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Quick Pan de Muerto with Easy Orange Blossom Glaze

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A quick, weeknight-friendly version of the traditional Day of the Dead bread, made with simple ingredients and an orange blossom glaze that soaks into the warm bread for a moist, fragrant loaf.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 3 cups (360g) all-purpose flour
  • 2 ¼ teaspoons instant yeast (one packet)
  • ½ cup (100g) granulated sugar
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 2 large eggs, room temperature
  • 4 tablespoons (56g) unsalted butter, softened
  • ½ cup (120ml) warm milk (about 110°F)
  • 1 tablespoon orange zest (from about 1 large orange)
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 cup (120g) powdered sugar, sifted
  • 2 tablespoons orange blossom water
  • 2 tablespoons fresh orange juice
  • Pinch of salt
  • Orange zest strips, for garnish (optional)
  • Coarse sugar, for sprinkling (optional)

Instructions

  1. Mix the dry ingredients: In a large mixing bowl or stand mixer bowl, whisk together the flour, instant yeast, sugar, and salt.
  2. Add the wet ingredients: Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients. Add the room temperature eggs, softened butter, warm milk, orange zest, and vanilla extract.
  3. Knead the dough: Start mixing on low speed until a shaggy dough forms, then increase to medium speed. Knead for 8-10 minutes with a mixer or 12-15 minutes by hand until the dough is smooth and elastic. If too sticky, add flour one tablespoon at a time; if too dry, add milk one teaspoon at a time.
  4. First rise: Shape the dough into a ball and place it in a lightly greased bowl. Cover with plastic wrap or a clean kitchen towel. Let it rise in a warm, draft-free spot for 45-60 minutes until doubled in size.
  5. Shape the bread: Punch down the dough gently. Turn it out onto a lightly floured surface. Divide into two pieces: one larger piece (about two-thirds) for the base, and one smaller piece (about one-third) for decorations. Shape the larger piece into a smooth round and place it in a greased 9-inch cake pan.
  6. Make the bone decorations: Divide the smaller piece of dough into 4-6 equal pieces. Roll each into a rope about 4 inches long. Place them on top of the base dough in a cross pattern or radiating from the center.
  7. Second rise: Cover the shaped bread loosely with plastic wrap and let it rise for 20-30 minutes until puffy.
  8. Bake: Preheat oven to 350°F during the last 10 minutes of the second rise. Bake on the middle rack for 25-30 minutes, until golden brown and the bread sounds hollow when tapped on the bottom. If browning too quickly, tent with foil after 15 minutes.
  9. Make the glaze: While the bread bakes, whisk together the powdered sugar, orange blossom water, fresh orange juice, and a pinch of salt until thick but pourable.
  10. Glaze while warm: Let the bread cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack. While still warm, brush the glaze generously over the top. Let cool completely before slicing.

Notes

Temperature matters: milk should be warm (about 110°F) but not hot. Don’t over-knead; stop when dough is smooth and springs back. Brush glaze on while bread is still warm for best absorption. Use the oven light trick for proofing in cold kitchens. Let bread cool completely before slicing to avoid gummy texture.

Nutrition

Keywords: pan de muerto, day of the dead bread, orange blossom glaze, quick bread, mexican dessert, citrus bread, weeknight baking

Find it online: https://breezybake.com/quick-pan-de-muerto-with-easy-orange-blossom-glaze-recipe/