Pan de anís is a Peruvian sweet bread with a soft crumb and anise aroma, popular across the country with coffee or at breakfast.
In Concepción (Junín), artisanal anise bread holds Peru’s first Traditional Specialty Guaranteed status; this is a home version.
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Peruvian Anise Bread
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 2 hours 45 minutes
- Yield: 10 servings
- Category: Dessert
- Cuisine: Peruvian
Ingredients
- 500 g wheat flour (bread or all-purpose)
- 100 g white sugar
- 100 g butter, at room temperature
- 2 eggs
- 25 g fresh yeast or 7 g dry yeast
- 200 ml of warm milk
- 2 teaspoons of whole anise seed
- 1 pinch of salt
- Grated orange or lemon zest (optional)
- Oil or butter, for greasing
Preparation
- Activate the yeast, mix the yeast with a teaspoon of the sugar and the warm milk and let it rest for about 10 minutes, until foamy.
- Make the dough, sift the flour into a bowl, add the salt and the rest of the sugar, and rub in the butter in pieces until sandy. Make a well and add the beaten eggs, the activated yeast, the anise, and the zest if using.
- Knead, work the dough for about 15 minutes, until smooth, elastic, and no longer sticky; adjust with a little milk or flour if needed.
- First rise, shape it into a ball, place it in a greased bowl, cover, and leave in a warm spot for about 1 hour, until doubled.
- Shape and second rise, punch down the dough, shape it into a braid, loaf, or rolls, and place it on a floured tray; cover and let rest for 30 to 45 minutes.
- Bake, bake in an oven preheated to 180 °C (350 °F) for 25 to 30 minutes, until golden and hollow-sounding when tapped. Cool on a rack.
Tips
- The milk should be warm, not hot, so it doesn’t kill the yeast.
- Don’t rush the rise: if the dough doesn’t double, the bread will be dense.
- A dish of water in the oven helps keep the crust soft.
Traditional variations
- It can be glazed with sugar and lemon, made with whole wheat flour, or filled with manjar blanco or jam.
How to serve
Serve the anise bread at room temperature, with coffee, mate, or hot chocolate.
Recommended pairings
- Coffee
- Hot chocolate
- Fresh cheese
Did you know?
Concepción’s anise bread, in Junín, was the first Traditional Specialty Guaranteed recognized in Peru.
Frequently Asked Questions
About 1 hour for the first rise and 30 to 45 minutes for the second, once shaped.
At 180 °C (350 °F) for 25 to 30 minutes, until golden.
It's a home version; Concepción's is an artisanal bread with Traditional Specialty Guaranteed status, made with regional flour and its own techniques.
