Pan de Muerto

[kirra]

Pan de Muerto
Mexican Bread of the Dead

In celebration of Mexico's Día de Muertos, this pan de muerto bread is shaped into skulls or round loaves with strips of dough rolled out and attached on top to resemble bones. This recipe will take a little over three hours to make and will make four loaves.

Ingredients:

1/4 cup milk
1/4 cup butter or margarine, cut into 8 pieces
1/2 tsp salt
1 package active dry yeast
1/4 cup very warm water
2 eggs
3 cups all-purpose flour, unsifted
1/2 tsp anise seed
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
2 tsp sugar

Preparation:

In medium saucepan, bring milk to a boil. Remove from heat and stir in butter or margarine, 1/4 cup sugar and salt. In large bowl, mix yeast with warm water until dissolved. Let stand 5 minutes and add to milk mixture.

Separate yolk and white of one egg. Add yolk to yeast mixture, reserving the white for later. Add flour to yeast and egg, and blend well until a dough ball forms.

Sprinkle flour over a pastry or cutting board. Place dough ball in center and knead until smooth. Return to bowl and cover with towel. Let rise in a warm place for about 90 minutes. After an hour, grease a baking sheet and preheat oven to 350F. Knead dough again on floured surface. Divide dough into quarters and set 1/4 aside. Roll remaining 3 pieces into "ropes." On baking sheet, pinch 3 rope ends together and braid. Finish by pinching ends together on opposite side. Divide the remaining dough in half and form 2 "bones." Cross and lay them over the braided loaf.

Cover bread with dish towel and let rise for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, in a bowl, mix anise seed, cinnamon and 2 tsp sugar together. In another bowl, beat egg white lightly.

After 30 minutes, brush top of bread with egg white and sprinkle with sugar mixture, except on cross bones. Bake at 350F for 35 minutes. Cool and serve.