Pan de muerto (Mexican Day of the Dead bread)
Pan de muerto is a soft sweet bread, similar to brioche, that is usually baked on the days leading up to and on the Day of the Dead (1–2 November) in Mexico. The shape of the bread represents a skull and bones. It is delicious eaten freshly made, with a cup of hot chocolate.
It is easiest to make this using a stand mixer with a dough hook, but it can also be made by hand.
Ingredients
- 4 tbsp warm milk
- 7g (1 sachet) instant yeast
- 4 free-range eggs, at room temperature
- 450g/1lb plain flour
- 130g/4½oz unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 120²µ/4¼´Ç³ú caster sugar
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 tbsp orange blossom water
- ½ tsp vegetable oil
To finish
- 1 free-range egg, beaten
- 2 tbsp milk
- 30g/1oz unsalted butter, melted
- 115g/4oz caster sugar
Method
Put the warm milk and yeast into a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook and stir to dissolve the yeast.
Add the eggs, flour, butter, sugar and salt and start mixing at low speed, then turn up the speed and work the dough for about 20 minutes to develop the gluten. When ready, the dough will be slapping the sides of the bowl. Do a windowpane test to make sure the dough is elastic – you should be able to stretch the dough so thin that you can see through it.
Put the dough into a large oiled bowl, cover with a damp tea towel and leave in a warm place for 1 hour or until it has doubled in size.
Line two or three large baking trays with baking paper.
Knock back the dough, then turn it out onto the worktop and divide into 80g/2¾oz pieces – you should get 11–14.
Cut each piece into two: a 50g/1¾oz piece and a 30g/1oz piece.
Take a 50g/1¾oz piece and roll it with one hand until forms a smooth ball, then place it on a baking tray. Repeat with the remaining 50g balls, spacing them well apart.
Cut each 30g/1oz piece of dough into three equal pieces. Roll one into a ball for the skull and set aside. Roll the other two pieces into thin ropes, then use your three middle fingers to make indentations to shape the bones.
Brush a little water over the dough balls on the baking trays. Place the bones on top in a cross shape and top with the small ball (the skull).
Cover and leave in a warm place to prove for another hour or so, until doubled in size (this may take less or more time depending on the temperature of the room they're in).
Preheat the oven to 190C/170C Fan/Gas 5.
Mix the beaten egg with the milk and brush each bread with this mixture then bake for 15–20 minutes until golden brown.
Leave to cool on the baking trays for 5 minutes.
While they are still warm, brush them with melted butter and sprinkle with caster sugar, shaking off any excess sugar. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.
Serve while still slightly warm.