The cheese topping on a sweet, spiced bread is a hallmark of Limón baking, not a mistake. A Holy Week tradition along the Caribbean coast. No photo yet — add your own. Photo: Adobe Stock (#278253556), licensed.
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