Pan De Muertos Recipes

Steps:

• Mix all dry ingredients together except the 4 1/2 cups of flour.
• In small pan, heat the milk, the water, and the butter.
• Add liquid mixture to the dry mixture.
• Beat well.
• Mix in the eggs and 1 1/2 cups of flour. Beat well.
• Put in rest of flour, little by little.
• Knead the mixture for 10 minutes.
• Put dough in bowl and allow to rise until has doubled in size, or about an hour and a half.
• Punch dough down and reshape it with some "bone" shapes on top to decorate it.
• Let rise another hour.
• Heat 1/2 cup sugar and the 1/3 orange juice over stove until melted.
• Brush over dough.
• Bake at 350°F for about 40 minutes.

Steps:

• Heat the milk and the butter together in a medium saucepan, until the butter melts. Remove from the heat and add them warm water. The mixture should be around 110 degrees F (43 degrees C).
• In a large bowl combine 1 cup of the flour, yeast, salt, anise seed and 1/4 cup of the sugar. Beat in the warm milk mixture then add the eggs and orange zest and beat until well combined. Stir in 1/2 cup of flour and continue adding more flour until the dough is soft.
• Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic.
• Place the dough into a lightly greased bowl cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place until doubled in size. This will take about 1 to 2 hours. Punch the dough down and shape it into a large round loaf with a round knob on top. Place dough onto a baking sheet, loosely cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place for about 1 hour or until just about doubled in size.
• Bake in a preheated 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) oven for about 35 to 45 minutes. Remove from oven let cool slightly then brush with glaze.
• To make glaze: In a small saucepan combine the 1/4 cup sugar, orange juice and orange zest. Bring to a boil over medium heat and boil for 2 minutes. Brush over top of bread while still warm. Sprinkle glazed bread with white sugar.

Steps:

• Pulverize fruit or herbs in a blender until very finely ground. Transfer to a small bowl and whisk in ½ cup sugar. Sift through a fine mesh sieve, discard any large pieces of fruit or herbs and store sifted fruit sugar in an airtight container until ready to use.
• Whisk milk and yeast in the bowl of a stand mixer (alternately, use a large bowl to knead by hand). Let sit 10 minutes to dissolve, you will see a few bubbles but mixture won't be foamy and that's ok. Whisk granulated sugar, salt, eggs and zest in a small bowl.
• Add milk powder, 3cups flour, and egg mixture to yeast mixture. Mix with a wooden spoon until a shaggy dough forms. Transfer to stand mixer and fit with dough hook. Mix on medium speed until dough comes together but is still slightly tough, about 3 minutes. Increase speed to medium-high and add butter, 1 Tbsp. at a time (dough will look broken after each addition, but it will eventually come together), until dough is smooth, elastic, and very tacky but pulls away from sides of bowl, about 12 minutes. This may seem like a long time, but the texture of the bread improves with a long knead time. (Alternatively, knead dough on a lightly floured surface, adding 1 Tbsp. butter at a time, until smooth and elastic, about 15 minutes.).
• Lightly butter a large bowl. Scrape dough into bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and let dough rise in warm, draft-free area until doubled in volume, 35-50 minutes. This is one of those times when the visual cues outweigh whatever your kitchen timer says. If allowed to overproof, this dough will start to smell like alcohol and develop off flavors. Check it at 35 minutes: It should smell buttery and yeasty, and if it's doubled, it's done. If not, check again in 10 minutes.
• Gently deflate dough by lifting it up around the edges and letting it fall back into bowl, turning bowl and repeating if needed. Cover bowl tightly with plastic wrap and chill at least 12 hours and up to 3 days (an overnight rest works great).
• Line 2 rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper; lightly coat parchment with nonstick spray. Turn out dough onto a clean work surface and divide into 8 equal pieces. Then tear off a tablespoon-sized piece of dough from each piece and set aside. Re-shape the larger 8 pieces into a smooth round balls and transfer to the prepared sheet spaced evenly apart.
• Pinch off a ½ teaspoon-sized piece of dough from each of the remaining smaller 8 pieces. Roll each tiny piece into a smooth round ball and transfer to the second prepared sheet in a single row on one of the narrow ends spaced about 1" apart.
• Divide remaining 8 pieces of dough in half; you should now have 16 small pieces of dough. Working one piece at a time, roll using the palm of your hand into a 3" thin rope. Use your index finger to roll and press the center of the rope so that the middle is thinner and both ends are thicker. Next, use your two index fingers to roll and press the centers of the two thicker ends so that the centers are thin and the ends are thicker. The dough should look like a rope of 4 links of sausage, these are the bones. Carefully transfer to second prepared sheet tray and repeat with remaining dough spacing evenly apart on prepared sheet. Spray two large sheets of plastic wrap with non-stick spray and loosely cover. Let rise in a warm, draft-free area until almost doubled in size, about 1½ hours.
• Position a rack in center of oven; preheat to 350°. Remove plastic wrap and carefully pick up one of the bones, lifting from the ends (it will stretch and deflate slightly). Drape over one of the larger dough rounds, positioning at 12 o'clock and 6 o'clock. Repeat with second bone, positioning at 9 o'clock and 3 o'clock. Carefully place one of the small balls in the center, at the point where bones overlap, gently pressing edges of the ball into bones and larger ball, crowning the loaf.
• Bake until deep golden brown, 30-40 minutes. Transfer pan to a wire rack and let cool 10 minutes. Remove from pan and brush with melted butter and immediately sprinkle with fruit sugar. Let cool on a wire rack at least 1 hour before serving.
• Do Ahead: Bread can be made 3 days ahead; let cool completely before storing and keep tightly wrapped at room temperature.

