In Mexico, we have a unique celebration in the world: the Day of the Dead! On November 1 and 2, homes are adorned with offerings and altars to remember and honor the deceased with cempasúchil flowers, candles, papel picado, sugar skulls, mole, tamales, and pan de muerto.  

Although all the dishes and drinks on the Day of the Dead altar are important and are often favorites of our loved ones, there is a central element in the offering: pan de muerto. While our country has many varieties of this sweet bread, the most popular recipe is the one consumed in the central part of the country. It is characterized by being round, fluffy, and having a flavor of orange or orange blossom essence, and then decorated with white sugar.  

The traditional pan de muerto can be found in stores and bakeries, but the reality is that there is nothing better than preparing it at home and enjoying it fresh out of the oven. At kiwilimón, we teach you how to make pan de muerto in 3 different ways: sugar-coated, with sesame seeds, and filled. Which one are you most tempted by? 

You can also read: 10 tips for making pan de muerto at home 

How to make traditional pan de muerto? 

Get to work and prepare this sweet bread with a touch of orange zest, plenty of butter, and a little orange blossom essence, it will become your favorite recipe! 

Ingredients 

For the dough: 

• 4 cups of flour 
• 1 tablespoon of dry yeast 
• 1 teaspoon of salt 
• 1/2 cup of cow's milk 
• 1/4 cup of condensed milk 
• 1 tablespoon of liquid vanilla 
• 3 eggs 
• 3/4 cup of sugar 
• 1 cup of butter, softened 
• 1 teaspoon of orange blossom essence 
• orange zest 

For decoration 

• melted butter 
• sugar 

Instructions: 

1. For the dough: mix the flour, yeast, and salt, then pour in the milk, condensed milk, vanilla, and egg, and knead until everything is integrated. Add the sugar in 3 parts, wait for it to integrate, and add the butter in 3 parts, waiting for it to integrate. Finally, add the orange blossom essence. You should obtain an elastic and moist dough. 

2. Transfer the dough to a greased bowl, add the orange zest and cover. Let it rest until it doubles in size. Punch down the dough and refrigerate until firm. 

3. Cut into portions of approximately 60 grams and set aside a bit of the dough to form the bones. Shape into balls and arrange on a tray. To the piece of dough set aside for the bones, add more flour and knead until it has a very firm texture. Form strips and shape the figures with your fingers. 

4. Cover the breads with plastic wrap and let rest until they double in size. Bake at 175 °C for 25 minutes. 

5. Brush the pan de muerto with butter and cover with sugar. 

See also: Discover the varieties of pan de muerto available in Mexico

How to make filled pan de muerto? 

The pan de muerto is a delicious option to add even more flavor to this exquisite sweet bread that cannot be missing from the table and the offering on November 1 and 2. 

Ingredients 

For the dough: 

• 11 g of yeast 
• 1 cup of warm cow's milk 
• 4 cups of flour 
• 2 eggs 
• 1 teaspoon of salt 
• 1 cup of sugar 
• 1 tablespoon of orange zest 
• 1 teaspoon of orange blossom essence 
• 1 cup of butter, at room temperature 
• 1 egg, for brushing 

For the cream filling: 

• 1 cup of heavy cream 
• 1 cup of cream 
• 1/4 cup of powdered sugar 

For decoration: 

• sugar 
• melted butter 

Instructions 

1. Hydrate the yeast with the milk and let it rest for 10 minutes. 

2. Beat the flour, eggs, salt, sugar, hydrated yeast, orange zest, and orange blossom essence for 10 minutes until you obtain a uniform dough. 

3. Add the butter and beat for 5 more minutes. 

4. In a previously greased bowl, place the dough and cover with plastic wrap. Let it ferment for 1 hour or until it doubles in size. 

5. Preheat the oven to 180 °C. 

6. Form balls of 80 grams on a floured surface, shape the canillas with your fingers. 

7. Place the breads on a tray, brush with egg, and let ferment for 20 minutes. Bake at 180 °C for 20 minutes. 

8. For the cream filling: whip the heavy cream until it doubles in volume, add the powdered sugar and the cream. Set aside. 

9. Brush the pan de muerto with melted butter, dip it in sugar, cut it in half, and fill it with cream. 

You may be interested in: What does pan de muerto mean? 

How to make pan de muerto with sesame seeds? 

We teach you how to make pan de muerto with sesame seeds, piloncillo, and cream, it turns out delicious! It is perfect to accompany with a coffee or to decorate your Day of the Dead altar.  

Ingredients 

For the piloncillo syrup: 

• 1 piloncillo 
• 1 cup of water 

For the dough: 

• 1 stick of cinnamon 
• 4 cups of wheat flour 
• 1/2 cup of sugar 
• 1 packet of baking powder 
• 1 teaspoon of salt 
• 2 eggs 
• 1/2 cup of cream 
• 1 egg, for brushing 

For decoration:

• sesame seeds 

Instructions:

1. For the syrup: place the piloncillo and water in a pot over medium heat. Cook for 15 minutes or until it reduces by half and has a syrupy consistency. Let cool and set aside. 

2. Blend the cinnamon until it becomes a fine powder. 

3. For the dough: place the wheat flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, eggs, cream, and 1 cup of piloncillo syrup, the cinnamon in a bowl and beat with a paddle attachment for 15 minutes or until you have an elastic and homogeneous consistency. 

4. Place the dough in a previously greased bowl and let it ferment for 1 hour or until it doubles in volume. 

5. Form balls with your hands of approximately 80 grams each, use your fingers to shape the canillas and place them on the bread. 

6. Brush with egg and sesame seeds and bake at 180 °C for 20 minutes. 

With these 3 recipes of pan de muerto, the Day of the Dead will be a memorable date for your whole family, as they will delight in the best homemade sweet bread and will also be able to decorate their Day of the Dead offering.