Pan de Muerto (Bread of the Dead)
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on Oct 28, 2011, Updated Jan 30, 2021
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Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) is an ancient Mexican holiday dating back 3,000 years. It’s celebrated November 1st and 2nd. This holiday was created as a time to remember and honor our loved ones who have passed away by getting together and enjoying all their favorite things including their favorite food and drink.
One of the more traditional dishes seen at Día de los Muertos celebrations is Pan de Muerto (Bread of the Dead). This traditional round loaf of bread has strips of dough rolled out and attached on top to represent bones and skulls. This bread is eaten and left on gravesites or on altars as part of the festivities.
This year I was determined to make Pan de Muerto from scratch versus buying it at a store. I have a permanent altar in our home for my grandma and I thought it was about time I tried making this bread myself. Grandma loved her pan dulce (sweet bread) and cafecito (coffee) in the mornings. Making it with my children, in her memory, made it extra special.
I searched for recipes online, and eventually decided to make my own recipe. I basically used this dough recipe on What’s Cooking America. The addition of the anise and orange glaze really caught my attention. Then I stumbled on Ben’s post on What’s Cooking, Mexico? and liked his idea of the orange flavor in the dough using orange zest and orange blossom water. I substituted orange extract instead of orange blossom water. This video also really helped me understand how to make this delicious bread. I chose to make three small loaves to try several different glazes and sugar finishes. I loved the hint of orange and anise.
Last year, we honored my grandma with a colorful altar and all her favorite items like the veil she wore to church and her rosary. Read the post here and see the amazing photo shoot by Jeanine. It is one of our proudest photo shoots to date. A true tribute honoring my grandma. This year I took the time to honor her memory by baking and eating homemade Pan de Muerto. I’ll enjoy it with a cafecito just like she enjoyed her pan dulce every morning.
Try not to eat them all at once! Don’t forget to leave a loaf on your altar with a glass of water which is essential, because after the journey the souls are thirsty and tired. I am so overwhelmed with how lovely these loaves look. All this work made me feel like I was truly honoring my grandmother.
We’d love to hear from you. Have you ever made or tasted pan de muerto?
Pan de Muerto (Bread of the Dead)
Ingredients
- 1 stick of unsalted butter
- ½ cup milk
- ½ cup water
- 5 to 5 ½ cups all-purpose flour, divided
- 2 packages active-dry yeast
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon whole anise seed
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons orange extract
- Zest of one orange
- 4 eggs
- Orange glaze, see below (optional)
Orange Glaze:
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons grated orange zest
- 1/3 cup freshly-squeezed orange juice
Instructions
- In a saucepan over medium heat, warm butter, milk, and water; until butter has melted. Do not let boil.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine ½ cup of flour, yeast, salt, anise seed, and sugar. Slowly beat in the warm milk, orange extract, and orange zest until well mixed. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing through. Slowly add in another 1 cup of flour. Continue adding additional flour until the dough is soft but not sticky.
- Turn the dough out onto a lightly-floured board and knead for at least 10 minutes or until smooth and elastic. If the dough is dry add some water and if it’s too wet add some flour. Form the dough into a large ball and cut into four even pieces.
- Lightly grease a cookie sheet and place three dough balls on it. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let rise in warm place until doubled in size, approximately 1 to 1 ½ hours.
- Reserve the fourth dough ball to make bones to place over the loaves. Reserve this dough in the refrigerator to slow down the rising process.
- Follow this video for instructions on how to decorate the bread.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- Bake bread for approximately 25 to 30 minutes. When the bread is done it should sound “hollow” when thumped.
- In a saucepan over medium heat, combine sugar, orange zest, and orange juice; bring just to a boil so the sugar is completely dissolved. Remove from heat.
- Remove loaf from the oven and brush with the Orange Glaze.
- Another option is to melt two tablespoons of butter in a small pot. As soon as the bread comes out of the oven brush with melted butter and sprinkle sugar over them.
