Day Of The Dead Bread Recipe Without Yeast

Pan de Muerto is a light and sweet Mexican Day of the Dead bread, traditionally spiced with ground anise and brushed with an orange glaze.

Despite the multitude of skeletons prancing through the streets and the belief that spirits return to be with their families, the festival is not scary, somber, or macabre. Rather, it is a joyous event, full of parties, good memories, and good food.

The festival celebrates death as a natural part of the human experience: as natural to celebrate as a newborn baby, a coming of age, or any birthday.

Pan De Muerto (mexican Day Of The Dead Bread) • Curious Cuisiniere

The skeleton and bones that are found throughout the celebration of Dia de los Muertos are also found atop Pan de Muerto, giving this bread a very unique appearance.

Like many other sweet breads (such as challah of Finnish pulla), the dough for this bread is a “rich dough” that consists of milk, eggs, and butter.

The warm spice and orange combo is one that is familiar in the fall. And it is common in other Day of the Dead foods, like calabaza en tacha (Mexican candied pumpkin).

Pan De Muerto (day Of The Dead Bread)

To create the topping of ‘bones, ’ for our Day of the Dead bread, divide the dough into a larger portion and a few smaller portions.

If you roll the small portions into a rope, keeping your fingers roughly in the same place, you will create 4 little nobbies on the rope. When arranged on the bread, these look remarkably like a pile of bones.

As the dough rises and bakes, the circle of ‘bones’ may shift a bit, but that’s more than ok. It adds to the rustic appeal of the bread!

Pan De Muerto (bread Of The Dead Celebration Bread)

Even if you’re not celebrating the Day of the Dead, this bread is a tasty, sweet and eggy bread that would make a delicious addition to a Halloween party spread as well.

We’ve updated our pictures since we first shared this bread on Curious Cuisiniere. Subsequent times we’ve made it, we’ve decorated it following a bit more closely the traditional technique. We’ve left our original images here, in case you’ve found us in the past and are looking for that old, familiar image.

Sarah is one of Curious Cuisiniere’s founding duo. Her love for cultural cuisines was instilled early by her French Canadian Grandmother. Her experience in the kitchen and in recipe development comes from years working in professional kitchens. She has traveled extensively and enjoys bringing the flavors of her travels back to create easy-to-make recipes.

Mexican Bread Of The Dead Recipe (pan De Muerto)

Yes! When I need to do that I cover it loosely and refrigerate it. Then remove it from the refrigerator an hour or two before you will want to bake it, for it to come to room temperature.

First time baking pan de muerto and It did not come out as pretty probably because I forgot the egg wash and my top dough ball slid town BUT it was delicious and very tasty! I did not have anise seeds do I used Spain’s Anis liquor La Castellana. The orange glaze at the end was delish!

Balancing the top ball can be a bit at the mercy of how your bread rises. Thanks for sharing your substitute. Glad you enjoyed the recipe!

Gluten Free Pan De Muerto (day Of The Dead Bread) Recipe

I'm making this for my Spanish class. I'm really nervous for how it's gonna turn out. I have 28 people in my class and I'm gonna make little version of the bread for them. I hope I have enough for them. But this looks so good and I can't wait.

Hi there, I just made this today and it turned out INCREDIBLE. I swapped the anise for cardamom because my mom and I can't stand anything with that licorice flavor, but it still tasted amazing. The crust is beautifully bronzed, the glaze was great (though I had to ad lib and correct with a bit of lemon juice, having only tangerine juice as opposed to orange) and the crumb is everything an enriched bread should be - soft, pillowy, rich and slightly sweet. My bones were... rustic is a kind description, but I've never worked with this kind of bread dough much before, so I wasn't expecting mine to come out very well. Thanks for the recipe - mom wants to make French toast with it tomorrow, and we'll see how that goes!

@Audrey, Do bake it in the future and use the anise! It doesn't taste like licorice, and you'd be missing one of the all-time most surprising slices of bread! - a friendly bakeThis vegan pan de muerto is soft and tender, sweet, and with a hint of orange. It is made using time-honored baking techniques with vegan ingredients!

