Pan amasado is the traditional country bread of Chile, named for its long hand-kneading (amasado) that gives a dense, tender crumb. Still warm from the oven, it is the staple of breakfast and the evening once.
The crust is firm and a little chewy, the crumb dense and close, faintly rich from the lard. Warm and torn open, it drinks up melting butter or a thick layer of manjar; it is plain, sturdy bread built to carry whatever you put on it.
Lard coats the flour and shortens gluten strands, giving the close, tender-dense crumb characteristic of pan amasado. The long kneading still develops enough structure to rise, while fork-pricking lets steam escape so the flat rounds bake evenly without ballooning.
Variations
Versions made with butter instead of lard, whole-wheat pan amasado, smaller individual rolls, and griddle-baked country styles
On the Palate
Where Pan Amasado sits in the Chilean flavor cloud
Ingredients
Serves 8How it's made
8 steps · 30 min
- 110 min
Dissolve yeast in warm water with a pinch of sugar and let it foam.
Watch outGive it 5-10 minutes — the yeast should foam and smell bready; a flat, still surface means dead yeast and the bread won't rise.
- 25 min
Mix flour and salt, then rub in softened lard until crumbly.
- 315 min
Add the yeast water and knead vigorously for a long time into a smooth, firm dough.
Watch outKnead well past the sticky stage until the dough turns smooth and springs back when pressed — that's the gluten built enough to hold the rise.
- 460 min
Cover and let the dough rise until roughly doubled.
- 56 min
Divide into balls, flatten into thick discs and prick all over with a fork.
Watch outPrick right through so steam escapes — skip it and the discs balloon in the oven instead of baking into that dense, even crumb.
- 620 min
Let the shaped rounds rest briefly so they relax.
- 725 min
Bake in a hot oven until risen and golden, with a firm crust.
Watch outPull them when the crust is golden and sounds hollow tapped underneath — a pale, soft crust means underbaked.
- 83 min
Cool slightly, then split warm and spread with butter, manjar or avocado.
