Day of the Dead recipe: Pan de muerto by Elena Reygadas

At the beginning of November, when Mexico celebrates the Day of the Dead/Día de los Muertos, a traditional sweet bread called pan de muerto (or "bread of the dead") is often left on the elaborate altars that people build in their homes to honor deceased loved ones.

Elena Reygadas, one of Mexico's most renowned chefs, and owner of the Mexico City restaurant Rosetta and its sister bakery, La Panadería de Rosetta, shares with "Sunday Morning" viewers her recipe for pan de muerto.

Don't miss Enrique Acevedo's conversation with Elena Reygadas on "CBS News Sunday Morning" November 5!

Pan de muerto

By chef Elena Reygadas

Yield: 20 small or 5 medium-size pieces

Ingredients:
1 kg. flour
300 g. sugar
250 g. butter
17 g. fresh yeast
15 g. salt
250 ml. milk
2 g. orange blossom water
300 g. egg
15 g. orange peel
200 g. clarified butter
200 g. sugar

Instructions:

1. Crumble the yeast and dissolve it in 50 ml. of lukewarm milk.

2. Mix in a bowl the rest of the milk with the flour, salt, eggs, orange blossom water, orange peel, 100 grams of sugar, and the dissolved yeast. Knead at medium speed for 3 minutes.

3. Add the butter in cubes and continue for 5 more minutes at low speed.

4. Add 100 grams of sugar and knead at medium speed for 3 minutes.

5. Add an additional 100 grams of sugar and knead for 5 more minutes, until the dough is smooth.

6. Let sit at room temperature for around 30 minutes.

7. Divide the dough in 20 portions of 80 grams for small pieces, or 5 portions of 350 grams for medium size. Reserve the rest of the dough to form the bone decorations.

8. Shape each portion of dough into a ball and let sit for 50 minutes, or until it doubles in size.

9. Using your fingers, shape the remaining dough into small strips shaped like the bones and small balls like a skull. These will be used to decorate your bread, so should be smaller than your loaves after they've risen.

10. Glaze each pan de muerto with clarified butter and place 2 bone strips on top, forming a cross shape. Then place the small ball on top of the cross.

11. Let sit for 15 more minutes.

12. Bake at 180°C (350°F) for 20 to 25 minutes.

13. Let cool and glaze with clarified butter and dust with sugar.

For more info: 

• Chef Elena Reygadas (Instagram)
• Rosetta, Mexico City

     
See also: 

In:
• Day of the Dead
• Recipes