How To Make Pan De Muerto—my Day Of The Dead Sweet Ofrenda

Pan de muerto or day of the dead bread is an orange blossom scented bread in the form of a round loaf with knobs decorating the top. It is a very traditional bread that is made for el Dia de los Muertos (Dia de Muertos).

El Dia de Muertos is a celebration of life and triumph over death, the intermingling of the religious beliefs of the indigenous people of Mexico, and the faith of the Spaniards that conquered them. Purple and orange tissue paper banners line altars decorated with marigold petals, colorful sugar skulls, and a bounty of fruit and vegetables.

Both the indigenous people and the Church of the Spaniards believed that death was not an end, but only a passageway to another life. That is why this is a joyous occasion, a homecoming festival, and at the same time a way to mock death and the power it holds over our bodies.

Authentic Mexican Pan De Muerto Recipe

A big part of the celebration is to make altars or ofrendas for those who have passed, preparing the dead’s favorite foods, and gathering at the cemetery to decorate a loved one’s grave, share a meal, and reminiscence. It is a tradition full of symbolism that truly honors the dead, those we keep in our hearts, but somehow with the passing of time fade in our memories. Pan de muerto is one of those symbols included in the altars.

Legend says that the Spaniards began making a special bread in the form of a heart and covered in red sugar as a way to replace the human sacrifices the indigenous people of Mexico practiced. Today, the pan de muerto is not meant to resemble a heart, but instead, the round shape represents the cycle of life and death, the knob in the center represents a skull, and the four strips and knobs represent the bones of the deceased.

According to my husband, this recipe might be better than the non-vegan version. I have substituted the eggs with potatoes, resulting in a moist, soft, and sweet bread. It is perfect for dipping in hot chocolate or coffee. I recommend that you take the time to find bread flour to make this, it will result in a much better bread. It has become very common in Mexico to stuff your pan de muerto, like this one stuffed with chocolate.

Day Of The Dead Bread

This vegan day of the dead bread or pan de muerto is tender, sweet, and delicious. Perfect for dipping on hot chocolate.

If you want to make this recipe in one day don't place the dough in the refrigerator, instead after the first rise go straight to shaping the bread, then continue following the rest of the recipe. 

Calories: 874 kcal | Carbohydrates: 148 g | Protein: 14 g | Fat: 25 g | Saturated Fat: 6 g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 7 g | Monounsaturated Fat: 10 g | Trans Fat: 1 g | Sodium: 755 mg | Potassium: 332 mg | Fiber: 4 g | Sugar: 64 g | Vitamin A: 1400 IU | Vitamin C: 17 mg | Calcium: 63 mg | Iron: 1 mgPan de muerto, also known as bread of the dead, is a sweet, eggy bread that is a traditional part of Day of the Dead celebrations. Learn how to make this delicious bread and how it plays a role in this important holiday.

The Best Vegan Pan De Muerto: Mexican Day Of The Dead Bread

Day of the Dead, or Día de los muertos, on the other hand? That is an autumnal holiday I have come to love and greatly respect.

This bread, known as pan de muerto or “bread of the dead”, is a big part of Day of the Dead celebrations. Let’s talk about why the holiday is important and how this bread is a part of the celebrations.

Día de los muertos, or Day of the Dead, is traditionally celebrated on November 1 and 2 and centers around gathering with friends and family to celebrate the lives of loved ones who have passed.

Rick Baylessday Of The Dead Bread

Instead of being a time to mourn, Day of the Dead celebrations are joyous, colorful festivities that celebrate the lives of the departed.

Day of the Dead is largely celebrated in Mexico, although it is also observed by Mexican communities around the world. Many Latin American countries celebrate their own versions of Day of the Dead.

) and the graves of loved ones are decorated with photos, marigolds, sugar skulls, the deceased’s favorite foods, pan de muerto, and more.

A Plain But Lovely Pan De Muerto, Or Day Of The Dead Bread

I learned about Day of the Dead when I started taking Spanish and have participated in celebrations throughout the