It’s that time of year!
Warm spices, sweet, tangy citrus, and freshly baked yeast bread that permeates the house…
The seasons have changed, and the holidays are here. I’ve always considered Halloween the kick-off festivity. Even in countries where Halloween isn’t as prominent, this time of year is as significant all over the world. The end of October and the month of November mark the time for remembrance to include the obvious All Saints’ Day, Day of the Dead, Veterans’ Day, Armistice, and Thanksgiving. Pan de Muerto is just the bread to to begin it all.
I’m jump starting the season with another bake from what seems to be my new fall collection of bread bakes… the Pan de Muerto (Bread of the Dead) from Mexico in honor of Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead). Given the year’s struggles, this bread speaks to me. We’re all tired, stressed, and just over most of what surrounds us. Pan de Muerto provides that comfort, a little joy, and even hope. It’s amazing how food can be so powerful.
Just look at this bread. It screams, “Eat me!” but in a good way. 😊 It’s a beautiful, rich, and sweet looking loaf from the shiny orange glaze and sprinkling of sugar. Of course, it looks interesting with the bone shapes that cover the top and the speckling of orange zest and anise seeds. You can imagine the smells; It fills the house with fall… not to mention yeast… who DOESN’T like the smell of freshly baked bread, particularly during the holiday season!! In addition, it has significant meaning and purpose in life. See my previous post on the history of the bread and the significance of the bone shapes.
The Updates!
For this post, I want to focus on the updates of this bread along with providing a few kitchen hacks. See my YouTube video of the bread bake and some tips. Below are some kitchen hacks to make your life a little easier and less stressful. Who couldn’t use that!!
Here’s the original recipe link from The Spruce Eats, but you can also find my adapted version on a previous post entitled Let’s All Remember Mexico: Día de los Muertos Part 2 complete with my personal step-by-step directions, pictures, and video.
Having made this bread twice now, I have some new updates and suggestions.
Pan de Muerto Update, Important Steps, and Suggestions…
1. Make sure you have room temperature ingredients including butter and eggs. Room temperature varies, but it usually refers to temperatures between 68˚F /22˚C and 77˚F / 25˚C.
2. Divide the dough into two different loaves. Bake at the recommended temperature of 350˚F / 177˚C but decrease the time to 30 minutes and consider checking the internal temperature which should read between 190˚F / 88˚C and 210˚F / 99˚C.
3. Use bread flour in place of all-purpose flour as suggested in the original recipe. See my post of gluten.
4. Allow bread to rise in a warm space. My fail-safe method is to set the oven at 200˚F / 99˚C and place covered container of dough on the stove above the oven. Turn on undermount microwave light (if you have one) to create warmth from above.
How can you truly know when your bread is completely baked on the inside? Here’s my fail-safe method.
Recipes provide an approximation of the time it should take to bake bread but can vary depending on location, oven, and ingredient temperature. Often times, it’s difficult to know when the bread is done since the exterior appears baked long before the interior. The only way to really know your bread is baked through is to check the internal temperature with an appropriate thermometer.
For soft breads,
the internal temperature should reach between 180˚F / 82˚C and 200˚F / 99˚C.
For denser, heavier breads,
the internal temperature should reach between 190˚F / 88˚C and 210˚F / 99˚C. So, the next you bake a loaf, check the internal temperature before you turn off the oven. You certainly want to be rewarded for all your efforts! 😊
Thanks for reading! If you enjoyed this post, please let me know. I would appreciate a like, a follow, or even a comment. Check out my YouTube Channel as well to see videos of the blog bakes.