Pan de Campo Bread

Pan de Campo: The Official State Bread of Texas

by John Raven, Ph.B.

In June of this year, Texas Governor Rick Perry signed into law a bill designating Pan de Campo as the official State Bread of Texas.

The translation for pan de campo is "camp bread". It is just as often called cowboy bread. It is a simple baking powder bread that was a staple of the early Texans. It's still very popular today, and there are several pan de campo cook-offs in South Texas every year.

I know a lot of you are thinking that sourdough was the bread of the cowboys. Well, if you had a chuck wagon and a cook to man it, sourdough was a real treat. But if you were eating out of your saddlebags, a jug of sourdough starter was a mite difficult to manage. The baking powder required to make pan de campo can be carried in an old snuff can if need be. Just as long as it's kept dry, it's happy. Flour, baking powder, salt, lard and some water is all that's required to make pan de campo. There are recipes that call for oil and milk, but that detracts from the basic nature of this bread. Cowboys on a trail drive were unlikely to have fresh milk handy, and they knew better than to try and milk a steer.

The classic pan de campo is baked in a Dutch oven. It comes out as a round loaf the diameter of your Dutch oven and about an inch and a half or two inches thick. It can also be cooked in a skillet with a lid, or it can be fried. If things are really scarce, you can wrap the dough around a stick and cook it over coals. Oh, and if you are up-to-date, you can bake it in the oven in the comfort of your kitchen. Baking the pan de campo in a Dutch oven gives it a moist atmosphere to cook in, which I believe makes for moister bread. The "crust" will be soft. However, pan de campo baked in a dry oven will have a crisp crust which I like a lot.

My favorite pan de campo is made into biscuit size rounds. I pat the dough out to about a half-inch thickness and cut it with a biscuit cutter. The finished product doubles in thickness.

The ingredients used in pan de campo can stand some inspection. The main ingredient is flour. Most any all-purpose wheat flour will do. I prefer unbleached all-purpose flour. I just think it has a better flavor. It is also a little darker than the bleached flour. If you use whole wheat flour, it will not rise as well as regular flour. But you can mix half and half regular flour and whole wheat and get a good product.

The shortening for the bread is also subject to debate. The original recipe would have used hog lard. Being that November is National Hog Lard Month, give it a try. The lard imparts very little flavor to the bread, and it does make for a moister end product. Some recipes call for oil such as canola or corn oils. The oils tend to separate in the mix and don't give as good a result to my way of thinking. The vegetable shortenings are good. My favorite for most baking is butter flavored Crisco.

Baking powder is pretty much baking powder. Any brand name will do. Just make sure it's fairly fresh and hasn't come in contact with moisture.

Regular table salt works in all recipes, as does granulated sugar or the baking style artificial sweeteners.

As for water versus milk, you takes your pick. I don't think you would be able to tell the difference in the finished product.

Pan de Campo Recipes

Time to check out a couple of recipes. The first comes from down in the Rio Grande Valley of Texas where pan de campo is very popular.

Valley-style Pan de Campo

    4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

    1/2 cup shortening

    2 teaspoons salt

    1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon baking powder

    hot water

Mix the dry ingredients in a large bowl. Cut in the shortening. Add just enough hot water to make a thick dough. Turn the dough out on a floured surface and knead two to three minutes or until smooth. Don't overwork it.

Divide the dough into two portions. Let it rest covered with a damp cloth for 15 to 20 minutes.

Form into rounds and bake. (Here it's up to you as to the form of baking used, Dutch oven or conventional oven. Conventional oven should be about 350F degrees. Bake until golden brown.

Note: the small amount of baking powder used indicates that the shortening will be relied upon to do the rising in the bread. The shortening goes through all kinds of processes with the flour to get steam pockets to form in the dough, which produces the "rise". If it doesn't rise enough to suit you, use about a big teaspoon of baking powder.

Spindle Top Pan de Campo

This one has the oil.

