Pan de Muerto, Day of the Dead bread
Round, orange blossom scented sweet loaves with bone shaped strips and a sugary crust, baked for 1 and 2 November.
- Time3 hr 15
- LevelMedium
- Costabout £0.44 a head
- Oven180°C (160°C fan)
Cost is worked out from Aldi and Tesco shelf prices in October 2026. Your shop and brands will differ.
Ingredients
Tick what you need to buy. It goes on your shopping list.
Method
- 1
Mix the flour, sugar, yeast, salt, orange zest and aniseed. Add the eggs, milk and orange blossom water and stir to a rough dough.
- 2
Knead in the soft butter in three goes. Knead for 10 minutes until smooth, glossy and stretchy. Cover and leave for 1 hour 15 minutes until doubled.
75 min - 3
Knock back the dough and take off one quarter. Divide the rest into 8 balls and place them on lined trays, flattening slightly.
- 4
Divide the reserved dough into 8 small balls and 16 thin sausages. Roll the small balls into teardrops and lay the sausages across each loaf like crossed bones, with a ball in the middle. Cover and leave for 45 minutes.
45 min - 5
Heat the oven to 180°C (160°C fan). Brush with beaten egg. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes until deep golden.
22 min 30 s - 6
While still warm, brush generously with melted butter and roll or sprinkle the loaves in caster sugar. Serve with hot chocolate. Best eaten the same day.
Double check before you cook. Recipes can contain mistakes. Any diet labels come from the ingredients as written in this recipe and are a guide, not a guarantee. Always check every ingredient and the packet label for allergens and cross contamination, and ask your doctor or dietitian what is right for you, especially with coeliac disease, diabetes or a serious allergy. This is not medical advice.