As Monday and yesterday were Dias de los Muertos, I made Pan de muerto on Monday. I used the recipe from here.
Ingredients:
- 1/2 cup butter
- 1/2 cup milk
- 1/2 cup water
- 5 to 5-1/2 cups flour
- 2 packages dry yeast
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon whole anise seed
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 4 eggs
In a saucepan over medium flame, heat the butter, milk and water until very warm but not boiling.
Meanwhile, measure out 1-1/2 cups flour and set the rest aside. In a large mixing bowl, combine the 1-1/2 cups flour, yeast, salt, anise seed and sugar. Beat in the warm liquid until well combined. Add the eggs and beat in another 1 cup of flour. Continue adding more flour until dough is soft but not sticky. Knead on lightly floured board for ten minutes until smooth and elastic.
Lightly grease a bowl and place dough in it, cover with plastic wrap and let rise in warm place until doubled in bulk, about 1-1/2 hours. Punch the dough down and shape into loaves resembling skulls, skeletons or round loaves with "bones" placed ornamentally around the top. Let these loaves rise for 1 hour.
Bake in a preheated 350 F degree oven for 40 minutes. Remove from oven and paint on glaze.
Glaze
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1/3 cup fresh orange juice
- 2 tablespoons grated orange zest
Bring to a boil for 2 minutes, then apply to bread with a pastry brush.
If desired, sprinkle on colored sugar while glaze is still damp.
I didn’t put the orange zest in my glaze cause I don’t like it.
I took a couple pieces of the bread to work to have a couple of the Mexicans try it. They said it was really good. Just like they remember. So this is Gringo made, Mexican approved.