    8 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

    8 teaspoons baking powder

    4 teaspoons salt

    4 teaspoons sugar

    3 cups milk

    1-1/2 cups canola oil

Mix the dry ingredients in a large bowl. Mix in the oil as best you can. (I found that after the initial mix of oil, the pastry cutter was the best way to proceed.)

Add enough of the milk to make a stiff dough. Divide into four portions and form into rounds and bake.

Cowboy Yeast Bread

    1 packet yeast

    1 quart warm milk

    1/2 cup vegetable oil

    2 teaspoons baking powder

    1/2 teaspoon baking soda

    1/2 cup sugar

    1 teaspoon salt

    6 to 8 cups flour, to make a thick dough

Put the yeast in a quarter cup of warm (110F degrees) water and let dissolve for 15 minutes. In large mixing bowl, combine everything but the flour. Add the yeast mixture and mix well.

Work the flour in a half cup at a time until you get a thick dough that comes away from the sides of the bowl. Cover the bowl and let dough double in a warm place.

This recipe will make enough for two 9x13-inch baking pans. Oil the pans before putting the dough in. No need for second rise, just pop in a 350F degree oven.

You can refrigerate this dough, and it will last up to three weeks. No need to let it rise after you take it out of the ice box for use.

Raven's Pan de Campo

    2 cups unbleached all-flour

    1 heaping teaspoon baking powder

    1 teaspoon salt

    1/3 cup butter flavor Crisco

    water

Mix the dry ingredients in a large bowl. Cut in the shortening with pastry cutter until cornmeal like texture results.

Add just enough water to get a thick dough that comes away from the sides of the bowl. Turn out on a floured surface and knead just until it comes together smoothly.

This recipe will make about a dozen biscuit-size portions or you can form the dough into one round no more than one inch thick. In a conventional oven, bake at 400 degrees until golden brown.

None of the above recipes is written in stone. You can experiment with them until you get the perfect pan de campo.

I had good success baking biscuit size "pans" in a cast iron skillet with a lid to cover the dough. I will bet you a pretty that an electric skillet would do a bang up job, too. You will have to turn the "biscuits" after the bottoms brown to get the tops to brown this way. I would start with a setting of about 350F degrees.

Now that you have a house full of pan de campo, it's time to lay in some cream gravy and butter and jelly.

Dips

Baba Ganoush (smoky eggplant dip)

Ingredients:

    4 eggplants

    6 garlic cloves, crushed

    1/2 cup lemon juice

    1/4 cup tahini

    1/2 tsp salt

Method:

Preheat oven to 425°. Cover an oven tray with parchment paper.

Prick eggplants all over and roast for 35-40 minutes Leave to cool. Slice off stem area and peel.

In a bowl with the eggplant add crushed garlic, lemon juice, tahini and salt.

Mix together with a fork until all ingredients are combined.

Serve with Lebanese bread as a dip.

Notes:

    DO NOT forget to prick those eggplants or they will explode in your oven!

    This dip has a fantastic smoky taste and can be served on a mezze platter or with smoked salmon as an entree.

    Bottled lemon juice works very well if you don't have fresh lemons.

    Tahini is crushed sesame seed paste and can be found in the health foods section of your supermarket.

    You can also serve this on a plate with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil, a nice sprinkle of paprika and pita bread.

Homemade Tzatziki

Homemade Tzatziki

2 cups Greek yogurt

1 cucumber

pinch kosher salt

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 teaspoons red wine vinegar

4 mint leaves, minced

Peel the cucumber and cut lengthwise into four spears. Remove the seeds. Mince the cucumber into small 2 cm or less pieces. Place the chopped cucumber in a cloth or paper towel and squeeze to remove excess liquid. Combine the drained yogurt, cucumber, salt, garlic, olive oil, red wine vinegar and mint. Serve with lamb or chicken gyros, as a dipping sauce for falafel balls, with pitas and fresh vegetable spears or whatever else your heart desires.

Makes 2 cups

Burgers!!!