Steps:

• In a saucepan over medium flame, heat the butter, milk and water until very warm but not boiling.
• Meanwhile, measure out 1-1/2 cups flour and set the rest aside.
• In a large mixing bowl, combine the 1-1/2 cups flour, yeast, salt, anise seed and sugar.
• Beat in the warm liquid until well combined.
• Add the eggs and beat in another 1 cup of flour.
• Continue adding more flour until dough is soft but not sticky.
• Knead on lightly floured board for ten minutes until smooth and elastic.
• Lightly grease a bowl and place dough in it, cover with plastic wrap and let rise in warm place until doubled in bulk, about 1-1/2 hours.
• Punch the dough down and shape into loaves resembling skulls, skeletons or round loaves with"bones" placed ornamentally around the top.
• Let these loaves rise for 1 hour.
• Bake in a preheated 350 F degree oven for 40 minutes.
• Remove from oven and paint on glaze.
• Glaze: Bring to a boil for 2 minutes, then apply to bread with a pastry brush.
• If desired, sprinkle on colored sugar while glaze is still damp.

Steps:

• Combine butter,1/2 cup sugar,salt,orange zest,and anise in a bowl,crushing the anise seeds with your fingers.Heat the milk in a small saucepan to 180 degrees(f) or just to the boiling point.Pour over the butter and spice mixture.Let cool .
• Stir in yeast and a small pinch of sugar into 1/4 cup warm water.Let it sit until the yeast is dissolved and frothy.
• Beat the eggs and egg yolks together.Measure out 2 tablespoons into a bowl;to the 2 tablespoons of egg add 1 teaspoon water,and set in fridge.
• Add the remaining egg to the yeast mixture.Mix yeast mixture with milk mixture.Stir in enough flour to form a stiff dough-this may be all 5 1/2 cups or slightly less.
• Turn dough onto a lightly floured board and knead for 10 minutes.dough should be shiny and elastic.Add more flour if the dough is too sticky to knead easily.
• Turn the dough into a greased bowl,turning the dough so all sides are slightly greased;cover with a cloth,and let rise until doubled in volume,about 1 hour.
• Punch down the dough,and let the dough rest while you grease 2 baking sheets.divide the dough into 2 parts.Shape each half into rounds,using 1/3 cup of dough from each round to form a skull or crossbones to decorate the bread.
• Set the loaves on the baking sheets and let rise until doubled again,about 45 minutes;meanwhile preheat oven to 360 f.
• Before baking brush each loaf with the egg glaze you set aside earlier and sprinkle with the remaining2 tablespoons of sugar.Bake 30 -35 minutes or until lightly browned and it sounds hollow if tapped on the bottom.
• Let cool completely before serving.

Steps:

• For the starter:
• Put the flour, salt, sugar, and yeast into a mixing bowl and gradually beat in the water and eggs. Continue beating until the dough forms a cohesive mass around the dough hook. It should be sticky, elastic, and shiny, about 5 minutes. Turn the dough out onto a floured board and form into a round cushion. Butter a clean bowl and sprinkle well with flour. Place the dough into it, cover with greased waxed paper and a towel, and set aside in a warm place-ideally about 70°F (21°C)-until the dough has doubled in volume, 1 1/2 to 2 hours.
• For the dough:
• Tear the starter into pieces and put it, the sugar, and the butter into the bowl of a mixer and mix well with the dough hook, gradually beating in the flour alternately with the yolks. Beat in the water and flavoring-you should have a slightly sticky, smooth, shiny dough that just holds its shape (since eggs, flours, and climates differ you may need to reduce or increase the liquid). Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured board and form into a round cushion shape.
• Butter a clean bowl and dust well with flour and place the dough in it. Cover with greased waxed paper and a towel, and set aside in a warm place, about 70°F (21°C), until it is almost doubled in size, about 1 1/2 hours. Or, if you have the time, set it aside gently weighted down in the refrigerator overnight. (If you choose the latter, allow the dough to come up to room temperature before shaping it.)
• Liberally grease four baking sheets-two for main "bodies" and two for the "heads and bones." Turn the dough out onto a floured board and divide into two equal pieces. Set one piece aside under plastic wrap while you work with the first.
• Take three-fourths of the dough and roll it into a smooth ball. Press it out to a circle about 8 inches (20cm) in diameter-it should be about 1 inch (2.5cm) thick. Press around the edge of the dough to form a narrow ridge of about 1 inch (2.5cm)-like the brim of a hat-and transfer to one of the baking sheets. Cover loosely with greased waxed paper and set aside in a warm place, about 70°F (21°C), to rise about half its size again, about 1 hour.
• Divide the remaining one-quarter of dough into four equal parts. Roll one piece into a smooth ball-that will be the head. Roll out the other three pieces into strips about 8 inches (20cm) long, forming knobs as you do it. Place these onto a second tray, cover as before, and set aside to rise for about 1 hour. Repeat the steps to form the second bread.
• Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C). At the end of the rising period, place the three "bones" at regular intervals across the dough with the round ball in the middle and make two indentations for "eyes." Brush the surface of the dough with the beaten eggs and bake until well browned and springy to the touch, 15 to 20 minutes. Turn the heat off, open the oven door, and let the breads sit for about 5 minutes.
• Transfer the breads to racks, brush with the melted butter, and sprinkle well with the sugar. It is best to let the breads cool off for about 2 hours before eating. If well stored, they will keep soft for several days and, in fact, improve in flavor.