Weekend Project: DIY Pan de Muerto for Día de Los Muertos

"It’s a process that will take a little bit of patience, but it’s really beautiful and well worth the time."

Published on 10/29/2020 at 1:11 PM

Photo by Mariela Camacho; Illustration by Maitane Romagosa for Thrillist

Mariela Camacho is the founder of Comadre Panadería, a pop-up panadería inspired by Camacho’s experience of growing up Xicana in America. Her work is rooted in social and environmental stewardship and mentorship of women and people of color. As told to Thrillist.

Comadre Panadería was started because I was feeling lonely and missing the people and things I missed the most about my hometown: San Antonio, Texas. I was living in Seattle in 2017, and between the darkness of seven months out of the year and being homesick, I now realize that it strangely prepared me for 2020.

So while I was in Seattle, I decided I was tired of making the same French pastries that dominate the industry and wanted to do my own thing. Specifically, pan dulce. I started investing in myself and trying to bring some respect and cred to the pan dulce that I grew up eating—the kind that I think a lot of people typically try to hate on because it is not always the best tasting stuff, or they just don’t understand it.

I moved back to Texas in 2019, and since I started Comadre Panadería, it’s been overwhelming in a lot of ways: in the way that it has been received, in the amount of work, in the resources that it takes, but it’s been really really beautiful and has put me on the path to finding happiness and empowering other people by empowering myself. I don’t want to ever do anything else. Comadre Panadería is an accumulation of everything I believe in and want to do.

And this time of year, pan de muerto is a staple. It’s always been associated with Día de los Muertos in Mexico, where my parents are from. It’s essentially this sweet bread that you use to honor family members or loved ones that have passed on and there’s a lot of stories on the background of what it is and how it’s connected to pre-colonization times: the ingredients and the methods of how people made bread-like items before Mexico was colonized.

There are many stories about pan de muerto being a bread for the gods’ and being covered with blood as part of the sacrifice. But over time after colonization, the bread evolved into using sugar instead of blood because they didn’t want to associate that with the culture anymore.

The bread itself, which is made from wheat (which is not native to Mexico), is a round, sweet bread with a cross on it. The cross represents the bones, and in the center is a tiny ball to signify the skull. People eat it all throughout October, but it’s still consumed into November as Día de Los Muertos falls on Nov. 2nd. I like making it for my customers for a few weeks to keep it really special. You can eat it, or put it on your altar for your loved ones to enjoy, and share it with them. Traditionally it is rolled in orange zest, anise, or orange blossom flavor. Though there are many differences from region to region.

For me, I like using sturdier whole grain flour from our friends at Barton Springs Mill. Specifically two wheat varietals: Yecora Rojo and Sonora, both developed originally in Mexico, but grown here in Texas. Because I use a stronger flour, I tend to use a brioche recipe for the pan because it withstands the gluten development. It’s enough of a straightforward but versatile dough that you can make your own. Add chocolate chunks (my favorite), sub some of the sonora flour for amaranth, or even replace some of the flour with a poolish.

You’ll need a mixer, quality local eggs, local butter and sugar (support your local farmer!) It’s a process that will take a little bit of patience, but it’s really beautiful and well worth the time.

Here’s how to make your own version of Pan de Muerto at home:

Makes 12 individual pan de muerto

230 grams bread flour or strong red wheat flour like yecora rojo
115 grams sonora whole grain, or soft white whole grain
115 grams sonora 65 or all purpose
28 grams unrefined sugar
280 grams eggs, cold
13 grams fresh yeast, active or instant yeast is fine too but you’ll need to use less
230 grams butter, cold, cubed

To Make the Dough:

Combine all of your dry ingredients in the bowl of a stand mixer. If you are using active dry yeast you will have to activate the yeast with warm water.
Once it’s foamy, you can add it to the rest of your dry ingredients. And don't let the salt come in direct contact with your yeast as it will kill it.
Add the eggs straight from the fridge to the bowl and mix with a dough hook for 5 minutes on low. Let the dough rest for 10 minutes. While the dough is resting, grab butter from the fridge.
You’ll want to cut it into thin slices so it will incorporate easily into the dough.
Once the ten minutes are up, start your mixer on medium and toss in a couple pieces of butter, once those are incorporated add a couple more. Continue this until all the butter is in, remember to scrape the sides of the bowl, and dough hook down so your dough gets mixed evenly.
You can bump the speed up once the butter has all been added. Make sure that mixer doesn't fall off your counter tho! That thing will be hopping around. You are looking to have a shiny dough that will form a ball around your hook.
When you think the dough is there stop the mixer, grab a small chunk of dough and do the windowpane test. Once the dough is developed enough place dough in a large oiled bowl or container and cover tightly with plastic wrap or lid.
Place the dough in a warm spot (but not too warm because your butter will seep out of the dough) to rise 2 times the original size.
Once risen, punch down the dough, cover tightly with plastic wrap again, and place in the fridge to chill before shaping. The dough should remain in the fridge overnight, and can remain there for up to 24 hours.

To Shape the Dough:

Begin the shaping process by turning the cold brioche dough onto a lightly-floured table and portioning dough into 12 60 grams pieces and 12 20 gram pieces. But also you don't have to weigh these and make them whatever size you want!
Pan de muerto comes in a lot of different sizes with typically 4-8 “bones” on top so do what feels right. Using the ball of your hand, roll the 65 gram or larger pieces into tight lil balls and place on a parchment lined baking sheet.
Lightly push them down to flatten and brush with egg wash (egg mixed with heavy cream). To make the bones take those 20 gram or smaller pieces and cut in half.
Roll into tubes or snakes just like you did with play-doh when you were a bebe. With your fingers spread out, roll and make 3 indentations on one of those tubes creating 4 bumps.
With the second tube make 4 indentations, creating 5 bumps and making sure the bump in the middle is larger as it signifies the “skull.”
Alternatively you can take a small piece of dough, roll into a ball, and place in the middle to become the skull.
Place the tube with 4 bumps on your ball of dough first then the 5, making a cross. Brush with egg wash. Cover the shaped pan de muerto with plastic wrap and let them rise till doubled in size and jiggly.

To Bake:

Place a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 360 degrees or (350 degrees if it's a convection oven).
Bake the pan de muerto for 15-20 minutes rotating the tray halfway through and letting brown to your taste preference.
After they have cooled enough to handle, brush with melted butter and roll in an orange and anise sugar mixture (fresh orange zest, ground anise, sugar).
Make sure and save some to place on your ofrenda for your ancestors to enjoy.

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