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Puerto Rican bread with ginger

Trialer70's picture
Trialer70

Puerto Rican bread with ginger

I am searching for a bread from Puerto Rico that is made in small round loaves, has a strong flavor/aroma of ginger (this is a yeast bread, not a gingerbread or "quick bread" type) and is mildly sweet.  A friend born and raised in Ponce, PR, remembers eating something like this as a child.  He does not remember it as being Hot Cross Buns, but as being a small boule or round loaf.  I'd like to make it for him, if I knew what type of bread this could be.

PanDulce's picture
PanDulce

I'm not from PR, but I searched Google both in English and Spanish and couldn't find anything similar to your description. Hopefully someone can help you! Good luck!

DeeElle's picture
DeeElle

While I haven't seen ginger as in ingredient, there is a sweet bread popular in Puerto Rico called Pan de Mallorca which may be a base for such a recipe.

http://www.recipehound.com/Recipes/Recipes2/6842.html

Regards,

DeeElle

 

 

Trialer70's picture
Trialer70

This is getting warmer--I could see where this might be seasoned with ginger.  Sounds like a kind of sweet roll without heavy frosting.  I could see this being made in a small boule too.  Thank you!  I can make it for my friend and see if it rings any bells (and add ginger to it).

Yassel's picture
Yassel

Hey im new to TFL forums.  I am puertorican and I eat Mayorcas all the time.  Mayorca is a sweet yeast bread dusted with powder sugar.  There is also another sweet bread called Pan Sobao which is really good with coffee. I've never heard of the ginger but ill get back to you.

 

Top Breads in puertorico:

Pan de Agua (frenchbread)

Pan Sobao

mallorcas

 

Google any of those im sure yull find the recipes.

Trialer70's picture
Trialer70

I remember eating pan de agua myself in PR (we lived there for almost a year in the early 70's and sandwiches were a staple with pan de agua) and making French toast with Sobao.  I was on a real whole-grain kick then (and still try to include a lot of whole grains now) so I tried to keep my consumption of white breads down, but you're right--Sobao is pretty hard to resist!  Plus, it was a lot harder to find whole grain flours then, especially on the island.  We lived in a little place called Vega Baja.  I want to go back one more time before I grow too old and take my time visiting PR--I was too young and a newly-wed to enjoy it fully then.  Now I'd appreciate it a lot more, I think.  Plus, I would enjoy sampling the breads much more.  My friend was raised in Ponce, which is a city I'd like to visit and take more time in.  San Juan was, even in the 1970's, a HUGE metropolis and I can only imagine it's not any smaller now.  Keep investigating this bread with ginger for me, if you can.

Yassel's picture
Yassel

There is a bread made with Ginger according to my wife but, she doesnt remember the name shes going to ask my mother in law she definately will know.  Vega baja is real nice.  I get my bread from as I call it a whole in the wall.  This place only sells two types of bread, Pan de agua and Sobao, 1lb or 1/2lb thats it.  It opens up at 5 AM and its usually my early saturday morning stop.  Its called La Cialena.  The myth is that they have like an 60 or 80 year old wood burning oven.  ANyways Ill get back to you on the Recipes name.

 

Seeyas.

Yassel's picture
Yassel

Unfortunately my wife thought there was a ginger type bread but, what she thought was the ginger bread was a native bread to Ponce that has theese little redish dots inside that are sweetlike.  Thats all I know.

Trialer70's picture
Trialer70

My friend was raised in Ponce and he mentions little dots or specks inside the mysterious ginger bread.  Can you find out what this red dot bread is called?  Even better, send a recipe for it?

Franchiello's picture
Franchiello

That the red dots may just be saffron threads that were broken up when the dough was mixed.  The ginger scented bread sounds wonderful - I was in Puerto Rico many, many years ago and was not familiar enough with the culture to try the local cuisine, though I did soak up a lot of pina coladas!! ;)