Cuban Sandwiches

1 loaf soft French bread, or four soft hoagie rolls

mayonnaise

Cuban Style Roast Pork, thinly sliced (recipe follows)

8 very thin slices Virginia Ham

8 thin slices Swiss cheese

2 kosher dill pickles, very thinly sliced longways (I like the kind from the refrigerated section of the supermarket)

butter, for brushing on the outside of the bread

1. Preheat a panini press or a sandwich press (or just warm up two cast iron skillets on the stove). Slice bread in half longways, and then cut into 4 equal sections to make the sandwiches.

2. Spread a thin layer of mayonnaise on the inside of the bread. Divide the sliced pork evenly among the sandwiches, then layer with ham, cheese, and pickles. Brush a very small amount of butter on the outside of each sandwich. Toast sandwiches in the press (or place in one cast iron skillet, and place another skillet on top of the sandwich). Remove when the cheese is melted and the meat is warmed through. Slice on the diagonal, and serve.

Cuban Style Roast Pork

1 pork tenderloin

juice of 1 lime

juice of 1 orange

1 clove garlic, finely minced

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1. Marinate pork in juices and garlic clove for at least 30 minutes in a glass baking dish.

2. Preheat oven to 375. Rub top of the tenderloin with kosher salt. Bake in the baking dish with the juices for 30-35 minutes, or until completely cooked. Remove from oven and let rest for 20 minutes. Remove any salt that did not get fully absorbed into the meat.

 Beef n Bean Burrito Burgers

    1 pound ground beef sirloin

    1 can black beans (15 ounces), rinsed

    1/2 cup leftover white or brown rice, cold

    1 tablespoon grill seasoning

    1 tablespoon ancho chili powder

    1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin (about 1/2 palmful)

    1 1/2 teaspoons ground coriander (about 1/2 palmful)

    1 tablespoon vegetable oil

    1 avocado

    1/2 small red onion, finely chopped

    1 jalapeño pepper or serrano chili pepper, seeded and finely chopped

    1 clove garlic, grated or finely chopped

    Grated peel and juice of 1 lime

    1/2 cup sour cream

    4 crusty rolls, split

    4 leaves red leaf lettuce

    1 tomato, sliced

Preparation

In a large bowl, combine the beef, beans, rice, grill seasoning, chili powder, cumin and coriander. Form into four patties. In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the patties and cook, turning once and lowering the heat slightly for the last few minutes, until browned, 12 minutes.

While the burgers cook, in a medium size bowl, mash together the avocado, onion, jalapeño pepper, garlic, lime peel and lime juice. Stir in the sour cream.

Layer each roll bottom with a lettuce leaf, a tomato slice, a beef patty, guacamole and a roll top.

Beer-and-Beef Chili Sliders on Bacon Biscuits with Tomatillo Ketchup 

    2 poblano chilies

    8 slices bacon, chopped

    One box buttermilk biscuit mix (8 ounces), such as Jiffy brand

    1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese

    1/4 cup chives, chopped

    1/4 cup yellow mustard

    2 tablespoons honey

    6 tomatillos, peeled, rinsed and chopped

    1 small red onion, chopped

    2 cloves garlic, chopped

    Salt and pepper

    3/4 pound ground beef chuck

    3/4 pound ground beef sirloin

    1/2 cup beer

    1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce

    2 tablespoons chili powder (2 palmfuls)

    2 tablespoons grill seasoning (2 palmfuls)

    1 tablespoon sweet smoked paprika (1 palmful)

    1 tablespoon ground cumin (1 palmful)

    1 tablespoon ground coriander (1 palmful)

    1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano (1/2 palmful)

    2 tablespoons cilantro leaves

    1 teaspoon grated peel plus the juice of 1 lime

    Shredded lettuce, for serving

Preparation

Pre-heat the broiler.

Arrange the chilies on a broiler pan and broil, turning occasionally, until blackened all over, about 10 minutes. Transfer to a bowl, cover and let stand for 5-10 minutes. Peel and discard the stems and seeds.

