Pan de Muerto

Have you ever come across a bread that carries an entire culture’s traditions in every bite? That’s exactly the story with Mexico’s beloved Pan de Muerto.

This sweet bread is commonly found in Mexican bakeries every year around mid-October. Its distinctive shape and flavor are an important representation of Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead).

Every year on November 1st and 2nd, people celebrate Día de los Muertos by creating an altar that includes photos of their loved ones, their favorite items, and their favorite foods, like conchas, champurrado, and tamales, to honor their memory. This tradition is rooted in the belief that the souls of the deceased return to be with their families during this time of celebration.

Pan de Muerto is an important addition to many family’s altars and celebrations.

The bread is not only delicious but also provides a meaningful way to connect with a beautiful tradition that celebrates life, death, and the memories of loved ones.

What Is Pan de Muerto?

Pan de Muerto (“Bread of the Dead”) is a traditional Mexican sweet bread that’s baked and consumed during the Día de los Muertos celebrations. It is meant to be both a Day of the Dead ofrenda, or altar offering, to the spirits and a sweet treat for the living.

This sweet bread has a distinctive flavor profile. It uses orange zest and anise seed, giving it a subtly sweet and earthy rich taste.

Its distinctive shape is hard to miss. The crisscrossed pieces are said to symbolize the bones of the dead. The small ball on the top is said to symbolize many things, including a teardrop from loved ones for their faithfully departed, a skull bone, or a heart.

Pan de Muerto is meant to be shared and enjoyed on Day of the Dead. One loaf is placed on your altar as an offering to your loved ones who have passed on, and the other is to be eaten and shared.

Ingredients in Pan de Muerto

• Sugar: Granulated sugar is used to sweeten the dough as well as a topping on the bread itself.
• Flour: You’ll need a mix of all-purpose flour and bread flour.
• Anise seed: It gives the bread a distinct natural sweetness with a touch of licorice flavor. It’s very subtle and delicious!
• Orange zest: This is used both in the dough itself as well as mixed in with melted butter as a glaze on top of the bread before rolling it in sugar.
• Milk, butter, and eggs: To create a moist and rich dough with lots of flavor.

How to Make Pan de Muerto

Bloom the yeast: In a cup or bowl, heat the milk in the microwave in 15-second increments or on the stove until it’s just warm to the touch. A thermometer should read around 110°F. Stir in the yeast and sugar until it’s combined. Loosely cover with plastic wrap, and let it stand for a full 5 minutes.

Mix dry ingredients: Whisk together the bread flour, all-purpose flour, salt, and anise seed.

Add wet ingredients and knead: Add the yeast mixture, melted butter, eggs, and orange zest to the dry mixture, then mix on low-medium speed for 6-8 minutes until the dough becomes smooth and elastic and pulls away from the bowl.

Let dough rise: Add the dough to a greased bowl and set it in a warm place to rise for 2 hours. I like to let my oven preheat for a few minutes (like 2 minutes), turn it off, and then place the bowl inside the oven to proof.

Shape the bread: Once the dough has doubled in size, divide it evenly into 6 loaves. Next, cut 1/4 of each loaf to create the bone shapes and balls. To make the bones, roll out the dough into a rope, then lightly pinch from the sides to the center to create the shape. Gently drape the bone shapes on top of the loaves so they’re crisscrossed on top of each other, as demonstrated below.

Rise: Lightly cover the loaves with a kitchen towel and let them rise again for 90 minutes.

Bake and top: Bake the loaves for 35-40 minutes at 350°F and then allow it to cool for 30 minutes. While the bread is cooling, make the butter glaze by melting butter and adding orange zest to a small bowl. This helps the sugar topping stick to the bread and also adds more orange flavor. Brush the butter all over the tops of the loaves, then generously sprinkle with granulated sugar and enjoy.

Serving Suggestions

Pan de Muerto is delicious on its own, and there are many ways to enhance its flavor. Here are some serving suggestions to make the most of this traditional treat:

• Champurrado
• Mexican Hot Chocolate
• Café de Olla or coffee
• Atole
• A simple glass of milk

Storage

Pan de Muerto should be wrapped in plastic wrap or stored in an airtight container in a dark and cool place for 4-5 days. It will dry out and get stale the older it sits.

More Mexican Recipes

• Mexican Donuts (Donas)
• Pozole Blanco
• Buñuelos
• Arroz con Leche
• Cortadillo (Mexican Pink Cake)

If you tried this Pan de Muerto Recipe or any other recipe on Isabel Eats, don’t forget to rate the recipe and let me know how it went in the comments below! I love hearing about your experience making it!