Ingredients
Dough
- 800 gplain flour
- 200 gbrown sugar or panela
- 200 gbutter or lard, softened
- 3eggs
- 10 ginstant yeast
- 1 tspsalt
- 1 tspground cinnamon
- about 250 ml warm milk
Filling
- 400 gpineapple jam
- or guava paste, or pineapple and guava together
Crumble topping
- 200 gplain flour
- 100 gbutter
- 100 gsugar
- 1 tspcinnamon
To finish
- 1egg, beaten
- sugar, for sprinkling
To serve
- with coffee
- or hot chocolate
Directions
- Warm the milk to blood heat and mix it with the yeast and a spoonful of the sugar. Milk above about 45°C kills the yeast and the dough will not rise. Let it stand 10 minutes until it foams, which confirms the yeast is alive. Beat the butter and sugar together, then work in the eggs one at a time. Add the flour, salt and cinnamon and the yeast mixture, and bring it to a soft dough.
- Knead it for 10 minutes until it is smooth and elastic. Enriched doughs take longer to come together than lean ones, because the fat coats the flour and slows the gluten.
- Prove it, covered, for about 2 hours until doubled. It rises more slowly than a plain dough because of the sugar and fat, so give it the time it needs. Chill the crumble, which stops it melting into a flat sheet in the oven. Roll the first half out and press it into a large lined baking tray, right to the edges.
- Leave that border. The jam should be thick rather than runny, so cook it down first if it is loose. Roll the second half of the dough out to the same size and lay it over the jam.
- Press the edges together firmly all the way round to seal. Seal the edges properly, or the jam finds the gap and escapes as it bakes. Prick the top layer here and there with a fork. Those holes let steam out and stop the top layer ballooning away from the filling.
- Brush the top with beaten egg and scatter the chilled crumble thickly over. Prove it a further 30 minutes. Bake at 180°C (355°F) for 40 to 45 minutes until deep golden and firm.
- Cover it loosely with foil if the crumble browns before the bread is cooked through. It is done when a skewer into the dough layer comes out clean. Cool it completely in the tray before cutting. Cut it warm and the jam runs and the layers separate, so wait for it.
- Cut it into generous squares or rectangles. It keeps three or four days wrapped, and it is dense enough to travel well, which is why it is bus-stop food.
Technique
- Pineapple jam is the classic filling and guava is the common alternative.
- It is sold wrapped in paper by the slab rather than as individual pastries.
- Related sweet breads are found across Central America under similar names.
Substitutions
- Guava paste in place of pineapple jam.
- Lard in place of butter, which is traditional and gives a shorter texture.
Variations
- With guava filling.
- Made without the crumble, with a plain glazed top.
- With raisins through the dough.
History
Dense sweet bread layered with pineapple jam, descended from the Spanish acemita and sold in slabs at bus stops and markets.
Frequently asked questions
What is Semita?
Semita is a bread & pastry from Honduras: layered sweet bread, a bakery and coffee-time staple. Dense sweet bread layered with pineapple jam, descended from the Spanish acemita and sold in slabs at bus stops and markets.
How long does Semita take to make?
Semita takes 40 min plus 2 hr rising of preparation and 45 min of cooking. The recipe makes 1 large tray, about 20 pieces. It is rated medium to make.
What can I substitute in Semita?
Yes, within limits. Guava paste in place of pineapple jam. Lard in place of butter, which is traditional and gives a shorter texture.
What is the most important thing to get right in Semita?
Leave that border. The jam should be thick rather than runny, so cook it down first if it is loose. Roll the second half of the dough out to the same size and lay it over the jam.
