My visit to Arequipa was an incredibly memorable one. It was a time to slip away with another gringa, I was robbed of money and my residency card and laughed and played as I hadn’t in a long time. Our last morning there was one of great adventure as I sought out a number of bakeries along one particular street. The delicious delicacies in Arequipa was things I would not soon forget.
Arequipa is famous for it’s Pan de Tres Puntas or “Bread of Three Points,” or better said by my three year old friend Ruth, “Triangle Bread!” It is a deliciously soft bread baked in a large oven. The number of bakeries around the main square cause the air to be full of the wafting smell of baked bread early each morning. You don’t find this bread in every city in Peru because the “White City” is the only city to boast of it.
Why do they make Triangle Bread? My theory is that it is shaped after the many volcanoes that surround la Cuidad Blanca. What better way to symbolize the city that with it’s bread?
Because I had the privilege and honor of Bread Baking Day #27, I wanted to point (no pun intended!) people in the direction of Latin America. Interesting how several of these countries have been drawn into the spotlight over the last few weeks due to devastating earthquakes. Latin America has a great deal of richness and warmth in the people, the culture and everyday life. This month we had an opportunity to celebrate Latin Breads!
Bread Baking Day is a monthly event for the passionate bread bakers (that could mean passionate about your very first loaf or those of you passionate about baking each and every day). The event was started by Zorra from 1x umrühren bitte and has featured a myriad of themes all focused on bread. If you are still hoping to participate, please check the announcement post for all the details to be submitted by the end of the day today.
Now, for that special Arequipan Triangle Bread.
Pan de Tres Puntas
Makes 12
Adapted from Panes del Peru
6 cups of bread flour
1/3 cup of light brown sugar
1 tablespoon of salt
1 tablespoon of dry, instant yeast
2 1/2 cups of lukewarm water, divided
3 tablespoons of shortening, melted and cooled
1. Combine flour, sugar and salt in a large bowl and whisk to combine. Make a well in the center and add the yeast along with about 1/2 cup of the water. Stir the yeast and water together (inside the flour well) and let it rest about 10-15 minutes.
2. Add in the rest of the water and shortening. Mix to combine and turn out to a lightly floured surface to knead until the dough is soft and smooth, about 15 minutes.
3. Place into a large bowl, coated with cooking spray, turning dough to coat all sides. Cover loosely with a towel and allow to rise until doubled in size, about 2 hours.
4. Punch dough down. Cover and allow to rise until doubled in size, about 2 hours.
5. Punch dough down and divide into 12 equal portions. Cover and let them rest for 15 minutes.
6. Preheat oven to 350F. Roll each ball into a circle. Score a triangle into the dough and fold in the three sides. Place onto a cooking sheet and repeat until all dough balls are rolled and shaped into triangles.
7. Place a metal pan (I used a disposable pie plate) filled with boiling water on the bottom of the oven. Place the bread above it and bake at 350F for 22 minutes.
8. Remove from oven and transfer to a cooling rack to cool. (If you can resist eating them piping hot!)
Pan de Tres Puntas is also being submitted to YeastSpotting! Again, if you would like to participate in Bread Baking Day #27, please check the announcement post for all the details to be submitted by the end of the day today.
This looks exactly like the Jewish yeast cookies called Hamantashen. In fact, quite a lot of Jewish traditions permeate Latin American and Spanish culture because when Jews were forced to convert to Catholicism during various times in history, they kept many of their traditions and passed them on to their newly Catholic families. Many times, no one even remembered that it was a Jewish tradition anymore after several generations. So I would not be surprised if something like this happened with this bread.
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[...] Pan de Tres Puntas [...]
Your Pan de Tres Puntas look our Lebanese Fatayer, using the same dough, and we stuff them with spinach, feta cheese or meat.
And this recipe my have a Lebanese Roots, since there is a large Lebanese Immigrant Communities in South America.
Very Interesting how food can bring people from all over the world.
Your Pan de Tres Puntas look our Lebanese Fatayer, using the same dough, and we stuff them with spinach, feta cheese or meat.
And this recipe my have a Lebanese Roots, since there is a large Lebanese Immigrant Communities in South America.
Very Interesting how food can bring people from all over the world.
thanks for sharing
Your Pan de Tres Puntas look like our Lebanese Fatayer, using the same dough, and we stuff them with spinach, feta cheese or meat.
This recipe might have a Lebanese Roots, since there is a large Lebanese Immigrant Communities in South America.
Very Interesting how food can bring people from all over the world. thanks for sharing
Arlette
sorry for this seems the system was down and i kept sending the messages.
What an interesting bread. It’s on my to-do list now. My kids will love the shape!
What an interesting bread. I bet the sweetness is very light.
These remind me of Hamentaschen but in bread form! The dough sounds like it tastes delicious.
Your Pan de Tres Puntas sounds like a keeper! I’ve been following your blog for a while and you never cease to surprise me with your creations…thanks for sharing them.
Oh, wow . . . To repeat what others have said: these look like hamantaschen.
is that 1 tablespoon of salt or teaspoon? a tablespoon of salt seems like a lot.
I think I used a tablespoon of very fine Peruvian salt. Feel free to use less, but there are not a lot of other flavors in the bread, so it seemed just right. ~Gretchen Noelle