Pan de Muerto
Pan de Muerto, no one can resist this delicious bread. Pan de Muerto is a key element in the Day of the Dead Altar, along with the Chocolate, tamales and many other traditional dishes. In Mexico, Pan de Muerto is usually sold at bakeries and supermarket since the middle of October.
Today’s Pan de Muerto recipe is from Norma, my blogger friend in México City, author of the blog “La Cocina de Norma”, and a great baker that so generously took the time to explain in detail this recipe in an easy step-by-step process. I am so glad to have her as a guest.
Pan de Muerto Recipe
This Pan de Muerto recipe makes 16 small rolls or 2 large pieces of bread.
How to make Pan de Muerto
Please see complete Instructions on the print option:
- Place the 4 eggs, margarine, salt and half of the sugar in the mixer bowl. Using the Hook attachment start working the dough for about 2 minutes. Note: I couldn’t find the hook attachment of my mixer but the hook is better for this type of job. Add the All purpose flour in small amounts alternating with the water. Add the dry active yeast and mix until well combined. (Please check the ingredients list below)
- Continue now by adding one at a time the butter, the orange zest, the rest of the sugar and the orange blossom essence, mixing well.
- Get the dough out of the mixer bowl and place onto work surface; knead until smooth. Knead for a couple more minutes. Transfer dough to bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Let stand in a warm place until it doubles in size. You can see the above picture where the dough is already raised.
- Transfer the dough from the bowl onto working surface, separate 300 grams of the dough to form the decorative bones later on. Cut the rest of the dough in 70grs. pieces or in two equal pieces if making 2 large pieces of bread.
Shaping the Pan de Muerto bread
- Take one portion of the dough and place in the palm of your hand, we put our fingers in and add a bit of pressure and shape each piece into a tight ball rolling the dough on the surface. Place on prepared baking sheets 2 inches apart. Press the dough slightly, they should look flat like in the picture.
6. Now place the remaining 300 grams of dough we reserved onto the work surface, dusting with flour if needed, and knead until the flour is integrated perfectly.
Shaping the Pan de Muerto
- We take small portions of dough and roll in small logs putting a little pressure with the fingers to form the bones. Once your bones are already formed. Brush each roll forming a cross on top of each bun with a mix made out of the remaining beaten egg with 1 Tablespoon of water, once we marked the cross with the brush we place the bones as it shows in the above picture, cutting any extra dough.
- And finally, with the leftover dough form small balls, varnish the center of the buns where the bones come together and put the ball there as shown in the picture. Cover baking sheets with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place until buns are touching and doubled in size.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Add a pinch of salt to our mix of egg and water and brush the buns before placing in the oven. Transfer buns to oven and bake. Transfer to a wire rack and cool to room temperature.
Pan de Muerto Recipe, a step by step photo tutorial guided by Mexican Baker. You'll love the easy process and the amazing flavors from this bread. Learn about the traditions and the history.
- 500 grs. 4 cups All Purpose flour
- 2 Tablespoons active-dry yeast
- 100 grs. sugar 1/2 cup
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 80 grs. butter at room temperature + 30 grs. to brush the bread after baking.
- 80 grs. unsalted margarine room temperature plus more for bowl and pans.
- 4 large eggs room temperature
- Orange crest from 2 oranges
- 60 ml. warm water about 110 degrees
- 1 teaspoon orange blossom water or orange essence
- 1 large egg lightly beaten to brush the bread
- Sugar to decorate the bread at the end.
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Place the 4 eggs, margarine, salt and half of the sugar in the mixer bowl. Using the Hook attachment start working the dough for about 2 minutes. Add the All purpose flour in small amounts alternating with the water. Add the dry active yeast and mix until well combined.
-
Continue now by adding one at a time the butter, the orange zest, the rest of the sugar and the orange blossom essence, mixing well after each addition until soft dough forms.
-
Get the dough out of the mixer bowl and place onto work surface; knead until smooth, dusting work surface lightly with flour as needed if dough begins to stick. Knead for a couple more minutes. Coat the interior of a large bowl with margarine; transfer dough to bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Let stand in a warm place until it doubles in size, about 45 minutes to 1 hour.
-
Transfer the dough from the bowl onto working surface, separate 300 grams of the dough to form the decorative bones later on. Cut the rest of the dough in 70grs. pieces or in two equal pieces if making 2 large breads. (Making sure to separate 300 grams of dough to form the decorative bones.). Prepare 2 greased baking sheets, set aside.
-
Take one portion of the dough and place in the palm of your hand, we put our fingers in and add a bit of pressure and shape each piece into a tight ball rolling the dough on the surface. This is called “bolear” in Spanish (if, at first they do not look fine to you, do not worry you will achieve this with practice) Place on prepared baking sheets 2 inches apart. Press the dough slightly.
-
Now place the remaining 300 grs of dough we reserved onto the work surface, dusting with flour if needed, and knead until the flour is integrated perfectly (this is for the bones to decorate our breads).
-
We take small portions of dough and roll in small logs putting a little pressure with the fingers to form the bones. Once your bones are already formed (we need 2 for each bread). Brush each roll forming a cross on top of each bun with a mix made out of the remaining beaten egg with 1 Tablespoon of water, once we marked the cross with the brush we place the bones as it shows in the above picture, cutting any extra dough.
