Pan de Agua (Water Bread) is a very popular bread in the Caribbean. This bread has an outer crispy crust with an airy and fluffy center. It is very similar to Italian and French bread. Since most Pan de Agua recipes call for several cups of water, it is referred to as Water Bread.
Every Sunday in Puerto Rico, my uncle would stop at the bakery to purchase Pan de Agua on his way home from work. The fresh bread was served with butter and consumed with a cup of Puerto Rican coffee. This is my favorite bread in our culture.
Activating and Proofing the Yeast!
For this recipe, I will be using the RapidRise Instant Yeast. When using the instant yeast, the yeast proofing is not required. However, I have been making this bread, using many types of yeast. Guess what! I got the best results with proofing the instant yeast. Therefore, set your oven to the proof mode.
NOTE: The proof setting in oven provides very low heat for the yeast to grow. In fact, my oven racks are barely warm to the touch. If you don’t have an oven proofer, just find a spot in your kitchen with a consistent warm temperature.
Heat 2 cups of room temperature water in the microwave for 1 minute. Check the temperature with a thermometer. The water needs to reach a temperature between 100 to 110°F.
NOTE: You don’t need hot water just lukewarm water to activate the yeast. You can also use tap water as long as it reaches the correct temperature.
In a small bowl, pour the 2 cups of water along with 1 tablespoon of sugar. Stir to dissolve the sugar. The sugar will provide the energy the yeast needs to produce carbon dioxide for the bread to rise. Add 1 package of RapidRise Instant Yeast and stir well.
Cover bowl with a dish towel, and place in oven to proof for 20 minutes.
NOTE: No oven proofer then just find a spot in your kitchen with a consistent warm temperature.
After proofing the yeast for 20 minutes, remove from oven and uncover. The yeast/water mixture appears to be foamy on top (known as bubbly active yeast) due to the carbon dioxide.
NOTE: Do not turn off the proof setting because we still need to proof the dough.
Mixing Bread Flour for Dough!
In a medium bowl, add 5 cups of bread flour and 1 tablespoon of lite salt. Mix well with a whisk.
Using a Stand Mixer to Prepare Bread Dough!
Use the lowest setting of mixer to form the bread dough. For this mixer, it is the first notch.
Pour the yeast/water mixture into mixing bowl.
Add your first cup of bread flour with yeast mixture. Stir the ingredients, using the lowest setting of mixer. For this recipe, I will be adding one cup of flour at a time.
The dough does not have to be completely mixed before adding another cup of bread flour.
We can add the second cup of flour and stir again. Continue this process until all the bread flour mixture is added.
After several cups of bread flour, the dough still has a sticky consistency.
It is time to add the last cup of bread flour. Continue stirring until there is no longer any excess dough stuck to the sides of mixing bowl. The mixture is starting to come together and form a dough.
Dough is ready when little or no dough is at the bottom or on the sides of mixing bowl. After of total of 7 minutes of stirring, the dough is mainly concentrated around the dough hook.
We can now remove dough from the dough hook.
We just finished making our dough.
Preparing Bread Dough for Proofing!
Place dough on top of kitchen counter and shape dough into a ball, rotating dough with your hands. If dough is too sticky to handle, then lightly sprinkle bread flour on countertop.
The dough is round and has a smooth surface.
Grease a large bowl with oil. I prefer to use olive oil. Cover bowl with a dish towel and place in the oven to proof the dough for 2 hours. The dough should rise and double in size.
NOTE: If you don’t have an oven proofer, just find a spot in your kitchen with a consistent warm temperature. You can also place in oven with the oven light on. DO NOT turn on oven.
Shaping the Water Bread Dough into Loaves!
After 2 hours of proofing the dough, remove bowl from oven and uncover. Press button on stove to cancel the proofing process.
The dough has almost doubled in size. With a dough scraper, gently remove dough from bowl without deflating it.
Cut the dough in half with a dough cutter. With the first half of dough, we are going to shape the dough into a loaf.
Roll the dough several times and with the palm of your hands, shape the dough into a loaf.
NOTE: Do not work the dough too much!
Round the ends of each loaf with your hands.
We just finished shaping the bread dough into a loaf, measuring at least 12 to 14 inches. Continue this process with the other half of dough.
Prepping Bread Baking Pan for Loaves!
