How to make Guaguas de Pan or Ecuadorian bread babies

butter

🥗Healthier: coconut oil

💰Cheaper: margarine

Coconut oil adds a unique flavor and is dairy-free.

milk

🥗Healthier: almond milk

💰Cheaper: water

Almond milk is lower in calories and can be used in baking.

sugar

🥗Healthier: honey

💰Cheaper: brown sugar

Honey provides natural sweetness and moisture.

eggs

🥗Healthier: flaxseed meal

💰Cheaper: applesauce

Flaxseed meal is a great egg substitute for binding.

Sprinkle the yeast over warm milk and dissolve well.

Whisk in ½ cup of the flour until you have a creamy paste. Let it rise in a warm place until the dough has risen and fallen, approximately 1 hour.

Add the eggs, sugar, cinnamon, vanilla, salt and the remaining flour to the fallen yeast mixture. Combine well and add the butter. Knead the dough until the consistency is smooth and elastic. Add additional flour if the dough is too sticky. Add additional milk if it’s too dry.

Remove the dough from the food processor and form a large ball, place it in a large bowl.

Let the dough rise in a warm place, covered with a kitchen towel or plastic wrap, until the size doubles, about 2 hours.

Punch the dough down and work the dough a few times.

Roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface until it is about 1 inch thick. Use a homemade stencil in the shape of a “guagua” to cut out the bread dough figures.

If you need to make them more rustic looking then form the doll shapes by hand, start by making a ball of dough (3-4oz).

Form individual dough balls, each one should weigh ~3.5 oz. Use a rolling pin to extend each individual ball into a flat oval shape. Take a spoonful of your choice of filling and place it on the top part of the extended dough. Fold the top part of the dough over the filling part.

Place the bread figures on a baking sheet. Let them rise until half doubled, about 15-20 minutes.

Pre-heat the oven to 350 F.

Brush the tops of the bread figures with the whisked egg yolks. If adding sprinkles/raisins, add them after the egg wash.

Bake for approximately 15-20 minutes or until golden on top.

Let the bread guaguas cool down completely, to keep the bread soft place them in a basket lined with kitchen towels and keep them covered.

Decorate using different icing colors and sprinkles.

Cooking Techniques

Equipment Needed

Spice Level:

Allergens