Pan de Muerto

Name: Pan de Muerto
Prep time: 45 min
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 45 min
Yield: 6
Cuisine: Global
Ingredients: 1 Tbsp active dry yeast; 4 egg yolks, beaten; 3 eggs; 946 milliliters all-purpose flour; 237 milliliters granulated sugar; 1 Zest of orange, grated; 1 teaspoons sea salt; 79 milliliters granulated or colored sugar; 4 Tbsps unsalted butter, melted; 59 milliliters water

Pan de Muerto might be a good recipe to expand your side dish recipe box. This vegetarian recipe serves 6. One serving contains 616 calories, 14g of protein, and 14g of fat. From preparation to the plate, this recipe takes roughly 45 minutes. Head to the store and pick up colored sugar, egg yolks, orange zest, and a few other things to make it today.

Instructions

Combine the flour, sugar, yeast, and salt in a large bowl.

Ingredients you will need

All Purpose Flour

Sugar

Yeast

Salt

Equipment you will use

Bowl

Add the water and eggs and beat for about 5 minutes.

Ingredients you will need

Water

Egg

Place the dough in a buttered bowl and allow it to rise in a warm place until it has doubled in size, about 2 hours.

Ingredients you will need

Dough

Equipment you will use

Bowl

When the starter has risen, give it a light blow to deflate it, and then break it into pieces and place in a mixing bowl.

Equipment you will use

Mixing Bowl

Mix in the sugar, butter, and orange zest. Beat in the flour and the eight egg yolks. Slowly mix in the water until the dough is slightly sticky but smooth.

Ingredients you will need

Orange Zest

Egg Yolk

Butter

Dough

All Purpose Flour

Sugar

Water

Add additional water or flour if needed.

Ingredients you will need

All Purpose Flour

Water

Lightly knead the dough on a floured work surface, then form it into a round dome. Butter and flour a mixing bowl and place the dough in it, cover, and let sit in a warm place until it has doubled in size, about 2 hours.

Ingredients you will need

Butter

Dough

All Purpose Flour

Equipment you will use

Mixing Bowl

When the dough has risen, punch it down. Set aside one-quarter of the dough. Mound the remaining dough on a floured work surface. Press fist-size balls of dough into 6-inch rounds. Cover and let rise for 1 hour.

Ingredients you will need

Dough

Punch

Count the number of dough rounds you have prepared, and divide the reserved dough into that number of parts. Shape each part into two bone-shaped logs, each roughly 7 inches long, pinching in the center so that the ends are wider than the middles. Set on a baking sheet and let rise until the cakes are done rising.

Ingredients you will need

Dough

Bone

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Baking Sheet

When the dough has risen, set two bones on top of each round, intersecting in the middle to form a crossbones.

Ingredients you will need

Dough

Brush the cakes with the beaten egg yolks.

Ingredients you will need

Egg Yolk

Preheat the oven to 325°F. Butter two baking sheets.

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Butter

Equipment you will use

Baking Sheet

Oven

Transfer the cakes to the sheets and bake for 15 to 20 minutes, until the cakes are golden and springy. Open the oven door and let sit for 5 minutes.

Equipment you will use

Oven

Remove the cakes from the oven.

Equipment you will use

Oven

Brush the surface of each one with melted butter, and sprinkle with sugar.

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Butter

Sugar

Let cool before serving.

Rosca de Reyes (for the Day of the Dead)Prepare the dough and shape into a ring, reserving some dough to make bones. Shape 5 bones, as described in the recipe, and top the ring with the bones, candied figs, and candied fruit strips.

Ingredients you will need

Candied Fruit

Dough

Figs

Excerpted from A World of Cake: 150 Recipes for Sweet Traditions from Cultures Near and Far by Krystina Castella. © 2010 by Krystina Castella. Published by Storey Publishing. Photography © Renee Anjanette Photography, used with permission from Storey Publishing.