Pan de Muerto (Day of the Dead Bread)

5 from 1 vote

Pan de Muerto (Day of the Dead Bread)

Pan de Muertos (Bread of the Dead) is a rich sweet bread shaped into medium-sized rounds and decorated with criss-cross dough ropes pinched to look like "bones." The sweet and slightly anise flavored dough is brushed with a buttery orange sauce and sprinkled with sugar. Pan de muerto ("Bread of the Dead") is served during Día de los Muertos celebrations.

Prep Time30

Cook Time40

proofing3 30

Total Time4 40

Course: Breads

Cuisine: halloween, Mexican

Servings: 2-3 person loaves

Calories: 304kcal

Author: Kelly

Equipment

Large Rimmed Baking Sheets

Ingredients

⅔ cup milk
2 ¼ teaspoons active dry yeast
½ cup sugar
5 cups bread flour plus a little extra for work surface
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon anise seed whole
1 cup salted butter melted
4 large eggs beaten lightly
2 teaspoons orange zest or lemon

For the topping

¼ cup salted butter melted
1 teaspoon orange zest about 1 orange
½ cup granulated sugar

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Heat the milk in the microwave in 15-second increments or on the stove until it's just warm to the touch. A thermometer should read around 110°F-115°F.
⅔ cup milk
Stir in the yeast and sugar to combine, then loosely cover with plastic wrap and let it stand for 5 minutes until it gets very foamy.
2 ¼ teaspoons active dry yeast, ½ cup sugar
In the bowl of a stand mixer, whisk together the bread flour, salt, and anise seed.
5 cups bread flour, 1 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon anise seed
Attach the dough hook to the mixer and add the melted butter, eggs, orange zest, and yeast mixture. Mix on medium-low speed for 6-8 minutes, until the dough becomes smooth and elastic and pulls away from the bowl.
1 cup salted butter, 4 large eggs, 2 teaspoons orange zest
Coat a large bowl with oil and transfer the dough to the bowl, shaping it into a ball. Cover it with a kitchen towel and let it rise for 2 hours until doubled in size.
Make the bone-shaped decorations for each loaf. Tear a small piece of dough off of each of the 6 dough dough balls. Roll each into a small ball and set aside.
Pinch another piece of dough off each loaf and divide in half. Roll each into ropes about 7 inches long. Pinch the dough in intervals to make the 'bone' indentations. Drape the two pinched ropes over each of the loaves in a cross shape. Add the small ball at the top.
Lightly cover with a kitchen towel and let it rise for another 1 ½ hours, or until doubled in size.
Preheat your oven to 350°F 15 minutes before the end of the second proofing. Bake for 35-40 minutes, or until the tops are golden brown and the bread is fully cooked through. Allow to cool for 30 minutes.
Prepare the orange flavored topping by whisking together the melted butter and orange zest in a small bowl. Brush the melted butter and orange zest mixture all over the top of the loaves, then sprinkle granulated sugar over the tops of the loaves.
¼ cup salted butter, 1 teaspoon orange zest, ½ cup granulated sugar

Notes

This recipe yields 6 medium loaves, but it can be divided to make 2 large loaves or 12 individual small loaves. You may need to adjust the cooking time accordingly.

Nutrition