Pan Blanco Cuencano {Cuenca's White Sandwich Rolls}

Pan Blanco Cuencano are anise-scented rolls from the Ecuadorian highlands region of Cuenca. They are typically served filled with roast pork.

Pan Blanco Cuencano is a slightly sweet roll that is light and fluffy. They are naturally pale and beautifully scented with anise, which is infused in the milk in the recipe.

Seeded Ficelle Bread

Ficelle bread is kind of a cross between a breadstick and a baguette. The word ficelle means "string" in French, and typical loaves are very long and skinny. For a crust lover, the beauty of the ficelle is that the you get much higher ratio of crust to crumb. There 's just the right ratio of soft bread interior and plenty of chewy crust.

You can make ficelle with or without seeds. I went all out on the seeds, covering the loaves all over with a layer of sesame, flax, sunflower, caraway, poppy, and anise seeds. I've also made these with a combination of poppy, sesame, and fennel seeds.