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Pan de Muerto (Day of the Dead Bread)

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Pan de Muerto is a traditional Mexican sweet bread flavored with orange zest, orange blossom water, anise, and topped with sugar. It is made to celebrate Día de los Muertos and has distinctive bone-shaped decorations on top.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 4 cups all-purpose flour plus 3 tablespoons
  • 1 cup warm milk (110°F), evaporated or regular
  • 1 tablespoon active dry yeast
  • 3/4 cup sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 3 eggs plus 1 yolk, at room temperature
  • 1 tablespoon orange extract or orange blossom water
  • 1 tablespoon Mexican vanilla blend
  • 1 tablespoon orange zest (from 1 orange)
  • 12 tablespoons unsalted butter, cubed at room temperature
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground anise
  • For egg wash: 1 egg, lightly beaten
  • 1 tablespoon water or milk
  • 1 teaspoon sugar
  • Pinch of salt
  • For topping: 4 tablespoons butter at room temperature
  • Sanding sugar or granulated sugar

Instructions

  1. In a small bowl, mix eggs, orange zest, and orange blossom water or orange extract with a fork and set aside.
  2. Activate yeast by combining warm milk, 1 tablespoon sugar, and active dry yeast. Let sit 5-10 minutes until foamy.
  3. In a mixer bowl, combine flour, remaining sugar, salt, yeast mixture, and start mixing with the dough hook.
  4. Add the butter in thirds, mixing on medium speed after each addition until combined.
  5. Slowly incorporate the egg mixture while mixing until a firm dough forms, about 3 minutes.
  6. Knead dough by hand briefly, then shape into a ball and place in a greased bowl. Cover and let rise in a warm place for 1.5 to 2 hours until doubled in size.
  7. Punch down dough and turn onto a floured surface. Divide dough into portions for loaves and smaller pieces for bones decoration.
  8. Shape dough into balls. Roll smaller pieces into logs and balls to form the characteristic bones and a small round ball for the skull on top.
  9. Attach the long bone shapes on top of the dough balls in an 'X' shape, place the small ball in the center where they cross.
  10. Brush the formed loaves with egg wash (egg, water or milk, sugar, pinch salt). Cover and let rise again for about 45 minutes until doubled.
  11. Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Bake the loaves for about 25-30 minutes until golden brown. Cover with foil if browning too quickly.
  12. After baking and cooling, brush loaves with softened butter and sprinkle generously with sugar.

Notes

This bread requires two rises which develop its soft and fluffy texture. Using orange blossom water or orange extract is key to the authentic flavor. The bone decorations symbolize the cycle of life and death, typical for Día de los Muertos.

Nutrition

Find it online: https://www.receipster.com/pan-de-muerto-recipe-shorts/

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