Pan de Muerto (Mexican Day of the Dead Bread)

Name: Pan de Muerto (Mexican Day of the Dead Bread)
Prep time: 180 min
Cook time: 40 min
Total time: 220 min
Yield: 8 servings
Cuisine: Mexican
Ingredients: 4 ounces butter, at room temperature; 3/4 cup white sugar; 1 tablespoon whole aniseed; 1 teaspoon salt; 6 cups white bread flour, or all-purpose flour, divided; 4 large eggs, at room temperature; 1 1/4 cups warm water (not to exceed 110 F); 2 tablespoons orange zest; 2 (1/4-ounce) packets instant dry yeast; Mexican hot chocolate or champurrado, for serving, optional

Pan de Muerto is a sweet Mexican bread traditionally prepared for Day of the Dead celebrations in November to honor deceased loved ones.

⭐ 4.2 (141 reviews) Prep: 180 minCook: 40 minTotal: 220 minYields: 8 servings

Category Tags:

Breakfast Brunch Dessert Snack Bread

Cuisine Tags:

Mexican

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Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 F.
In a stand mixer, combine butter, sugar, aniseed, salt, and 1/2 cup flour; mix until just combined.
Whisk eggs, water, and orange zest in a separate bowl. Add this mixture to the stand mixer with another 1/2 cup flour; mix.
Add yeast and 1/2 cup flour, then gradually incorporate remaining flour 1 cup at a time until a dough forms.
Knead dough on a floured surface for 1 minute.
Cover with a damp cloth and let rise in a warm spot for 1 hour 30 minutes.
Separate 1/4 of the dough for bone shapes. Form the remaining dough into a flat-bottomed semisphere.
Place bone shapes on the loaf and press gently to adhere. Let rise for an additional hour.
Bake for 30-40 minutes, depending on loaf size.
Cool the loaf, then glaze if desired, and serve in wedges.

Nutritional Info (per serving)

Calories: 591 kcal

Carbohydrate: 95 g

Cholesterol: 123 mg

Fiber: 3 g

Protein: 16 g

Saturated Fat: 8 g

Sodium: 396 mg

Sugar: 19 g

Fat: 16 g

Unsaturated Fat: 0 g