While the chilies are broiling, in a medium size skillet, cook the bacon over medium-high heat until crisp, about 7 minutes. Drain, reserving about 2 tablespoons of the bacon fat; crumble the bacon.

Pre-heat the oven to 425°F. Pre-heat a grill or grill pan to medium-high.

In a large bowl, combine the biscuit mix with 1/2 cup water and whisk until a dough forms. Mix in the cheese, chives, mustard, honey, bacon and reserved bacon fat. Spoon eight equal mounds of the biscuit dough onto a baking sheet and bake until golden, 10 minutes. Let cool for 2 minutes, then transfer to a rack and let cool completely; split.

Meanwhile, in a medium size saucepan, combine the tomatillos, onion and garlic; season with salt and pepper. Cook over medium-high heat until the onions and tomatillos are softened, 8-10 minutes.

In a medium size bowl, combine the beef, beer, Worcestershire sauce, chili powder, grill seasoning, paprika, cumin, coriander and oregano. Shape into eight patties, about 1 1/2-inches thick. Add to the grill and cook, turning once, for 5 minutes for medium-rare doneness.

Using a food processor, puree the tomatillo mixture, chilies, cilantro, lime peel and lime juice; season with salt and pepper.

Top each biscuit bottom with a little shredded lettuce, a beef patty, some tomatillo ketchup and a biscuit top; secure with toothpicks.

Goat Cheese Burgers with Beets

    1 large beet, peeled and sliced 1/4 inch thick, or one can sliced beets (14.5-ounces), drained

    1 1/2 pounds ground beef sirloin

    1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon finely chopped flat leaf parsley (a generous handful)

    2 large cloves garlic, grated or finely chopped

    2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

    Salt and pepper

    1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)

    3 ounces goat cheese

    1/2 cup sour cream, crème fraîche or Greek-style yogurt

    1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh thyme

    1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh dill

    1 teaspoon grated lemon peel

    4 crusty rolls, split

    4 thin slices red onion

    4 leaves red-leaf lettuce

Preparation

In a medium saucepan, combine the beet and enough water to cover. Bring to a boil, then simmer until tender, 10-12 minutes; drain.

In a large bowl, combine the beef, 1/3 cup parsley, the garlic and Worcestershire sauce; season with salt and pepper. Form into 4 patties and make a thumbprint in the center of each; coat the patties with the EVOO. Heat a skillet over medium-high heat. Add the patties and cook, turning once, 6-8 minutes for medium.

While the patties are cooking, crumble the goat cheese into a medium bowl. Add the sour cream, thyme, dill, lemon peel and the remaining 1 tablespoon parsley.

Place the beef patties on the roll bottoms; top with the beet slices, goat cheese mixture, onion, lettuce and the roll tops.

Pimento Mac 'n Cheese Cheeseburgers

For the burgers:

    1 1/2 pounds ground beef

    2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

    3-4 tablespoons onion, grated directly over the meat

    Salt and pepper

    Extra virgin olive oil (EVOO), for drizzling

    4 large, soft burger buns or brioche buns or 8 slider-size buns

For the mac 'n cheese:

    Salt

    1/2 pound macaroni

    4 tablespoons butter

    2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

    1 red chili pepper, such as Fresno, finely chopped

    2 jars chopped pimentos (4 ounces each), well drained and finely chopped

    2 teaspoons sweet paprika (about 2/3 palmful)

    2 round tablespoons flour

    1 1/2 cups milk

    Pepper

    2 cups extra-sharp cheddar cheese

Optional fixin's:

    Chopped pickles

    Peppadew peppers

    Chopped lettuce

    Tomatoes, sliced or diced

Preparation

Bring a pot of water to a boil for the pasta and heat a cast iron skillet or large griddle pan over medium-high heat.

Combine the meat with the Worcestershire sauce, grated onion, salt and pepper and form four large or eight slider-size patties. Drizzle the patties lightly with oil. Separate the buns and arrange the bottoms on a platter.

