Pan de Pascua: Spiced Fruit Bread with Rum
Traditional Chilean Easter bread studded with dried fruits, nuts, and warm spices. Soaked filling ingredients macerate in rum and orange juice for deep flavor, then fold into a tender crumb enriched with honey and butter. Dense, moist, and aromatic with cinnamon, nutmeg, and clove.
Ingredients
- 2 cups pastry flour, sifted
- 5 tbsp milk, warm
- 2 eggs, beatenflax eggs (2 tbsp ground flax + 6 tbsp water)replacementvegan adaptation
denser crumb possible
Full guide → - 2 ¾ tbsp honey
- 1 teaspoon instant coffee
- 1 teaspoon yeast
- 7 tbsp butter, softened
- ½ cups brown sugar
- 2 ¾ oz raisins
- 1 oz almonds, whole
- nutmeg, pinch
- ¼ teaspoon ground clove
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon, ground
- 1 oz walnuts, whole
- 3 ½ tbsp rum
- 1 ¾ tbsp orange juice, fresh
- salt, pinch
- 2 ¾ oz candied fruits, mixeddried apricots, chopped1:1texture variant
changes flavor profile
- ⅓ oz orange zest, grated
- ⅓ oz lemon zest, grated
Instructions
- 1
Combine rum and orange juice in a covered glass jar with raisins, almonds, walnuts, nutmeg, ground clove, cinnamon, salt, and candied fruits except the reserved whole candied fruits. Refrigerate for eight hours.
- 2
Sift flour with yeast and salt, then set aside.
- 3
If butter is firm, microwave for 20 seconds at maximum power, then let rest a few minutes until soft and creamy.
- 4
Heat milk in a saucepan, then add orange zest, lemon zest, instant coffee, and honey.
- 5
Beat eggs and incorporate brown sugar.
- 6
Combine egg mixture with milk mixture. Add softened butter, the refrigerated filling mixture, and reserved candied fruits. Mix well and divide into two parts.
- 7
Add flour to one part and mix. Add the second part and mix until fully incorporated.
- 8
Cover with a cloth and let rest at room temperature for 30 minutes.
- 9
Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a baking mold with parchment paper.
- 10
Transfer dough to mold and bake at 325°F for approximately 1 hour and 10 minutes, checking with a skewer inserted in center for dryness. If not done, rest in oven for 15 minutes.
- 11
Cool completely before removing from mold. Store in an airtight container.
Tips
Macerate filling ingredients overnight for maximum flavor development and fruit plumpness.
Softening butter in microwave prevents overworking dough; allow short rest period after heating.
Source indicates oven variability; start checking at 1 hour 10 minutes; some ovens may require up to 1 hour 30 minutes.
Skewer test confirms doneness; if crumbs cling, rest bread in oven rather than adding time to prevent exterior browning.
Good to Know
Airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days, or wrapped in plastic and frozen for up to 3 months.
Macerate filling ingredients up to 24 hours in advance. Prepare dough up to first rise, refrigerate overnight, then bring to room temperature before final shaping and baking.
Slice and serve at room temperature. Pairs well with hot coffee or tea. Traditional for Easter celebration.
Common Mistakes
Do not skip maceration time to avoid dry filling and weak spice flavor.
Do not use cold butter directly into dough to avoid uneven distribution and tough crumb.
Do not overbake to avoid dry interior; skewer test is more reliable than time alone given oven variability.
Do not remove from mold while warm to avoid structural collapse.
Substitutions
Dairy-Free Swaps
Vegan Options
denser crumb possible
Full guide →Gluten-Free Swaps
General Alternatives
changes flavor profile