Pan de Cristal
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Want to know how to make really airy, bubbly bread with a toasty, chewy crust? This pan de cristal bread recipe is for you!
I can’t begin to tell you how thrilled I am to finally be sharing this pan de cristal recipe with you today!
It’s the result of weeks of study, testing, and perfecting. No joke!
Have you seen those pictures of insanely crusty, airy, bubbly bread that made all the rounds during the pandemic? Well, I did too and I longed to be able to do the same.
So far, I still don’t feel like I’m at the expert level of sourdough bread baking, so this pan de cristal bread is made with yeast. But it has all the hallmarks!
Most bread recipes are made with the exact same 4 ingredients: flour, water, yeast, and salt. It’s all about rations and the technique!
No exaggeration when I say that I’ve probably made this over a dozen times to learn how to make really airy, bubbly bread like this.
And I love that I can offer everything I learned along the way to you here.
If you are interested in making really delicious homemade bread, be sure to check out my other yeast bread recipes. My crusty French baguette recipe is very popular, as is my soft whole wheat bread and my New York Bagel recipe.
Table of Contents
- What is pan de cristal?
- Why this is the best pan de cristal recipe
- What does pan de cristal taste like?
- Ingredients
- Special equipment
- How to make really airy bread
- How to serve pan de cristal
- Expert tips
- Frequently asked questions
- A few more of our best yeast bread recipes
What is pan de cristal?
This is a type of bread that’s known for its toasty, crisp crust and its moist, bubbly, airy interior. It also sometimes goes by the name “glass bread.”
Why this is the best pan de cristal recipe
- Tastes amazing: Every bite is slightly different thanks to the contrast between chewy crust and moist, airy interior, and it’s got just the right amount of salt and lots of flavor from the slow fermentation.
- Few ingredients: You only need 4 pantry staples to make it.
- Foolproof: If you follow my easy step-by-step instructions, expert tips, and faq’s you are practically guaranteed success.
- Brag-worthy: There’s just something so fun about showing off your success when you’ve nailed a challenge like this!
What does pan de cristal taste like?
This bread has a complex flavor from the deeply browned crust, a nice balance of salt, and a slightly tangy, yeasty quality that just keeps you going back for more!
Ingredients
Flour: For the best possible results, you’ll want to use bread flour. I’m not saying that other types of flour won’t work, but they just may not give you the optimal result.
Water: You’ll need water in which to dissolve the yeast. It should not be hot. Tepid or cool water is best.
Yeast: This recipe was developed to be used with active dry yeast. If you choose to use sourdough starter or discard or instant yeast, it may still work but not in the same way or perhaps not in the same timing, if that makes sense. It’s probably worth your while to specifically buy active dry yeast unless you’re a real bread-baking expert that knows how to adapt things.
Salt: I like kosher salt best because it’s cheap, easy to find, and doesn’t contain any bitter-tasting additives such as iodine. This ingredient carries and intensifies the flavors of the bread. It’s purely for flavor so if you want to use more or less you can, but this was just the right amount for my taste buds.
Special equipment
- Measuring cups and spoons: Follow my guide on how to measure ingredients.
- Bowl: You’ll need a large mixing bowl in which to make the dough.
- Silicone spatula: Helpful when mixing the dough.
- Additional water: To prevent your hands from sticking during the folding process.
- Additional flour: To prevent the dough from sticking to your worksurface and hands during the pre-shaping process.
- Proofing basket: This tool is optional but I like it because it keeps the dough from flattening and spreading too much as it slow-ferments. If you don’t have one or don’t want to use one you can just bake your bread on a baking sheet, steel, or stone. If you do use a proofing basket (aka: banneton or brotform, make sure it’s well-seasoned (rice flour is worth buying for this) so nothing sticks.
- Blade: A straight razor blade or baker’s lame is needed to score the bread before baking.
- Parchment: Lining your pan with parchment prevents sticking and keeps your baking sheet clean.
- Baking sheet: I love my insulated aluminum bakers half sheets.
How to make really airy bread
This recipe comes together in 5 simple steps. I’m also providing a step-by-step video tutorial in the recipe card below.
Step 1: Make the dough
Start by placing the bread flour in your large mixing bowl and making a well in the center.
Then pour the water into the well, sprinkle the yeast on top, and allow it to dissolve.
You can also sprinkle the salt around the outside edge of the bowl, away from the yeast for now (it can inhibit it from activating).