- Let the bread cool down and enjoy with a cup of Champurrado or cafecito.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Photography by Jeanine Thurston
I’ve never had this but I’d love to try it. I think it’s a beautiful way to celebrate the lives of the ones we’ve lost.
I truly felt very at peace kneading the dough, watching the dough rise, and smelling my kitchen as it baked. It was very therapeutic. And then to taste it was magical. We ate two loaves and froze the other. And now the last one sits pretty on my Grandmas altar. It makes me smile to see it sitting next to her photograph. I highly recommend making this recipe!
OMG! Ever since I lived in Mexico City, I have loved Pan de Muerto and was intimidated by thoughts that abuelitas baked in following ancient secrets. You break the recipe down and make this yummy treat accessible to all in a simple recipe.
Viviana, to be honest I was so nervous to tackle this recipe. Once I realized how simple it truly was, it was my goal to write a recipe that was easy to understand and not intimidating. I’m glad you agree that it truly is accessible!
Mmmm … I love the taste of orange in this bread. What a treat with a mug of hot chocolate first thing in the morning.
Oh believe me – I had a slice every morning with coffee and it was so delicious. It’s all gone now and I’m having withdrawals. The one loaf sitting on my grandma’s altar is so tempting. Next year I plan to double this recipe and make 6 loaves and freeze them.
We are having snow and freezing temperatures here in Virginia. This Pan de Muerto with a cafecito sounds like the best idea.
Burrr! Stay warm and take care out there. Stay home and bake 😉
Beautiful photos. Jeanine does a wonderful job!
Gracias Ericka. I will pass along your complements to Jeanine.
This is my favorite Mexican Holiday and one of my favorite breads! Looks your amazing 🙂
Thanks for the inspiration Ben! I’ve wanted to make pan de muerto for a couple of years and your photos on your site really motivated and inspired me.
We love Pan de Muerto! And here in Mexico there are so many delicious varieties to choose from, but all with the delicious orange flavoring. 🙂 My kiddies and I going to be baking ours today. 🙂
I can only imagine the delicioso food you have access too. Please share your pan de muerto photo on our Facebook page (your blog link is welcome). The more Mexican food the merrier 😉
I made pan de muerto for the first time this year as well, and posted it a few days ago…. I used orange juice in my glaze. 🙂 I love Ben’s site…. He’s good.
Just took a peak at your post and I bet yours was amazing with the addition of cinnamon in the glaze. YUM!
Que rico! Yo quiero…with that aguacate salad you posted yesterday (LOL!) not sure if they go together.
You are funny Helena! If you don’t add the orange glaze or sugar on top of the pan then the bread tastes like sourdough with a hint of anise and orange. I’m sure it would be fabulous with aguacate 😉
This looks yummy! I have not had Pan de Muerto before, but I’ve had plenty of pan dulce. While I can get some from the local panderias without having to drive too far, I’ve tried my hand at making some here at home a couple of times. And oh how I wish I could find just the right recipe for my favorite semita! Is it just not something one makes at home, because the recipes are few and far between? If you ever felt the yearning to make some from scratch, I’d be over the moon if you’d post it here.
I LOVE pan dulce! It is on my list to-post for sure! Please be sure to subscribe and stay in touch. My first recipe I’d like to make over the holidays are Authentic Mexican Marranitos (Molasses Gingerbread Pigs). Mmmm! Now I’m craving one with my morning coffee.
Hurray! Marranitos are hubby’s favorite! I’ve actually made some using the recipe out of Melissa Guerra’s Dishes from the Wild Horse Desert and they turned out pretty good. I’ll be anxious to try out your recipe! Your lovely website is subscribed in my Reader.
One thing I’m curious about: Is there a master recipe that is used for a variety of pan dulce and then shaped for formed in dfferent ways? I’ve long suspected that the Cuernitos and my favorite semita (that I don’t really know its name, but I know it when I see it!) were fashioned from the same dough, but finished differently.