* Exported from MasterCook *

* Exported from MasterCook *

Pan de Muertos (All Saints and all Souls Day Bread)

Recipe By : Dianna Kennedy-The Art of Mexican Cooking
Serving Size : 1 Preparation Time :0:00
Categories : Breads, Mexican

Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
-------- ------------ --------------------------------
The Starter:
1 lb Unbleached flour -- plus:
- extra for bowl and work surface
1 1/4 ts Sea salt
1/3 c Sugar
1 1/2 tb Active dry yeast
1/2 c Water -- +2 tb
3 lg Eggs -- lightly beaten
Unsalted butter -- for greasing bowl
The Final Dough:
The starter -- cut in small pieces
1 c Sugar
14 tb Unsalted butter -- softened, plus:
- extra for greasing baking sheets
1 lb Unbleached flour -- plus:
- extra for board and bowl
8 Egg yolk -- lightly beaten, plus:
2 tb Water
1/4 c Eater
1 ts Orange flower water -OR-
1 Orange -- grated rind of
The Glaze:
4 Egg yolks -- lightly beaten
1/4 c Unsalted butter -- melted
1/3 c Sugar

For the Starter:

Put the flour, salt sugar, and yeast into a mixing bowl and gradually
beat in the water and eggs.(Mexican bakers do not bother to cream the
yeast, knowing that it is fresh--do it if you wish). Continue
beating until the dough forms a cohesive mass around the dough hook;
it should be sticky, elastic and shiny--about 5 minutes). Turn out
onto a floured board and form into a round cushion shape. Butter and
flour a clean bowl. Place the dough in it and cover with greased
plastic wrap and a towel and set aside in a warm place--ideally
70 F--until the dough doubles in volume, about 2 hours.

The Final Dough:

Liberally grease 4 baking sheets (for both breads). Put the starter,
sugar and butter into a mixing bow and mix well, gradually beating in
the flour and egg yolks alternately. Beat in the water and
flavoring--you should have a slightly sticky, smooth, shiny dough
that just holds its shape (since, eggs, flour, climates, differ, you
may need to reduce or increase the liquid). Turn the dough into a
lightly floured surface and form into a round cushion shape.

Wash out mixing bowl, butter and flour it, and replace the dough in
it. Cover with greased plastic wrap and a towel and set aside in a
warm place--ideally about 70 F--for about 1-1/2 hours, until it
almost doubles in size, or set aside overnight in the bottom of the
refrigerator.

Bring the dough up to room temperature befrore attempting to work
with it. Turn out on to a lightly floured board and divided the
dough into two equal pieces. Set one aside for forming later. Take
three quarters of the dough and roll it into a smooth ball. Press it
out to a circle about 8" in diameter--it should be about 1" thick.
Press around the edge to form a narrow ridge--like the brim of as
hat--and transfer to one of the greased baking sheets. Cover loosely
with greased plastic wrap and set aside in a warm place (about 70 F)
to rise half its size again--about 1 hour. Taking the remaining
1 quarter of the dough, divide it into four equal parts. Roll one of
the parts into a smooth ball. Roll the other three into strips 8"
long, with four knobs each, one on each end and two about 1-1/2" from
the one at the end (for bones). Transfer the four pieces to another
greased tray, cover loosely with greased plastic wrap and set aside
to rise for about 1 hour.

Repeat these steps to form the second bread with the remainder of the
dough.

Heat the oven to 375 F.

At the end of the rising period, carefully place the strips of dough
forming the bones across the main part of the bread, place the round
ball in the middle to form the skull, and press your finger in hard
to form the eye sockets. Brush the surface of the dough well with
the beaten yolks and bake at the top of the oven until well browned
and springy--about 15 minutes. Turn off the oven, open the door, and
let the bread sit there for 5 minutes more. Remove from the oven,
brush with melted butter, and sprinkle well with sugar.

Typed for you by [email protected]

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