A ceremonial Andean bread shaped like a child. Sweet, tender, and warmly spiced, it appears for All Saints' Day dressed with colorful sprinkles and sesame seeds, ready to share, gift, or offer. Its soft crumb and aroma of anise, cinnamon, and clove make the first slice feel like the celebration has already begun.
Turn what you find into an experience you can actually bring to your kitchen.
Mix the bread flour, sugar, milk powder, cinnamon, clove, anise, and salt in a large bowl. In a separate jug, dissolve the dry yeast in the warm water and let it hydrate while you finish mixing the dry ingredients, about 5 minutes, until even and beginning to show small bubbles.
Add the yeast mixture, 85% of the egg, and the vanilla to the bowl. Mix into a dough and knead for 6 to 8 minutes; then work in the vegetable shortening gradually and continue kneading for 8 to 10 minutes more, until the dough is smooth, elastic, and only slightly tacky, and a small edge can be stretched thin without tearing immediately. Avoid correcting it with extra flour: a stiff dough produces a dry wawa.
Shape the dough into a ball, cover it with plastic wrap, and let it rise for about 60 minutes, until visibly puffy and close to doubled in size. When gently pressed with a finger, the indentation should spring back slowly rather than immediately.
Gently deflate the dough and divide it into two equal portions. On trays lined with parchment paper, shape each wawa with an elongated body, a defined head, and simple arms or blanket details, pressing the joins firmly so they do not separate as the dough expands. Cover and proof for 40 minutes, until the figures are light, rounded, and roughly 60% larger. With 15 minutes remaining, preheat the oven to 175°C.
Brush the wawas with the reserved 15% of the egg and finish with the sprinkles and sesame seeds, pressing them in lightly so they stick. Bake for 32 to 36 minutes, until deeply golden, firm underneath, and noticeably lighter when lifted. If the surface colors too quickly, loosely cover it with parchment paper for the final minutes.
Transfer the wawas to a rack and let them cool for 20 minutes before slicing; the crumb finishes setting as the temperature drops. Serve warm or at room temperature. And that's it! If the crumb is tender and the aroma of anise, cinnamon, and clove reaches you before the first bite, the celebration is already on the table 😌
