Pati Jinich is host of Pati’s Mexican Table and Pati Jinich Explores Panamericana.
A note from Chef Jinich: One of the most meaningful, colorful and delicious of Mexican celebrations, Día de Muertos has this bread as one of its trademark treats. It may sound strange to eat fluffy sugared up bread in the shape of bones, but then again, we also eat calaveritas, candies in the shape of skulls. This shows how crucial food is for Mexicans but also how it gets infused with our sarcastic sense of humor, generous spirit and gutsy attitude.
Thank you to Chef Pati Jinich for sharing this recipe with us. Step by step instructions with images are available here.
Serves 10 – 12
INGREDIENTS
- ½ cup lukewarm whole milk
- 2 packages active dry yeast (¼ ounce each) or about 4 heaped teaspoons
- ½ cup all-purpose flour plus 3½ cups for later on
- ¼ cup unsalted butter at room temp plus more to grease the bowl and 2 tablespoons to melt and brush on top
- ½ cup granulated sugar plus ½ cup for dusting the bread
- 6 large eggs at room temperature
- 2 tablespoons orange blossom water or plain water
- 1 teaspoon anise seeds optional
- 1 teaspoon orange zest optional
- Pinch kosher or coarse sea salt
TO PREPARE
STEP ONE. In a small bowl, pour the lukewarm milk — making sure that it is not hot nor cold or the yeast will not react — and stir in the dry yeast granules. Give the yeast a couple minutes to sit in the liquid, and stir with a spatula until it is thoroughly and evenly dissolved. Give it time: stir a little, pressing gently on the yeast that has not yet dissolved with the spatula, give it a bit more time to sit in the milk, stirring again, press again.
STEP TWO. Once it has completely and evenly dissolved, add ½ cup flour. Mix it, combining thoroughly, until it has no lumps. It will be gooey, runny and sticky. Leave it in the warmest area of your kitchen, for about 20 to 30 minutes, until it puffs up (to about doubles or triples its volume) and has bubbled on top. (I like to place a sauce pan or cup with boiling hot water right next to it, but it’s not necessary.)
STEP THREE. In the bowl of a mixer, over medium low speed, beat ¼ cup butter until soft. Add ½ cup sugar and beat until combined and fluffy.
STEP FOUR. Add one egg at a time. Once eggs are incorporated, add the milk and yeast mixture.
STEP FIVE. Add remaining 3½ cups sugar, ½ cup at a time. Stir in the orange blossom water if using and if not, add plain water. Add the anise seeds and a pinch of salt. The dough will look wet, runny and sticky, but continue beating anywhere from 7 to 10 minutes, until all the dough comes off the sides of the mixing bowl. It will be elastic and sticky, but it will hold itself together.
STEP SIX. Butter a large mixing bowl that can hold the dough, and will be able to hold it as it doubles or triples its volume. Place the dough in the bowl, cover it with a cloth or clean kitchen towel and leave it in the warmest area of your kitchen, that is draft free, making sure that it is not next to a window or door that gets opened. Leave it to rest and puff up anywhere from 2 to 3 hours, until it doubles its volume at least.
STEP SEVEN. Punch the dough with your fist, flip it over, cover with plastic wrap, and place in the refrigerator over night. The next day, remove the plastic wrap, place a cloth or kitchen towel on top and let it to come to room temperature.
STEP EIGHT. Take off a third of the dough to make the bread decorations: Make a 1 to 2-inch ball and use the rest to make 2 ropes. They need not be smooth nor perfect, as the dough is quite sticky, and no need to worry they will look beautiful once the bread is baked (and covered with sugar).
STEP NINE. Butter a baking sheet or a bread or pizza stone, and make a ball with the rest of the dough. Place it in the center of the baking sheet and flatten it a bit on top. Place the dough ropes making a criss-cross -Mexican bakers usually shape the ropes to resemble bones, having thicker and thinner parts- and the ball on the top, right where they cross. Cover the bread with a cloth or kitchen towel, and let it rise and puff up again, for 1 to 2 hours.
STEP TEN. Preheat the oven to 350. Bake the bread for about 35 minutes. After about 20 minutes, cover the loaf with parchment paper or aluminum foil to prevent it from browning too much. When the loaf is ready, it sounds “huecas”, or hollow, if you hit the bottom of the bread.
STEP ELEVEN. Melt the butter and brush all over the bread. Sprinkle sugar all over until completely covered.