Brush the bread baking pan with olive oil. This is a perforated French bread baking pan. This pan will allow the air to circulate around the dough, creating a crispy golden-brown crust.
Sprinkle the bottom of pan with cornmeal. This will help release the baked bread with ease and prevent from burning.
Brushing the Egg Wash and Scoring the Loaves!
In a small bowl, add 2 egg whites and 1 tablespoon of water. Stir until well blended. This is our egg wash.
Gently place the loaves of bread on each slot of baking pan. Brush the loaves on top with the egg wash. The egg wash will create a golden color with a crispy crust.
The last step is to make 3 to 4 small diagonal cuts on top of loaves with a sharp knife.
Let the dough rest for 15 to 30 minutes to rise before baking.
Baking the Water Bread (Pan de Agua)!
Before we bake the loaves of bread, we need to microwave a cup of water for 2 minutes and 15 seconds or until it boils to pour into a shallow baking pan, measuring 11 x 15 inches, that has already been placed in the oven. The boiling water will create steam in the oven for a crispy crust and aerated bread.
Insert cookie sheet with the loaves of bread on the top rack into a cold oven.
Pour the boiling water into shallow baking pan on the bottom rack. Push lower rack into oven. Close the oven door and wait for 10 minutes before turning on the oven. This will allow the bread to expand (top scored portion to open wider) to produce a crispy crust.
NOTE: Do Not Turn On The Oven.
After 10 minutes of steaming, we can finally turn the oven on and set the temperature to 400°F. Bake loaves for 30 to 35 minutes (this includes the preheating process).
NOTE: I do not remove the shallow baking pan with water from oven during the baking process.
Removing Fresh Baked Water Bread (Pan de Agua) from Oven!
The loaves of bread have been removed from the oven after 30 minutes of baking. Let stand to cool for a several minutes.
NOTE: When you tap several times on top of the bread with a knife, you will hear a hallow sound because a solid layer of crust is formed.
The baked bread has a crispy golden crust on the outside. The kitchen smells like someone just finished baking some bread.
Cut a slice of bread with a serrated knife. The bread is airy and fluffy on the inside with a chewy texture. This is our Pan de Agua (Water Bread).
Click on the button below to watch my YouTube Video on How to Prepare Water Bread (Pan de Agua)!
Recipe and Nutritional Facts!
Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy and is approximate only. Please refer to our Nutritional Facts Disclaimer for more information.
Print
Water Bread (Pan de Agua)
- Prep Time: 3 Hours 15 Minutes
- Cook Time: 33 Minutes
- Total Time: 3 hours 48 minutes
- Yield: 2 Loaves 1x
Description
Water Bread (Pan de Agua) – A chewy bread that is initially steamed in the oven before baking for an outer crispy crust with an airy and fluffy center.
Ingredients
- 1 package of RapidRise Instant Yeast
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 3 cups water
- 5 cups bread flour
- 1 tablespoon lite salt
- 2 egg whites
- 1 tablespoon water
Extra Virgin Olive Oil to grease baking pan and large bowl.
Instructions
- Pour 2 cups of warm water (temperature between 100°F to 110°F) into a bowl along with sugar and instant yeast. Stir well and cover bowl with towel and proof for 20 minutes.
- In a mixing bowl, add the bread flour and salt. Mix well and set aside.
- Once the yeast is activated, pour into bowl of stand mixer. Add 1 cup of the bread flour mixture and mix, using a dough hook and the lowest setting of mixer.
- Repeat this process (one cup at a time) until a dough is formed. Dough is ready when little or no dough is at the bottom or sides of mixing bowl.
- Remove dough from mixer and place on countertop. Shape dough into a ball, and place dough into a large greased bowl. Cover with towel and proof for 2 hours in oven.
- After proofing dough, place on countertop and cut dough in half. Shape each half into a loaf, measuring 12 to 14 inches. Do not work the dough too much.
- Grease cookie sheet or special perforated bread baking pans with oil and lightly sprinkle with cornmeal.
- Place loaves on cookie sheet. If using the perforated bread baking pans, place them also on top of cookie sheet.
- In a small bowl, mix egg whites with a tablespoon of water. Brush the loaves with the egg wash. Make 3 to 4 small diagonal cuts on top of each loaf. Allow loaves to rest for 15 to 30 minutes to rise.
