Pan de Muerto (Day of the Lifeless Bread)

Learn how to make Pan de Muerto

Bloom the yeast: In a cup or bowl, warmth the milk within the microwave in 15-second increments or on the range till it’s simply heat to the contact. A thermometer ought to learn round 110°F. Stir within the yeast and sugar till it’s mixed. Loosely cowl with plastic wrap, and let it stand for a full 5 minutes.

A stand mixer with kneaded dough ready to make Pan de Muerto.

Combine dry substances: Whisk collectively the bread flour, all-purpose flour, salt, and anise seed.

Add moist substances and knead: Add the yeast combination, melted butter, eggs, and orange zest to the dry combination, then combine on low-medium velocity for 6-8 minutes till the dough turns into clean and elastic and pulls away from the bowl.

Two images side by side of Pan de Muerto dough in a bowl. The left image shows the dough before rising and the right image shows the dough after it has rested and risen.

Let dough rise: Add the dough to a greased bowl and set it in a heat place to rise for two hours. I wish to let my oven preheat for a couple of minutes (like 2 minutes), flip it off, after which place the bowl contained in the oven to proof.

Form the bread: As soon as the dough has doubled in measurement, divide it evenly into 6 loaves. Subsequent, reduce 1/4 of every loaf to create the bone shapes and balls. To make the bones, roll out the dough right into a rope, then calmly pinch from the perimeters to the middle to create the form. Gently drape the bone shapes on high of the loaves so that they’re crisscrossed on high of one another, as demonstrated under.

Two images side by side showing how to form the Pan de Muerto dough into the correct shape. The end result is a small loaf with two long pieces of dough criss crossed on top of one another to look like bones.

Rise: Evenly cowl the loaves with a kitchen towel and allow them to rise once more for 90 minutes.

Bake and high: Bake the loaves for 35-40 minutes at 350°F after which permit it to chill for half-hour. Whereas the bread is cooling, make the butter glaze by melting butter and including orange zest to a small bowl. This helps the sugar topping follow the bread and in addition provides extra orange taste. Brush the butter everywhere in the tops of the loaves, then generously sprinkle with granulated sugar and revel in.

Melted butter and orange zest being brushed on pan de muerto.


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