You don't need to take a trip to the Marketa to get your Pan de Muerto fix this October. Make it your weekend baking project and enjoy the warm homemade bread in a couple of hours.
It's not really fall for me until I bake a batch of Pan de Muerto (bread of the dead). What is bread of the dead? It's a Mexican sweet roll that is baked in the days leading up to El Dia De Los Muertos. The bread is typically anise flavored, but since I happen to be allergic to anise. I keep it light on the anise seeds and instead focus more on the orange flavor. The recipe below has a small amount of anise seeds (I figured out that this amount of anise seeds won't actually kill me), but feel free to remove it all together, or even add more. It's really up to you.
AuthorZairaCategoryBaked Goods, baking, Bread, Mexican Food, Pan De Muerto, Pan DulceDifficultyIntermediate
Warm milk and canela (cinnamon tea) to 100 -105 degrees F.
Add the warm milk tea to to the bowl of your stand mixer, and add yeast.
Allow to sit and foam (about 5 min).
While waiting for the yeast to activate, combine your dry ingredients.
In a large bowl, combine the flour, salt, anise seeds, and sugar. Whisk to combine.
Add the melted butter, zest, and eggs to the foamy yeast, and combine.
Add the dry ingredients to the wet, once cup at a time, until all the flour has been added to the yeast bowl.
Mix the dough with the hook attachment in your stand mixer, on slow until the dough is soft and elastic, about 8 minutes. You can also knead the dough by hand, until the dough is soft and elastic.
Remove the dough from the mixer, and place the dough in a lightly greased bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and allow to rise in a warm place until doubled in size. This will take one to one-and-a-half hours depending on how quickly your yeast works, and how warm your home is.
Once the dough has doubled in size. Punch down the dough and shape it. You have two options, you can make one large muerto loaf, or you can make smaller individual rolls. If you plan on one large loaf save about 3 ounces of dough for the skull and crossbones that decorate the loaf.
If you decide on individual rolls; portion out 8 rolls and their corresponding 1oz of dough for the skull and crossbones decoration.
Allow the rolls or the loaf to double in size, covered, on your counter for an hour.
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
When the second rise is complete, brush the tops of the rolls with egg wash (1 egg to 1 tablespoon of water). The egg wash will allow the rolls to brown while baking in the oven.
Bake in the preheated oven for 35 - 45 minutes for the large loaf, or 15 - 20 minutes for the individual rolls.
Remove from the oven and allow to cool on a wire rack.
While the rolls/ loaf is cooling make the orange glaze.
Combine 2 teaspoons of sugar, 1/4 cup of orange juice, and 1 teaspoon of orange zest in a small sauce pan.
Bring the ingredients to a boil over medium heat, remove from the heat, and brush the glaze over the rolls/ loaf.
While the glaze is still wet, sprinkle the reserved sugar over the rolls.
The rolls are now ready to eat.
Ingredients
Directions
Warm milk and canela (cinnamon tea) to 100 -105 degrees F.
Add the warm milk tea to to the bowl of your stand mixer, and add yeast.
Allow to sit and foam (about 5 min).
While waiting for the yeast to activate, combine your dry ingredients.
In a large bowl, combine the flour, salt, anise seeds, and sugar. Whisk to combine.
Add the melted butter, zest, and eggs to the foamy yeast, and combine.
Add the dry ingredients to the wet, once cup at a time, until all the flour has been added to the yeast bowl.
Mix the dough with the hook attachment in your stand mixer, on slow until the dough is soft and elastic, about 8 minutes. You can also knead the dough by hand, until the dough is soft and elastic.
Remove the dough from the mixer, and place the dough in a lightly greased bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and allow to rise in a warm place until doubled in size. This will take one to one-and-a-half hours depending on how quickly your yeast works, and how warm your home is.
Once the dough has doubled in size. Punch down the dough and shape it. You have two options, you can make one large muerto loaf, or you can make smaller individual rolls. If you plan on one large loaf save about 3 ounces of dough for the skull and crossbones that decorate the loaf.
If you decide on individual rolls; portion out 8 rolls and their corresponding 1oz of dough for the skull and crossbones decoration.
Allow the rolls or the loaf to double in size, covered, on your counter for an hour.
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
When the second rise is complete, brush the tops of the rolls with egg wash (1 egg to 1 tablespoon of water). The egg wash will allow the rolls to brown while baking in the oven.
Bake in the preheated oven for 35 - 45 minutes for the large loaf, or 15 - 20 minutes for the individual rolls.
Remove from the oven and allow to cool on a wire rack.
While the rolls/ loaf is cooling make the orange glaze.
Combine 2 teaspoons of sugar, 1/4 cup of orange juice, and 1 teaspoon of orange zest in a small sauce pan.
Bring the ingredients to a boil over medium heat, remove from the heat, and brush the glaze over the rolls/ loaf.
While the glaze is still wet, sprinkle the reserved sugar over the rolls.
The rolls are now ready to eat.