Pan de Muerto Recipe
A traditional pan de muerto recipe featuring soft, orange-scented sweet bread with the iconic bone-shaped decorative top, finished with a butter and sugar coating.
Equipment
- Stand mixer or large bowl
- baking sheet
- Pastry brush
Ingredients
Dough
- 4 cups all-purpose flour
- ⅓ cup granulated sugar
- 2¼ tsp instant yeast
- 1 tsp salt
- Zest of 2 oranges
- ½ cup warm milk
- ½ cup unsalted butter softened
- 3 large eggs
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tbsp orange blossom water optional
Topping
- 3 tbsp unsalted butter melted
- ½ cup granulated sugar
Instructions
Make and Proof the Dough
- In a stand mixer or large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, yeast, salt, and orange zest. Add the warm milk, softened butter, eggs, vanilla extract, and orange blossom water if using, mixing until a soft dough forms.
- Knead the dough for 8-10 minutes, either by hand or with a stand mixer, until it becomes smooth and elastic. Place it in a lightly greased bowl, cover, and let it rise in a warm spot for about 1.5 to 2 hours, until roughly doubled in size.
Shape the Bread and Bone Decorations
- Punch down the risen dough and set aside about a quarter of it to make the decorative bone shapes and small ball for the top. Divide the remaining dough into two equal portions, shaping each into a smooth, round loaf.
- From the reserved dough, roll small pieces into long, thin strips, then use your fingers to pinch and shape bumps along each strip to resemble bones. Arrange four bone shapes in a crisscross pattern on top of each loaf, then roll a small ball of dough for the center of each loaf, representing a skull or heart.
Rise Again and Bake
- Place the shaped loaves on parchment-lined baking sheets and let them rise again, uncovered, for about 45 minutes to an hour, until puffy.
- Bake at 350°F (175°C) for 22-25 minutes, until the loaves are golden brown and sound hollow when tapped on the bottom.
Finish With Butter and Sugar
- While the loaves are still warm, brush them generously all over with the melted butter, then sprinkle or roll them in the granulated sugar until fully coated. Let cool slightly before serving.
Notes
- Using fresh orange zest, rather than relying solely on orange blossom water, gives the dough a more pronounced citrus flavor throughout the bread, so don't skip this even if you're including the orange blossom water as well.
- Reserving enough dough for the bone decorations before dividing the rest into loaves is important, since it's easy to accidentally use too much dough for the base loaves and come up short for the decorative pieces.
- Brushing the bread with butter while it's still warm helps the sugar coating adhere much better than if you wait until the loaves have fully cooled.
- The bone shapes and center ball are meant to be a bit rustic and handmade looking, so don't worry about making them perfectly uniform, since that imperfection is part of the traditional charm of this bread.
- Leftover pan de muerto keeps well at room temperature in an airtight container for 2-3 days, or can be frozen for up to a month.