- Boil 1 cup of water in the microwave or on top of stove.
- Place a shallow baking pan, measuring 11 x 15 inches, on the bottom section of oven. Pour the boiling water into the shallow pan and insert.
- Insert the cookie sheet with the loaves on the top rack. Close oven door and allow the loaves to steam for 10 minutes before turning on the oven.
- After steaming the loaves, turn on the oven to 400°F. Bake the loaves for 30 to 35 minutes or until a golden crispy outer crust is formed. Retain the baking pans in oven during the heating process.
Notes
If you do not have an oven proofer, then find a spot in the kitchen that has a warm temperature or place in oven with the light on. DO NOT TURN ON OVEN FOR PROOFING.
I purchased one perforated French bread pan with two slots, one for each loaf. However, you can use a cookie sheet as well.
- Category: Breads
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Puerto Rican
Keywords: breads, water bread, pan de agua
36 Comments. Leave new
It would be helpful to have weight in Grammies. Or, at least say how many teaspoons of yeast are in the pack specified. Thank you
Hi John, I will keep that in mind. One packet is ¼ ounce (7g) and equals approximately 2¼ teaspoons. Enjoy your week.
Is this the recipe for the bread in Puerto Rico they call “Bread from Heaven?”
Hi Veronica, There are two popular breads in Puerto Rico: Pan de Agua and Pan Sobao. They are both breads from heaven, depending on your preference. Pan de Agua has an outer crust and Pan Sobao has a soft crust with a subtle sweet taste. When I was in Puerto Rico for three months this Spring, I noticed individuals purchasing more of the soft bread (Pan Sobao).
Thank you for being educational and informative. The instructions along with the photos are well descriptive. I also like the little notes.
Hola Ana, You are welcome! Your kind comments will encourage me to continue with this line of work. Thank you!
Does the cooking time include the preheat, or is it 30-35 minutes after the oven comes to 400?
Hi Dani, The cooking time includes the preheat. Since kitchen appliances are not all built the same, it might take less time or more time to bake the bread. When I baked my first bread, I watched the bread closely about 5 minutes near the end until a crispy golden crust was formed. Once I was able to determine the actual baking time (30 minutes, including the preheat), I no longer had to watch future breads at the end of baking.
Can this be made into a loaf?
Thank you!
Hola Rita, I have never attempted to prepare this bread, using a rectangular loaf pan. In our culture, it is traditionally prepared as a loaf of bread similar to French or Italian. However, you can definitely experiment with other baking pans.
Hola! I love Puerto Rican water bread. Do you think it can be made with gluten free bread flour?
Hola Iris, Yes, you can use gluten free bread flour. However, keep in mind that gluten-free bread flour is more absorbent. For this reason, you might need to add at least 2 to 3 tablespoons more of liquid per each cup of gluten-free bread flour.
It’s been over 20 years since I’ve been in Puerto Rico, but there was a bread truck that drove through the neighborhood every morning, delivering fresh-baked baguettes for $1 each. Is this the same type of bread? I just remember it having a very crispy outside, and a soft inside that was amazing!
Hola Justin, Since I only purchased the “pan de agua” at the bakery in Humacao, I really can’t answer your question with certainty. However, based on your description of the bread that you purchased, it appears to be the same type of bread. The Water Bread has a crusty layer on the outside but soft inside very similar to Italian bread. The other type of bread that is popular in Puerto Rico (Pan Sobao), is soft on the outside as well as the inside, and is also semi sweet.
I missed the salt because it was not specified in the instructions… I’m pretty disappointed but the crispy outside and soft inside almost makes up for it. It is a bit flatter than I would like. I think it may need another rise after the loaves are shaped or my house was a little too cold. Overall I will make this again.
Hi Melenie, The salt is mentioned both in the step by step visual instructions (when flour and salt is mixed in a bowl) and in the actual recipe section (list of ingredients) below cooking video. I also stated to let the bread rest for 15 to 30 minutes to rise after it is placed in the baking pans before baking. These instructions are also included in the cooking video. I am sorry that you missed these instructions because they were included in all the cooking instructions. When you decide to try this recipe again, hopefully, you won’t be disappointed since the bread texture inside and outside were to your satisfaction.
