Pan de Jamón

Instructions

Stir 1 teaspoon of the brown sugar into the warm water in a large bowl and sprinkle the yeast over the top. Leave it for 5 to 8 minutes, until the surface is foamy. Meanwhile, drain the olives and chop them lightly with the raisins, by hand or with a few pulses in a food processor, then set the mixture aside.

Add 1 cup of the flour, one egg and 4 tablespoons of the melted butter to the foamy yeast and mix well with a fork or dough hooks. Add the second cup of flour, the milk, 4 teaspoons of the brown sugar, the olive oil and the salt, and mix until the dough pulls together. Knead by hand or with dough hooks for 5 to 6 minutes, until smooth and slightly sticky.

Put the dough in an oiled bowl, spray the top lightly with oil, and leave it in a warm place for about 90 minutes to rise.

Turn the risen dough onto a lightly floured surface and roll it into a square about 12 inches on each side. Brush it with the remaining melted butter. Lay the ham over the dough, leaving a strip of about 1 inch bare along one side, which will become the outer edge of the roll. Scatter the raisin and olive mixture evenly over the ham.

Starting from the side opposite the bare strip, roll the dough up tightly, making 3 to 4 full turns. Wet the bare strip, then roll the loaf so that edge ends up underneath and sticks to the dough. Pinch and twist the ends with wet fingers to seal them.

Set the loaf on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Beat the remaining egg with the remaining 1 teaspoon of brown sugar and brush it over the loaf, wiping away any puddles that collect. Leave the loaf in a warm place to rise again for about 40 minutes.

Heat the oven to 350°F. Bake the loaf for 30 to 40 minutes, then move it to a wire rack to cool. Slice it into pieces about as thick as a finger.