It's fun to explore other cultures through their food! This yeast bread is so delicious you'll want to make it often!
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❤️ Why you'll love it
- Slightly sweet, tender bread with a touch of anise flavoring.
- Makes the best French toast ever.
- This authentic pan de muerto recipe is a a delicious way to learn about other cultures' traditions with your family.
This slightly sweet bread recipe is generally served during Dia de los Muertos in Mexico and other Central American countries. It's easy to make and absolutely delicious!
🧾 Ingredients
This is an "at a glance" list of ingredients. You'll find the list and the measurements in the printable recipe card below.
🔪 Instructions
- Mix the yeast, sugar, and warm water in a small bowl and set aside to proof. It will get foamy - if it doesn't pour it out and start over with a new batch of yeast.
- Heat the milk and butter in a medium mixing bowl until butter is melted. Set aside to cool to 110F then beat in the eggs.
- Combine one cup of the flour, wheat gluten (if using), orange zest, anise seed, and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer.
- Pour the yeast mixture and the milk mixture into the dry ingredients and blend on low with the paddle attachment..
- Add the remaining flour a little at a time until a soft dough forms then knead for about 5 minutes.
- Butter the top and cover. Let rise for 1 hour or until doubled.
- Check to see if the dough has doubled.
- Punch down.
- Separate ⅓ of the dough out and roll the rest into a round, slightly flat, loaf.
- Roll part of the remaining dough into a ball to make a knob for the top.
- Roll the dough that's left into thin logs or ropes shaped to resemble bones and arrange over the loaf and under the knob on top.
- Place on a parchment covered baking sheet. Let the loaf rise for about 1 hour and bake as directed in recipe card below.
🥫 Storage
Store in an airtight container or tightly covered with plastic wrap for a day or two. Homemade bread will mold fairly quickly so either eat it right way or freeze it.
To freeze:
Wrap tightly in plastic wrap, then in aluminum foil (or plastic wrap - then a freezer container) and freeze for up to 3 months.
🧑🏻🍳 Baker's notes
⭐ Expert Tip: You can make the dough for this Pan de Muerto recipe the day before and refrigerate overnight.
- If you don't want to use anise seed you can use ground anise or leave it out completely.
- You can use instant yeast if you prefer - just add it with the flour and omit the proofing step.
- You can omit the vital wheat gluten but the crust will be less crispy and the inside a little less tender.
- The glaze and sugar will go on better if you brush ¼ of the hot bread with glaze, sprinkle with sugar, and then move on to the next ¼.
- You can melt orange marmalade and brush it over the finished bread for the glaze if you prefer not to make the syrup.
🎥 Video
Just click on the image below if you'd like to see the full length video on YouTube. It opens in a new tab so you won't lose your place here.
💡Great Idea: Take a Saturday and make this bread with the family then munch away while watching Coco for family movie night. It makes the experience extra special!
✨ FAQs
It's a type of Mexican pan dulce (sweet bread) that's traditionally baked for Día de Muertos, celebrated from November 1st to November 2nd.
Anise is traditional but you could use ground anise, a little anise flavoring, or leave it out completely.
This easy batter bread makes awesome sandwiches if you're looking for a good no knead bread recipe!
If you love this recipe please give it 5 stars! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Pan de Muerto Recipe
Equipment
- mixer
- baking sheet
- parchment paper
Ingredients
- ¼ cup water 110F
- ¼ cup sugar divided use
- 1 package active dry yeast 2 ¼ teaspoons
- ¼ cup milk
- ¼ cup butter
- 3 eggs
- 3 ½ cups all purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons vital wheat gluten optional
- 2 tablespoons anise seed
- 2 teaspoons orange zest about 1 orange
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt if using table salt use just ¼ teaspoon
Glaze
- ¼ cup orange juice
- ¼ cup sugar
Garnish
- 2 tablespoons sugar crystals for garnish
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Instructions
- Add 1 tablespoon of sugar and the yeast to the 110F water. Stir and set aside.
- Heat the milk until it simmers then remove from the heat and add the butter. Set aside to cool to 110F.
- Combine one cup of the flour, wheat gluten (if using), orange zest, anise seed, and salt in the bowl of your mixer and blend.
- Add the eggs to the 110F milk mixture, beating with a fork until blended.
- Pour the yeast and the milk mixture into the flour mixture.
- With the paddle attachment of your mixer blend on low.
- Add the remaining flour a little at a time until the dough is soft but not overly sticky. You may not need all the flour or you may need a little more.
- Use the dough hook on the mixer and knead for about 5 minutes, or until the dough is smooth and stretchy. It will feel a bit like your earlobe when you press it between two fingers.
- Place in a bowl that has been buttered and brush butter over the top. Cover and let rise until double - about 1 hour.
- Punch down and pull off about ⅓ of the dough. Set it aside.
- Shape the remaining dough into a round.
- Now take a walnut sized ball of the dough you set aside and make a knob on top of the round.
- Roll the remaining dough into 4 to 8 roped shaped like bones. Place vertically around the round loaf, from the knob on top to the bottom.
- Place on a parchment covered baking sheet.
- Let the loaf rise for about 1 hour.
- While the bread is rising make the glaze by boiling the sugar and orange juice together for about 3 minutes. Set it aside.
- Bake at 350F for 30 to 45 minutes, or until it sounds hollow when tapped on the bottom.
- Remove the loaf from the oven and brush with the glaze. Sprinkle with sugar crystals.
Notes
- You can refrigerate the dough overnight and finish the next day. Be sure to oil the top and cover well.
- If you don't want to use anise seed you can use ground anise or leave it out completely.
- You can omit the vital wheat gluten but the crust will be less crispy and the inside a little less tender. Replace it with an equal amount of flour.
- The glaze and sugar will go on better if you brush ¼ of the hot bread with glaze, sprinkle with sugar, and then move on to the next ¼.
- You can melt orange marmalade and brush it over the finished bread for the glaze if you prefer not to make the syrup.
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