-
And finally, with the leftover dough form small balls, varnish the center of the buns where the bones come together and put the ball there as shown in the picture. Cover baking sheets with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place until buns are touching and doubled in size, 1 1/2 to 2 hours.
-
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
-
Add a pinch of salt to our mix of egg and water and brush the buns before placing in the oven.Transfer buns to oven and bake until golden brown, 15 to 17 minutes, approximately, if making the small buns. If you are making the larger version the baking time will change a little. Remember that every oven is different, (when the bottom of the bread is golden it indicates that they are ready). Transfer to a wire rack and cool to room temperature.
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Once your Pan de Muerto bread has a completely cooled brush with the remaining butter and then dust with sugar.
Instructions are given to work the dough in the Electric Mixer but it can be done by hand.
Have a great time baking.
By Guest Author: Norma Ruíz: She loves bread making, enjoys confectionary, likes to learn about other cuisines and she is glad to see her family happy when they eat the delicious meals that she prepares for them. In her blog you can find recipes from her own kitchen, her blogger friends, and online cooking forums, from which she learns something delicious every day, I hope that you all enjoy it.
Other Day of the Dead Recipes: Candied Sweet Potatoes, Day of the Dead Bread, Atoles, Tamales and more.
If you like our recipes follow us on Instagram @mexicoinmykitchen
Mely se que hiciste el pan de muerto con la receta de Norma, yo también me estoy animando a hacerlo este año, junto con la calabaza en tacha y los tamales en hoja de plátano de puerco y de calabaza con camarón. Gracias a Norma y a ti por reproducirla en tu blog
Besos
Hay Mely que bonita entrada, me haz hecho muy feliz, un abrazo con mucho cariño gracias por invitarme, besitos.
Amo el pan de muerto!, que ricoo!, yummi…ideal para estas fechas que me encantan, saludos!
Thanks Mely and Norma for introducing another custom. Bread looks delicious.
Muy bien, se ven deliciosos.
Este fin de semana me voy a poner en marcha para hacer pan de muertos, para tenerlo listo en día de muertos.
Un saludo
Tlaz
Zombie bread! I love it.
Mely I love pan de muertos or pan dulce. I'm not sure if I'm making it this year but I still may. Great recipe, delicious looking pan, me gusta mucho!!:) thanks Mely and nice going Norma and thanks for the recipe.
Hola Mely, increible el pan de muerto, me encanta… es una pena no estar en casa y preparar uno de ellos, lo bueno es que aquí en Oaxaca sobra, se me antoja uno de pan de yema, jeje
saludos
Mely, I love your altar, the picture looks so serene. The recipe looks good but I didn't get to make it, maybe next year. Again, you are so good at giving the spot light to your friends, Norma, I'm sure, is happy. Take care
En enero hice la Rosca de Reyes siguiendo tu receta, y como fue todo un éxito, decidí hacer el pan de muerto con tu receta también. ¡Quedó riquísimo! Muchísimas gracias por las explicaciones detalladas y claras, me encanta tu sitio. Muchos me preguntaron por la receta, así que voy a darles la dirección de tu blog 🙂 Saludos
Gracias Galle de la Suerte, por comentar tu experiencia con las recetas.
Saludos!
This looks relish 🙂 in the ingredients what is GRS?
Hello Eduardo.
grs. meaning grams.
Happy cooking!
Muchas gracias por las recetas que nos compartes Mely, me fascinan. Este pan de muerto fue un exito en mi trabajo hoy que se los comparti aqui en Canada.
Soy tu fielmseguidora 🙂
Hello,
Thank you for taking the time to leave a comment about the recipe. I'm so glad to know you enjoyed it as well as your co workers. Happy cooking!
I'm so going to make these! Can I use 160 grams of butter instead of half butter half margarine?
I'm so going to make these! Can I use 160 grams of butter instead of half butter half margarine?
Hello yx I,
Yes, you can, but your dough can be a little less soft.
Hola Mely! quiero aumentar la cantidad de agua de azahar. hasta cuanto crees que puedo agregar sin afectar la receta o que otro ingrediente puedo modificar/aumentar para asegurar la misma consistencia. Tienes algún tip para los que horneamos en Virginia (Nivel de mar …etc?)
Gracias,
Marifer
Hola Maria,
A nivel del mar como hay más humedad, si le agregas más líquido de lo necesario la masa te pude quedar muy aguadita. Tendrasq ue ajustar las cantidades de la harina y levadura. Cuando uno hace panes, es toda una ciencia química la que entra en juego para obtener el resultadoq ue uno quiere hay que ser muy precisos con las cantidades y medidas de uan receta. Happy Cooking!
Hi Mely, just to let you know I’ve made a lot of your recipes! with that said, I’ve made your Tacha bout 2 years ago, oh my Gosh! how delish!! it’s not hard, but I made it in the Crock Pot, 9 hours later, oh sooo good. I also have made the empanadas, with the pumpkin recipe. all these things are so Autumy-I love everything that signify’s Dia de Los Muertos. My sister and I want to tackle making the bread this year, your recipe looks great/ thanks for your great recipes-Keep them coming!
En la receta dice usar margarina… puedo usar solo mantequilla para los 80 gramos que se mezclan al principio?… modifica el sabor del pan?. Gracias!
Ya lei tu comentario en la parte de arriba!… que queda mas suave con margarina (para los 80 gr). Gracias Mely!!
Hola, Angelica,
Espero te quede muy rico!