Pan De Muerto (Day Of The Dead Bread)

1. Mix: In a small bowl, add the eggs, orange zest & agua de azahar (or orange essence). Mix with a fork and set aside.

Making the dough

1. Activate the yeast: In the bowl of an electric mixer, add the warm milk, 1 tablespoon sugar and the active dry yeast. Stir to combine and let it sit for 5-10 minutes until the mixture has doubled in size. About 10 minutes. (Note: The 1 T. of sugar should be from the main list of ingredients. Not in addition to.)
2. Once the yeast is ready, add the flour, remaining sugar, and salt. Start to mix with the hook attachment.
3. Add the 1/3 of the butter and mix on medium speed for about a minute. Add another 1/3 and mix for a minute or so. Add the last ⅓ of the butter and mix until everything is combined. Totally should take about 15 minutes to knead the dough in the mixer.
4. While the mixer is running, incorporate slowly the egg mixture. Mix until everything is combined and makes a firm dough. About 3 minutes.
5. First rise: Using your hands, shape the dough into a ball and place back in the mixer's bowl. Cover plastic wrap and let it rest for 45 minutes.
6. Shape the bread: transfer the dough to a clean surface sprinkled with flour. Flatten the dough into a square shape then fold the ends to the middle to form a log. Divide the dough into 4 equal parts. Reserve one part to make the bone decorations. Divide the remaining 3 parts into halves. This will make 6 breads total.
7. To make a smooth ball, tuck all the edges into the center, flip the dough seam-side down onto the work surface. The smooth side should now be on top, while the seam is underneath.
8. Gently cup your hand around the dough. Start rolling the dough ball in a circular motion using both hands. As you roll, focus on keeping the bottom seam tucked underneath and the top smooth. The goal is to create a round, taut surface without tearing it.
9. Transfer the dough balls to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
10. To make the crossbones decorations, divide the decorating dough into thirteen equal sections. Rolling each into a rope a few inches long, with some parts of the rope fatter than the others. (Do this by gently rolling the dough with your hand outstretched, with only the three middle fingers touching the dough, so that the dough between your fingers is puffier than the rest.)
11. Cross the two “bones” in an “X” across a round of bread, and place the small ball of dough in the center. Repeat with remaining dough. Set the breads aside to rise for one hour. Meanwhile, heat the oven to 350 degrees.
12. Second rise: Cover the bread loosely with a clean kitchen towel and let rise again for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, heat the oven to 350 degrees.
13. Brush the dough with milk before baking. Bake for 25-30 minutes until golden brown and hollow-sounding when tapped on the bottom.
14. Transfer to a wire rack and brush with melted butter then sprinkle with white sugar. Let cool on the wire rack before serving.