Pan de Muerto (Mexican Day of the Dead Bread)
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4.6
62 reviews
Excellent
Pan de Muerto (Mexican Day of the Dead Bread)
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Pan de Muerto is a soft, sweet Mexican bread traditionally made for Day of the Dead celebrations. This enriched dough features anise seeds for subtle flavor, combined with milk, eggs, sugar, and butter, resulting in bread with a tender crumb and lightly sweet profile. The distinctive shaped toppings and glaze made from orange juice and sugar enhance its cultural significance and taste.
Description
This recipe begins by warming milk, water, and butter, then mixing with flour, sugar, yeast, salt, and ground anise to form a dough enriched further with eggs. The dough is kneaded to a smooth, soft consistency and left to rise until doubled. Portions of dough are cut for shaping the traditional decorative forms placed on top. The bread is baked until golden, then glazed with a mixture of orange juice and sugar, adding a shiny finish and bright citrus notes. Pan de Muerto carries a delicate sweetness and the anise contributes a mild aromatic flavor. It is typically enjoyed during the Day of the Dead festivities and symbolizes remembrance.
The recipe was refined in 2019 for better results, offering a more workable dough and improved flavor balance.
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Ingredients
- ¼ c milk
- ¼ c water
- 2 Tbsp unsalted butter room temperature
- 2 ½ c all-purpose flour divided, unbleached
- ¼ c sugar
- 2 ¼ tsp active dry yeast (one packet)
- 1 ½ tsp anise seeds ground
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 large egg at room temperature
- 1 egg lightly beaten (for egg wash
For the Glaze and Topping
- 1 small orange zested and juiced (roughly 1/4 c orange juice
- ¼ c + 1 Tbsp sugar divided
Instructions
- In a small saucepan heat the milk, water, and butter together until the butter has melted. Remove the pan from the heat and transfer the mixture to a shallow, wide bowl to cool to 80-90F.
- In a large bowl, mix together 1 c flour, sugar, yeast, salt, and anise. Add the cooled milk mixture and whisk until combined. Add the eggs and whisk until smooth.
- Add the remaining 1 ½ - 2 c flour gradually, mixing until each addition is fully incorporated before adding more. Add just as much flour as you need for a soft, but workable dough to form.
- Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 5-7 minutes, adding any remaining flour as needed to keep the dough from sticking to your hands or the counter. Knead until the dough is smooth and soft, but doesn't stick to your hands.
- Transfer the dough to a lightly greased bowl. Cover it with a damp tea towel and let is rise in a warm, draft free place until doubled in bulk, roughly 1 hour.
- Cut 3 small portions (roughly 1.5 ounces each) and 1 smaller portion (roughly .5 oz) from your dough. Shape the 3 smaller portions into a rope that is roughly 6-7 inches long and has 4 bulges. (These are your ‘bones’.) Shape the smallest portion into a small ball (for the top).
- Shape the remaining larger portion of dough into a large ball and place it on a flour-dusted baking sheet. Brush it with the egg wash and layer the three "bones" across the top. Brush again with egg wash and press the smallest ball into the top where the bones meet. Brush the top ball with egg wash.
- Let the dough rise in a warm and draft-free place until puffy and nearly doubled, roughly 35-45 minutes. Near the end of the rising time, move your oven rack to the lowest position (this bread gets tall and having extra space over the top of the bread in the oven will help it not darken so quickly) and preheat your oven to 350F.
- Bake the bread for 20-25 minutes, until it sounds hollow when tapped. (The internal temperature taken with an instant read thermometer should read 170F.) If the crust looks like it is getting too brown for your liking towards the end of baking, you can tent it loosely with a piece of aluminum foil.
- While the bread is baking, make the glaze: Heat ¼ c sugar together with the zest and juice of one small orange. Bring the mixture to a simmer and simmer for 2-3 minutes. If necessary, strain the glaze of any orange pulp and set the strained glaze aside.
- When the bread is done, brush the warm loaf with the glaze and sprinkle with granulated sugar.
- Let the bread cool slightly before slicing.
Notes
- This updated recipe improves dough handling and flavor balance, making the bread softer and easier to shape.
Genuine Reviews
User Reviews
Overall Rating
4.6
62 reviews
Excellent
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