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Pan de Muerto

u003c!u002du002d wp:paragraph u002du002du003enu003cpu003eOne week before the end of October start baking my Pan de Muerto, or Day of the Dead Bread. It is a sweet enriched dough, flavored with fragrant anise, orange zest, warm cinnamon and is decorated with bone shaped pieces of dough that are dusted with sugar. It’s perfect with hot chocolate, coffee or champurrado.u003c/pu003enu003c!u002du002d /wp:paragraph u002du002du003e
Print Recipe
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 3 hours
Servings: 6
Ingredients Method

Ingredients
  

  • 1/2 cup Whole Milk
  • 1/2 cup Water
  • 4.5 tsp Active-Dry Yeast
  • 5 cups All-Purpose Flour Sifted
  • 1/2 cup Unsalted Butter Room Temp
  • 1/2 cup Granulated Sugar
  • 4 Large Eggs
  • Zest of 2 Medium Oranges
  • 1 tbsp Whole Anise Seed
  • 1 tsp Kosher Salt
Topping
  • 1/2 Cup Unsalted Butter
  • 1/2 Cup Sugar

Method
 

  1. Bloom your yeast: in a medium glass bowl, add the milk, water and yeast. Whisk to combine, and allow it to activate in a warm spot in your kitchen, about 5-10 minutes. (It will look foamy.)
  2. Whisk in ½ cup of flour. Allow this to rest uncovered until it doubles in size, about 25 minutes.
  3. In the bowl of a stand mixer, with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar, on medium speed, until fluffy, about 2 minutes.
  4. Beat in the eggs one at a time, one medium speed, until fully incorporated, about 1 minute.
  5. Once fully mixed, change out the attachment for the dough hook and add your yeast mixture. Mix on medium speed until fully mixed, about 2 minutes.
  6. Begin adding the flour incrementally, about ½ cup at a time, and mixing on low speed, scraping down the sides as needed. Mix until the dough begins to pull away from the sides. It may remain a little tacky. This process takes about 5 minutes.
  7. Add the zest, anise seed and salt and continue to mix with the dough hook for about 5 minutes, or until the dough is less tacky and comes off the sides of the bowl easily.
  8. Place the dough on a clean surface and knead by hand long enough to shape into a ball.
  9. Grease a large mixing bowl and place the dough in the bowl, cover it with plastic wrap and allow it to double in size in a warm place, about 1 ½ - 2 hours.
  10. Gently punch down the dough in the bowl and flip it out onto a clean surface.
  11. Divide the dough into 6 equal pieces.
  12. Take one ball of dough a cut off 3 smaller pieces. (These should be about tablespoon sized pieces, or ½ ounce pieces.) These will be used for the bones. Roll the large piece of dough into a tight ball. Place on baking sheet.
  13. Roll the smaller pieces into balls. Take two of those small balls and roll them into long finger-like pieces.
  14. Lightly brush the bread with water and place the two long bone pieces over the ball of dough in an u0022Xu0022 shape.
  15. Use your finger to poke down the spot where the u0022Xu0022 meets and place the remaining small dough ball on top.
  16. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm spot, about 45 minutes. Repeat with remaining doughs to end up with 6 pan de muertos.
  17. Preheat your oven to 350° during the last 15 minutes of proofing.
  18. Bake until golden brown, about 25-30 minutes. (You can cover with foil if they begin to get too brown.) Let cool completely.
For the Topping:
  1. Melt butter (stove top or microwave) and let cool.
  2. Brush melted butter over the pan de muertos.
  3. Sprinkle the bread with sugar.