Gauss-Telegraph: Recipe of the month – Pan de Muerto

Gauss-Telegraph: Recipe of the month – Pan de Muerto

Pan de muerto (“bread of the dead”‘) is a type of sweet bread traditionally baked in Mexico during the weeks leading up to the Día de Muertos, which is celebrated from October 31st to November 2nd.

The bread is shaped like a bun decorated with bone-shaped phalange pieces and sprinkled with sugar. It is usually eaten with hot chocolate at the “ofrenda”. The bread represents the deceased person.

Ingredients

  • 2 cups of almond milk
  • 1/2 cup of neutral-flavored oil
  • 4 ½ teaspoons quick-acting yeast
  • 3/4 cup sugar plus some extra to sprinkle
  • 4 ½ all-purpose cups of flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon of salt
  • 1 tablespoon of grated orange zest

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 180 ºC.
  2. Heat milk and oil to 35ºC. It should be warm.
  3. Put the flour in a bowl of an electric mixer and make a hole in the middle. Sprinkle the sugar and yeast. Pour in the almond milk and the hot oil and beat at slow speed with the dough attachment for 10 minutes. Add the rest of the ingredients and mix well. Put the dough in a well-oiled bowl.
  4. Cover and let dough rise for around one hour. It will go up a lot and will be a little sticky. But it is fine.
  5. Prepare a baking tray with a silicone mat or with baking paper. Put the dough on the tray and separate three small pieces using the rest to form a ball. Flour your hands so the dough doesn’t stick.
  6. With one piece of dough form a little ball, and with the other two form two little sticks. Put the sticks in the form of an X on the large piece of dough and place the small ball on top.
  7. Bake for 30 minutes. 
  8. Take it out when it is ready. While the bread is still hot, brush some oil or melted vegan butter on the bread and sprinkle it with white sugar.

Notes

  • It is important that you knead the dough well. The 10 minutes are necessary. The key is to know that when you touch the dough with your finger it no longer sticks to your hands and the dough returns to its shape. It doesn’t matter if it is sticky, it is removed when you form the bread.
  • It is easier when you use the dough to form 3 small breads. It is also easier for them to keep their shape if you make them smaller.
  • Use almond milk or any other thick plant-based milk. Don’t use watery milks.

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