Gusto Bread makes pan de muerto every year in the weeks leading up to Día de Muertos on Nov. 1 and 2. This version incorporates both a yeast sponge (a mixture of flour, yeast and milk) and sourdough starter; if you don’t have your own, you can often purchase it from local bakeries. (This recipe also works with the yeast sponge alone.)
These are bigger than what the bakery sells, making six big buns. The shaping of the “huesos,” or “bones,” that decorate the tops takes a little practice, but they don’t have to be perfect. You can also create twisted braids instead of the “bones” to crisscross the pan de muerto. If making “bones,” one of the knobs should be in the center. If making braids, place a small dough ball in the center.
Pan de muerto takes a few hours to make, but much of that time is for allowing the dough to rise. The first rise is for the just-mixed dough. The second is for the shaped buns before they go into the oven.
Once the buns have cooled, brush them with melted better and sprinkle with sugar. At the bakery, it’s sometimes rose, vanilla or yuzu sugar. Eat these the same day they’re made, cutting them into wedges, or place them on your Día de Muertos altar.
