Pan De Muerto from starter

★★★★★

Baked Goods, Breads, Holiday

Ingredients

2 cups starter

2 cups Bread flour

1 tsp. dry yeast

4 large eggs

1/2 cup sugar

1 teaspoon salt

1 cup unsalted butter


Zest and 1/4 cup juice from 1 orange OR

Zest from 1 orange and 1/4 cup orange blossom water


Additional AP or bread flour, about 2 cups


Soft butter

Granulated sugar


1 large baking sheet

1 medium baking sheet

Description

A Mexican day of the dead bread. Traditionally, at least one loaf is left on an alter or table with other items paying homage to dead ancestors and the others are eaten by the friends and family.

The roll is sometimes said to represent a burial mound. The crisscrossed bones are fairly obvious, and the balls on top are said to represent a skull or teardrop depending on who you ask.

Directions

If your orange juice doesn’t make 1/4 cup, top it off with bottled juice or water.

Put your orange juice and zest or orange blossom water into your pan and heat on low. Stir in the butter. Once melted, stir in the sugar. Once dissolved, turn off the heat and let cool.

Mix your starter, flour, salt, yeast, and the cooled liquid. Once combined, add one egg at a time and knead until incorporated. Add a little flour at a time and knead until you get a doughy ball.

Turn the dough out onto a floured work surface; knead until smooth and elastic, adding only a little flour as needed if the dough begins to stick.

Lightly oil a container and put the dough in.
Cover and let rise in a warm place until it doubles in size, about 1 1/2-2 hours.

Transfer the dough onto a clean work surface. Divide the dough into five pieces, four of which are about about 11 ounces each.

Shape the 11 ounce pieces into nice balls. Place on a large lined sheet.
11 Oz. Balls

Allow to rise until these balls are about 1 1/2 times their original size, about 1 hour in a warm area.

While the large balls are starting their rise, use the rest of the dough to make 8 pieces that are about 2 ounces each and 4 pieces about 1/2 an ounce each.
Roll the 8 pieces into thin logs, more than long enough to drape over your large balls with a flat spot in the center (you will probably need to reform the flat spot several times as the pieces rise). Roll the other 4 pieces into small balls. Lay everything out on a medium lined sheet.
Logs and balls

Brush everything on both trays lightly with oil.

Preheat the oven to 400 F.

Crisscross the logs over the large balls. Use scissors to trim them and cut joints. Make sure you don't cut all the way through. Put one ball in the center of each set of crisscrossed bones.
Assembled pan de muerto

As soon as you have the bread in the oven, turn the heat down to 350 F.
Bake until brown, about 30 minutes. A thermometer inserted into the center should register 200 F.

Move to a cooling rack over a baking sheet. While still hot, brush with butter and sprinkle with granulated sugar.
Baked and sugared

Serve slices with butter, a dusting of cinnamon and sugar, and a cup of cocoa.
Served with cocoa

Turn leftover stale bread into bread pudding.

Nutrition

228 kcal
Calories: 228kcal
Carbohydrates: 26g
Protein: 10g
Fat: 10g
Saturated Fat: 2g
Cholesterol: 58mg
Sodium: 267mg
Potassium: 416mg
Fiber: 5g
Sugar: 8g
Vitamin A: 478IU
Vitamin C: 2mg
Calcium: 53mg
Iron: 2mg