Once the yeast has dissolved, stir everything together until you have a very stiff, dry, shaggy dough. It might seem too dry to come together but don’t worry, it will hydrate a ton as you move through the next steps.
Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and allow the dough to rest at room temp for 30 minutes.
Step 2: Fold and rest
After its rest, the dough will be more hydrated but still very stiff.
Using a silicone spatula or clean hands, go all around the perimeter, folding it in on itself. Do this 2 to 3 times. This is called a “bowl fold.”
Cover again with plastic wrap, mark it to show you’ve completed 1 fold, and rest 30 minutes more.
Next we are going to switch to a lateral fold. Wet your hands thoroughly, grab the front edge of the dough (furthest away from you) and lift it up, stretching it, then fold it back towards you and onto itself.
Repeat in all 4 directions (left to right, bottom to top, right to left) 2 to 3 times, cover, mark, and rest 30 minutes at room temp.
You will continue laterally folding, covering, and resting for 30 minutes over the next 4 hours, until you’ve done 1 bowl fold and 7 lateral folds.
Step 3: Pre-shape
After the 8th and final fold/rest, generously flour the work surface and your hands, and tip the dough out of the bowl.
Using several gentle, sweeping motions, repeatedly tuck the edges of the dough under itself, creating a dry surface on top that is slightly in tension.
Cover it with a towel to allow some airflow, and rest for 30 minutes at room temperature.
Step 4: Shape and chill
Grab your well-seasoned banneton and gently place the dough into it, smooth side down, pinching a seam along the top surface.
Pop it into the fridge under a towel and allow it to chill for 16 hours.
Step 5: Score and bake
Invert the banneton onto a parchment-lined baking sheet.
Holding the blade at a 30- to 45-degree angle to the top surface of the unbaked loaf, slice a deep slash into the top of the unbaked loaf. This will allow the bread to puff up in the oven without getting an ugly crack in it.
Place a large metal dish of water on the bottom of your oven and preheat fully. Then slide your bread in and allow it to bake until it’s really browned and crusty.
How to serve pan de cristal
This bread makes a great accompaniment to any meal, especially like a salad, soup, or stew. I like it slathered with soft butter but it’s really nice with olive oil or pesto too.
It’s also really good for breakfast or a snack. Try topping it with honey butter, pimento cheese, homemade jam, marmalade, apple butter, or lemon curd.
Expert tips
Bread flour: Bread flour has a higher protein content that will really allow the dough to stretch and hold big air bubbles. It’s worth buying special for this recipe! You can get it at the regular grocery store in the baking aisle, or order it online.
High hydration: This type of bread is characterized by its high ratio of water to flour. Again, high hydration provides the optimal conditions for that air bubble formation. You can play around and add more water, but I like this ratio best for a taller loaf that can be used for sandwiches.
Develop the glutens: The folding process works the natural glutens in the bread flour and strengthens them, so that the molecules become elongated and form a web-like structure that can hold air in, like a balloon.
Retard: Chilling the dough overnight firms up the dough so it holds its shape better. But it also slows down the action of the yeast and allows the flour and water to ferment. This creates a really delicious flavor! And this chill is also known as “retarding” the yeast.
Basket: The proofing basket provides support for the loaf but it’s optional. I like it because I prefer a taller loaf. These baskets are also known as “bannetons” or “brotforms,” and they can be purchased in specialty shops or online. Make sure yours is well-seasoned so nothing sticks. I can’t tell you how many times I spent hours on my dough only to have it stick and deflate right before the final step.
Tension: Creating a gentle tension over the top surface of the loaf also helps it not to stick. If you overdo it and get a tear in the surface, don’t worry. Just knead the dough a few times and start again. Watch the video in the recipe card below to see how to create that tension during the pre-shaping step.
Steam: If you like a really crisp, crackly crust, place a large dish of water in your oven as the bread bakes.
Frequently asked questions
Start making your dough mid-morning or afternoon, and it will be ready to bake the following afternoon or evening.
Be sure to check the expiration date on the package of yeast. It does die after a while.
You also want to make sure you keep the dough at a comfy temp. It likes it warm but not hot. A sunny windowsill is perfect, as is the oven with just the light turned on.
Under-proofing or over-proofing can create a texture that’s tight and close.
If it’s under-proofed, it won’t have enough time to form all those lovely big air bubbles.
If it’s over-proofed, it will poof up but then collapse back down again.
This recipe allows for a 16-hour slow rise in the fridge, which I’ve found to be perfect. Follow the timing as closely as you can and you should get a really good result.
