Mexican Day of the Dead Bread (Pan de Muerto)
Celebrate Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) with this traditional Pan de Muerto (Bread of the Dead) from Mexico City. It's sweet and light with orange zest and anise seed in the dough topped with a sweet orange, sugar glaze. This recipe is adapted from https://www.thespruceeats.com/pan-de-muerto-2343007.
Servings: 8
Ingredients
Dough Ingredients
- 4 oz butter at room temperature
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- 3 tsp anise seed
- 1 tsp salt
- 6 cups bread flour or all purpose divided
- 4 large eggs at room temperature
- 1 ¼ cup warm water ~110°F / 43°C
- 2 tbsp orange zest
- 2 (¼oz) packets instant dry yeast or 4⅓ tsp
Sweet Orange Glaze Ingredients
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 1/2 cup freshly squeezed orange juice from zested oranges
Instructions
Dough Directions
- Combine butter, sugar, anise seed, salt, and ⅓ cup flour in a bowl of a standing mixer (or a regular mixing bowl mixing by hand) and mix well.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the eggs, water, and orange zest.
- Add the egg mixture to the butter mixture alternating with a ½ cup flour and mix well.
- Add the yeast and another ½ cup flour mixing until combined.
- Add the remaining flour slowly, 1 cup at a time until dough forms.
- Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and knead for 5 minutes.
- Place the dough in a lightly sprayed bowl and cover with plastic wrap or a towel for an 1 hour 30 minutes (dough should double in size)
- Remove dough from bowl and deflate.
- Separate about ¼ of the dough and use it to make 2 long bone shapes to drape across the loaf and a round ball to place on top.
- Shape the rest of the dough into a flat-bottomed semi-sphere. Position the bone shapes over the top of the loaf and press gently, so they adhere to the loaf. Add the round ball to the top of the criss-crossed bones.
- Allow dough to rise an additional hour.
- Preheat oven to 350°F during the last 15 minutes of the rise.
- Bake the loaf for about 40 minutes. (The internal temperature should be about 190°F / 88°C).
- Cool completely and brush on the sweet orange glaze.
- Sprinkle sugar (colored, pulverized, or superfine) on top of the glaze.
Sweet Orange Glaze Directions
- In a small saucepan, whisk 3/4 cup granulated sugar and 1/2 cup freshly squeezed orange juice.
- Bring the mixture to boil and remove from heat.
- Cool completely and brush on cooled bread
Notes
Cut the bread into wedges and eat with hot chocolate.