How To Make Rosquitas

Today I’m going to show you how to make rosquitas—a local staple pastry here in Panama—specifically sugared rosquitas, but you can eat them without the caramel coating as well. 

Rosquitas are baked bread that’s twisted like a pretzel and with a ring shape. They are meant to be hard and crispy, unlike donuts or soft pretzels. 

Locals eat the salty version just as a snack or with breakfast, and the caramel coated version as a dessert. They are very common in any bakery and convenience store in the interior of the country, but you can find them in the city, as well.

Let’s get to it…

Ingredients For The Rosquitas

• 1 cup of margarine

• 2 tsp salt

• 2 tsp sugar

• 2 eggs

• 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

• 2 1/4 tsp yeast

• 3/4 cup water

Ingredients For The Caramel

• 1 kg sugar • Water • Red cooking dye

Instructions For The Rosquitas

1. In a bowl, dissolve the yeast in the water until you get a bubbly mixture.
   
2. In a separate bowl, whisk the margarine with salt and sugar.
   
3. Add the flour, 1 egg, and yeast mixture into the margarine bowl, mixing until you get a dough consistency. Let it rest for 30 minutes.
   
4. Once that time goes by, create thin strings of dough, twist them up, and place them in a greased cooking sheet in a ring shape.
   
5. Whisk the remaining egg in another bowl and paint the tops of the rosquitas with it. Let them rest for 45 minutes.
   
6. Preheat the oven to 350°F and bake the rosquitas for 20 minutes or until golden brown.
   
7. You could eat them as they are or add caramel and let them cool.

Instructions For The Caramel

1. In the stove on medium heat, mix 1 kg of sugar with half a cup of water. Stir until the mixture has a caramelized texture. You can add additional water if needed until you get the right consistency.
   
2. Add drops of the red cooking dye until the mixture gets a fuchsia color.
   
3. Once the mixture has the right consistency, turn off the heat and immediately submerge the rosquitas in the caramel so they are completely coated.
    
4. Take the rosquita out and place it on a cooking sheet to let them cool.
   
5. Once the caramel has hardened and cooled, it’s ready to eat.
    
6. Enjoy!

Sincerely,

Monica Linares
Managing Editor, Panama Letter