Undercook the macaroni by a minute in boiling salted water. Meanwhile, melt the butter in a small pan over medium heat. Add the garlic and chili pepper and stir for 3 minutes. Add the pimentos and heat through. Add the paprika and the flour and stir for 1 minute. Whisk in the milk and let thicken. Season with salt and pepper, then stir in the cheese to melt. Add the macaroni and stir to combine.

Cook the burgers for 3-4 minutes on each side for large burgers or 2-3 minutes on each side for sliders for medium doneness.

If using fixin's, place them on the bun bottoms. Place the patties on the bun bottoms and top with the mac 'n cheese; set the bun tops in place.

 

 Seven Layer Sliders

    8 ounces canned refried beans

    2 pounds ground beef sirloin

    1 cup beer

    1/4 cup grated onion

    3 cloves garlic, grated or finely chopped

    1 1/2 tablespoons grill seasoning (about 1 1/2 palmfuls)

    1 tablespoon chili powder, preferably chipotle (about a palmful)

    1 tablespoon smoked sweet paprika (about a palmful)

    Extra virgin olive oil (EVOO), for drizzling

    1 Hass avocado

    1/2 small red onion, finely chopped

     2 jalapeño chiles, seeded and finely chopped

    3 tablespoons finely chopped cilantro

    1 teaspoon grated lime peel, plus juice of 2 limes

    Salt

    2 yellow tomatoes, seeded and chopped

    1/4 cup mustard (eyeball it)

    1 cup sour cream

    1 tablespoon hot pepper sauce (eyeball it)

    1 teaspoon ground cumin (about 1/3 palmful)

    6 slices deli pepper jack cheese, quartered

    12 mini hamburger buns, split

    1 cup shredded romaine lettuce

    1/2 cup green olives with pimento, chopped

Preparation

In a small skillet, heat the beans over medium-low heat; stir in a splash of water.

In a large bowl, combine the sirloin, beer, onion, two-thirds of the garlic, the grill seasoning, chili powder and paprika. Divide into 4 equal portions, then form each portion into three 3-inch patties. Drizzle with EVOO.

In a small bowl, mash the avocado with half each of the red onion, jalapeños and cilantro. Mash in the lime peel and juice and the remaining one-third of the garlic; season the guacamole with salt. In another small bowl, toss the tomatoes with the mustard and the remaining half of the red onion, jalapeños and cilantro; stir, then season with salt. In another bowl, stir together the sour cream, hot sauce and cumin.

Pre-heat a large grill pan to medium-high. Add the patties and cook, turning once, for 6 minutes for medium. During the last minute of cooking, top each patty with 2 cheese slices and tent with foil to melt.

Top each bun bottom with a small spoonful of refried beans, a beef patty, some lettuce, guacamole, salsa, spicy sour cream and a sprinkling of olives; cover with the bun tops. Serve the sliders with any remaining toppings.

 

Sloppy Joes

    1 pound ground lean beef or turkey

    1/2 onion, finely chopped (about 3/4 cup)

    1 carrot, chopped

    1 1/2 cups summer squash, diced

    1 6-ounce can tomato paste

    3 garlic cloves, minced

    1 tablespoon mild chili powder

    1 teaspoon paprika

    1 teaspoon dried oregano

    Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

    3 ounces cheddar cheese, thinly sliced

    6 whole wheat hamburger buns

1. Preheat the broiler. In a large skillet over medium-high heat, sauté the ground beef or turkey until browned, about 7 minutes. Add the onion and sauté 2 minutes. Add the carrot and sauté 2 minutes. Add the squash and sauté 1 minute more.

2. Stir in the tomato paste and 1 1/2 cups water, stirring until the paste has dissolved. Add the garlic, chili powder, paprika, and oregano, and season with the salt and pepper. Reduce heat to medium and continue to cook until the mixture has thickened, 8 to 10 minutes.

3. Divide the cheese among the bottom halves of the hamburger buns. Transfer both halves of the buns to the broiler, open-faced, and toast until the cheese has melted and the top buns are toasted.

4. Remove the buns from the oven and fill each sandwich with the squash-and-meat mixture. Serve immediately.