Name: Honduran Semitas with a Sugar Crust
Yield: 10–16 rolls
Cuisine: Honduran
Ingredients: 480 g all-purpose flour, sifted; 60 g whole milk; 60 g water; 2 large eggs; 7 tbsp butter, softened and cubed; 6 g salt; 100 g granulated sugar; ¼ oz rapid-rise yeast (about 7 g); 5 g vanilla extract; For the topping: 145 g all-purpose flour, sifted; For the topping: ¾ cup vegetable shortening, softened; For the topping: 145 g powdered sugar

A Honduran semita is a sweet bread often served with coffee. One familiar version is a round, enriched roll under a crumbly sugar crust: the topping cracks as the bread rises. That is the style shown here.

Honduran-style semitas with a sugar crust. A serving example, not a photograph of the recipe below. Photo: Cantina FoodieTraveller / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.

Chef Laura Morales’s Honduran recipe makes the bread and its sweet covering separately. There are several versions, including semitas de yema, made with egg yolks. A jam-filled slab sold as semita in El Salvador is a different preparation.

Jump to the recipe · Questions about semitas

Honduran semitas recipe

Adapted from Espresso and Lime.

Makes: 10–16 rolls. Plan ahead: two rises take about 2½–3½ hours in addition to mixing, shaping, baking and cooling.

For the dough

480 g all-purpose flour, sifted
60 g whole milk
60 g water
2 large eggs
7 tbsp butter, softened and cubed
6 g salt
100 g granulated sugar
¼ oz rapid-rise yeast (about 7 g)
5 g vanilla extract

For the topping

145 g all-purpose flour, sifted
¾ cup vegetable shortening, softened
145 g powdered sugar

Method

Step 1: Mix the dough

Use a dough hook to mix the dough flour, yeast, salt, milk, water, eggs and vanilla. Gradually add sugar, then butter; knead until smooth and elastic.

Step 2: First rise

Cover in an oiled bowl and let double, about 60–90 minutes.

Step 3: Make the topping

Mix topping ingredients into a thick paste. Roll portions into thin discs between sheets of parchment.

Step 4: Shape and cover the rolls

Divide risen dough into 10–16 equal pieces. Round each, flatten slightly on lined baking sheets, and cover with a topping disc. Trim edges; score the topping lightly.

Step 5: Second rise

Cover loosely and let double again, about 90–120 minutes.

Step 6: Bake and cool

Heat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Bake on the middle rack for about 14–15 minutes, until the undersides are light golden. Cool on a rack.

Want a sourdough version? Bryan Ford’s semitas de yema use a levain and a much longer fermentation. Follow that complete formula; its timings are not interchangeable with this yeast-raised version.

Questions about semitas

What is a Honduran semita?

It is a sweet bread. A familiar Honduran version is an individual roll with an enriched dough and a separate sugar crust. Semitas de yema use egg yolks; bakery recipes also vary in their flours and toppings.

Is semita the same as a concha?

They can look similar: both may have a sweet roll underneath a cookie-like topping. Conchas are associated with Mexican pan dulce. The names do not identify one universal dough recipe, so check the ingredients and method rather than the shape alone.

Does semita have a jam filling?

Salvadoran semita can have a fruit filling between layers of dough; pineapple and guava are common choices. The Honduran rolls described here have a sweet crust on top. They are also different from Puebla’s savoury cemita sandwich.

How do you eat semitas?

Serve them with coffee, warm milk or hot chocolate. Pull a roll apart or dip a piece into your drink. Cool freshly baked rolls before storing them in a covered container.

For the regional comparison, see SalviKitchen’s Salvadoran semita and King Arthur Baking’s Mexican conchas.

More breads and snacks: rosquillas, pan de coco and banana bread. Browse the Honduran desserts guide for more.

Honduran Semitas: Sweet Rolls with a Sugar Crust