The inside of the bread should be very moist and soft.
If it’s crumbly it could be because the glutens weren’t well-developed. Make sure you’re using bread flour and not skimping on the folding and resting.
The outside of the loaf will be very dry, crisp, and crumbly. That’s exactly how pan de cristal should be.
If it’s dry and crumbly in the center, it could have been overbaked. Aim for an internal temperature of 190 degrees F.
This problem can be so frustrating!
I bought my banneton specifically for this recipe, and I didn’t want to have to buy another kind of flour for it too. But rice flour is widely recommended for seasoning proofing baskets, and I eventually had no choice but to break down and buy some.
It really works, my friend. I’m here to tell you it’s worth it if you’re struggling with this problem.
To season your brotform, wet it thoroughly under the faucet then sprinkle it generously with rice flour. Allow it to dry for 2 to 3 hours, then repeat a few times.
Sprinkle the top of your pre-shaped loaf with rice flour too, or a 1:1 mix of rice flour and all-purpose or bread flour if you want to see pretty white lines in a pattern on the crust.
You only have to wash and re-season your banneton once every several loaves baked. Other than that just brush it briskly to remove any residue.
Slip your bread into a paper bag and it will keep at room temperature for a day or so.
Extend the shelf life by stashing it in the fridge, where it should keep for around a week.
Or freeze it in a zip-top bag. It will last in the freezer for a month or two and can be thawed at room temp or in the fridge.
This bread can be sliced into about 8 1-inch thick slabs.
The nutritional info below is for one slice, or 1/8th of the loaf. It does not include any of the suggested toppings listed above.
A few more of our best yeast bread recipes
As an amazon associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Pan de Cristal
Ingredients
- 3 1/2 cups (437.5 g) bread flour
- 1 1/2 cups (354.88 g) water, tepid
- 3/4 teaspoons (2.33 g) active dry yeast
- 1 1/2 teaspoons (9 g) kosher salt
Instructions
- Place the flour in a large mixing bowl and make a well in the center.
- Pour the tepid water into the well and sprinkle the yeast on top.
- When the yeast has dissolved, sprinkle the salt around the edge of the bowl (away from the yeast) and stir everything together until you have a very dry, shaggy dough.
- Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and allow the dough to rest and hydrate for 30 minutes at room temperature.
- Bowl fold: Draw the sides of the dough up and fold them into the center of the dough, moving in 360 degrees all the way around the bowl. Do this 2 to 3 times and that will count as 1 bowl fold. .
- Cover the bowl with plastic wrap, mark it to remind yourself where you're at in the folding process, and rest for 30 minutes at room temperature..
- Lateral fold: Wet your hands thoroughly and grab the dough from the edge furthest away from you. Lift and stretch it, then fold it towards you, over onto itself. Then repeat this motion from left to right, bottom to top, and right to left. Do this 2 to 3 times and that will count as 1 lateral fold.
- Cover the bowl with plastic wrap, mark it to remind yourself where you're at in the folding process, and rest for 30 minutes at room temperature.
- Repeat steps 7 and 8 every 30 minutes over the course of 4 hours. (You should complete 1 bowl fold and 7 lateral folds total.)
- Preshape the loaf: Turn the dough out onto a generously floured surface and draw the sides underneath the dough ball in a sweeping, tucking motion, creating some gentle tension on the top surface of the dough.
- Cover the dough with a towel and allow it to rest at room temperature for 30 minutes.
- Place the dough (smooth side down) in a well-seasoned proofing basket, pinching a seam along the top.
- Cover with a towel and place in the refrigerator for 16 hours.
- Place a large dish of water on the bottom rack of the oven and preheat to 475 degrees F.
- Bake the loaf until puffy, browned, and crusty. It should register an internal temperature of 190 degrees F (approx. 30 to 40 minutes).
Your recipe incorporates dry yeast directly into the dough mixture and has no sugar added. Will the yeast be able to bloom properly using your method? I’ve always thought you need to bloom dry yeast with water and sugar prior to incorporating it into dough and also subtract the amount of bloom water used from the amount of water called for in the dough recipe.
Yes it works properly. I’ve made this recipe at least a dozen times, if not more. Not all breads incorporate sugar. It can help, but it’s not a necessity. And the yeast does get bloomed in the water. You make a well in the center of the flour, pour in the water, and sprinkle the yeast over the surface of the water. It dissolves after about 5 minutes and then you move on to the next steps. Good luck, I hope you like it!