Salt may be stated in the step by step picture instructions and video, but that is not how I follow recipes. I followed the printable concise recipe and I too missed adding the salt because it was not in the instructions. I will be making this again because I too like the recipe however I would update your recipe so that others do not make the same mistake. I assume others have also did not add salt but did not comment. Please update so that everyone can have a good turn out
Hola Stephanie, You are absolutely correct. I revised the recipe printout section to include the bread flour mixture preparation. Thank you and enjoy your weekend.
For all those unhappy because “that is not how THEY read a recipe, for heaven’s sakes, the world does not revolve around you. It is amazing that people are unwilling to skim a recipe to make sure they have all ingredients and equipment on hand before starting. That’s on them🙄. This is a great recipe! It is nice to be able to make this at home, rather than getting up to stand in line at the bakery! Thank you for this wonderful recipe!!
★★★★★
Hola Guanica, Thank you for your kind words! I normally make several loaves in advance and freeze them after they are baked. There is nothing like homemade bread! Enjoy your day!
Thank you for this recipe. It turned out wonderful.
★★★★★
Hola Emerald, I am so happy that the Water Bread (Pan de Agua) was a success. I appreciate your feedback and enjoy your week.
What if your oven doesn’t have the proofing mode?
Hola Kali, If your oven does not have a proofing mode, fill a pan with hot water (150°F) and place in the bottom rack of oven. Place your covered bowl with dough on the rack above the water. Close oven door to proof the dough. Do NOT turn on the oven.
Hows this recipe hold up without the olive oil and egg wash?
Hola, You can make bread without eggs, butter and oil. In fact, most bread recipes with a crusty texture do not require any fat. Pan de Agua (Water Bread) is definitely the type of bread that is crusty on the outside and chewy inside. Therefore, butter, oil and eggs are not required. The key ingredients for basic bread are flour, water, salt and yeast. The flour provides the gluten and the activated yeast allows the bread to rise and hold together. Butter, eggs and oil will add more flavor and create a softer crust but not essential for the bread to rise. I spray some oil on the loaf pan so that the bread won’t stick, and I brush each each loaf with the egg whites to create a crusty texture on the outside. This bread is a very popular bread at home – crusty on the outside and chewy inside – just like the way it is prepared in Puerto Rico.
Perfect recipe! I wanted to make some Chimi Dominicanos & wanted to try my hand at making pan de agua for the first time. For some reason, the yeast I had on hand was not wanting to ferment and my sugar, yeast, and water mixture didn’t turn out as foamy as I had hoped, so I was nervous about that. I also did not have any bread flour, so opted to use what I had on hand (AP flour). I crossed my fingers and got to work, and I must say, my bread turned out perfectly. Gracias, Aida, I will be using this recipe from hear on out. With love, Doria!
Hola Doria, I am so happy the bread turned out perfectly. You were correct in substituting the bread flour with all-purpose flour, using the same quantity. The difference is that the bread flour has a higher protein content, which will make the dough rise better and provide a chewier texture. With regards to the yeast, it could have been expired, water temperature not correct, or room temperture not warm enough. When you deal with yeast, it is hard to determine the cause of not foaming due to many variables. However, with your determination and willingness, you were able to work through it and make a successful bread. Congratulations!
Can you freeze the dough for later use?
Hola Jerald, Yes, you can after the proofing process. Enjoy your weekend.
How long does this bread stay fresh and can you freeze it?
Hola Emma, Most homemade bread stay fresh for at least 3 days at room temperature. I normally wrap the bread in plastic wrap first then place inside a zip lock plastic bag before storing it in the freezer. It will last months in the freezer.
Thank you I really enjoyed your video 👍
Hola Betty, You are welcome! Thank you for watching my cooking video, and I am glad that you enjoyed how to make this delicious bread.
Una pregunta si no tengo la levadura que menciona y la que tengo es active dry puedo usar esa o q procedimiento distinto tengo q hacer?
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Hola Destiny, Sí, puede usar la levadura activa seca (active dry yeast) y segue las mismas instrucciones de la receta. Entiendo que la levadura instantánea se mezcla con los ingredientes secos y la levadura activa seca se disuelve primero con agua tibia y azúcar antes de usar. Para esta receta, prefiero disolver la levadura instantánea con agua tibia y azúcar.