Baking Faculty In-Depth: Pan de Muerto

Yearly in Mexico throughout Día de los Muertos or Day of the Useless, the nation enlivens with vivid shade and festive flourish as folks gown in vibrant costumes, embellish their hair with flowers, and paint their faces to resemble smiling skeletons. They collect for dancing and parades on the town plazas and bake a bread that has turn out to be one of the vital very important and scrumptious Day of the Useless traditions. Pan de muerto, Spanish for “bread of the useless,” is a sweetened, sugar-topped bread baked to honor the deceased. Houses everywhere in the nation could have pan de muerto positioned amongst vibrant orange marigolds and little sugar skulls on ofrendas, do-it-yourself altars constructed to commemorate family members who’ve handed. Our Pan de Muerto is delicate and wealthy, created from hand-kneaded, enriched, yeast-risen dough with delicate flavors of anise seed and orange. You probably have any leftovers, toasting a slice and slathering it with salted butter would greater than resurrect the day-old bread.

Be part of us October 30, for Baking Faculty with Williams Sonoma and Brian Hart Hoffman! On this Baking Faculty In-Depth class, Brian will stroll you thru every step of creating, shaping, baking, and ending this enriched bread. Register right here!

Click on right here to obtain a printable PDF of this lesson, or hold scrolling to view our digital lesson.

INGREDIENT BREAKDOWN

Wonderful recipes require fantastic substances. Right here’s how our recipe’s substances contribute to creating the easiest Pan de Muerto.

WATER: Moisture (within the type of water right here) is required to activate the yeast and hydrate the dough so the gluten can develop and construct elasticity. Additionally, the water converts to steam, which helps stop the crust from browning too shortly whereas baking.

GRANULATED SUGAR: Sugar acts as meals for the yeast, which converts it to carbon dioxide and alcohol within the fermentation course of. This helps make the dough tender, making a delicate, supple loaf, and provides a little bit of sweetness with out making it overly candy. Sugar additionally contributes to the bread’s golden shade, retains moisture whereas the bread bakes, and acts as a closing glowing flourish meant to be scattered onto the bread after it comes out of the oven.

RED STAR® QUICK-RISE™ INSTANT YEAST: A normal with regards to baking with yeast, Crimson Star® is a tried-and-true favourite for a purpose. Yeast is crucial to many bread doughs, and this Pan de Muerto recipe isn’t any exception. For correct fermentation, it wants sugar to feed on, heat, and moisture. Yeast acts as a number one leavening agent within the bread, so it’s very important that it’s not killed when mixed with the nice and cozy liquid on this recipe.

BREAD FLOUR: It might be tempting to substitute all-purpose flour for bread flour, however you received’t get as a lot of an increase in your loaf and your mixing time will probably be longer. Bread flour is larger in protein and gluten, which permits bread dough to kind a secure construction and rise larger. On this recipe, high-protein flour is crucial to create a powerful gluten community, with sufficient protein content material to develop gluten and to deal with the enrichment added to this dough. A high-protein flour like bread flour supplies sufficient construction to create a powerful gluten community for an enriched dough.

KOSHER SALT: As a rule of thumb, the ratio of salt to flour in breads is 1.8% to 2% of flour weight. It’s essential to weigh your salt as a result of completely different salt crystals measure in another way. Dough with out sufficient salt can simply over-ferment. Salt additionally helps with the colour of the bread and enhances the general taste.

EGGS: The addition of eggs on this dough not solely provides richness but additionally helps with leavening, because the egg whites assist create steam that puffs up your dough as soon as it hits the heat of the oven.

UNSALTED BUTTER: Butter provides decadence to the enriched dough, making a moist, tender loaf. We use unsalted butter to regulate how a lot salt is added to the bread, as completely different manufacturers have numerous ranges of salt of their salted butter.

ANISE SEED, ORANGE ZEST, ORANGE BLOSSOM WATER, AND  VANILLA EXTRACT: The mixture of licorice-like anise seed, vibrant orange zest, floral orange blossom water, and the delicate sweetness of vanilla extract supplies the right depth and taste to the bread.

BENCH SCRAPER: The bench scraper is your new greatest pal within the kitchen, as it will possibly expertly mix, reduce, and divide dough, and show you how to effectively clear your work floor. (Pictured: Williams Sonoma Olivewood Bench Scraper.)

SCALE: Bakers have lengthy valued the accuracy of a kitchen scale; it’s the best and quickest route to express ingredient and dough measurements for the right Pan de Muerto. (Pictured: Zwilling Digital Scale.)

THERMOMETER: We use an instant-read thermometer to make sure the proper temperature of water earlier than including to the yeast combination for optimum rise, and it’s one of the simplest ways to check the doneness of the baked bread. (Pictured: OXO Thermocouple Thermometer.)

PASTRY BRUSH: A pastry brush could also be one of the vital sensible instruments in your utensil drawer that takes up the least quantity of area. We love this long-handled wood brush with pure bristles. It’s supreme for gently brushing melted butter onto the bread earlier than sprinkling with granulated sugar. (Pictured: Williams Sonoma Olivewood Pastry Brush.)

RULER: A easy, cheap steel ruler is greatest for the house baker. It lies flat and is a breeze to scrub. We use a ruler to measure the dough for the “bones” that prime the Pan de Muerto.

BAKING SHEET AND WIRE RACK: Designed to bake evenly, this lovely, golden, commercial-quality pan is crafted of aluminized metal for distinctive sturdiness, making it supreme for baking our Pan de Muerto. Paired with a wire rack, it’s a match made in heaven, because the rack is the right place to let your bread cool for a spell earlier than brushing with melted butter. (Pictured: Williams Sonoma Goldtouch® Professional Nonstick Non-Corrugated Three Quarter Sheet with Cooling Rack.)

GLASS BOWLS, SPATULA, AND WHISK: For all of your mixing wants, you actually can’t beat the fundamentals. A dependable whisk is crucial to have in your baking arsenal; a spatula is the perfect device for stirring the dough earlier than kneading, and glass bowls offer you a 360-degree visible whereas mixing and proofing the dough; they’re the right vessels for measuring and mixing all of your substances. (Pictured: Glass Mixing Bowl 10-Piece Set, Williams Sonoma Silicone FSC® Wooden Spoonula with Basic Wooden Deal with, Williams Sonoma Olivewood Whisk.)

MAKING THE DOUGH

1. In a medium bowl, whisk collectively ½ cup (120 grams) heat water, 1 teaspoon (4 grams) sugar, and yeast. Let stand till foamy, about 5 minutes. This step, often known as “blooming” the yeast, is an easy means to make sure your yeast is lively and goes to work. If it isn’t foamy after 5 minutes, you’ll need to begin over with new yeast. Additionally, understand that yeast is killed at 140°F (60°C), so hold your thermometer readily available to test your water temperature earlier than including the remainder of the substances.
2. In a big bowl, place ⅓ cup (67 grams) sugar; add orange zest, and rub zest into sugar till aromatic and nicely mixed. Whisk in 1½ cups (188 grams) flour, salt, and anise seed. Make a nicely in heart. The strain out of your fingertips when rubbing the sugar and orange zest collectively will launch oils from the zest and infuse the sugar with its citrusy fragrance.
3. Add eggs, one by one, to yeast combination, whisking till nicely mixed after every addition. Whisk in vanilla and orange blossom water. Pour into nicely of flour combination. Stir till nicely mixed. Add remaining 1¾ cups (219 grams) flour, and stir till a shaggy dough kinds. Knead by hand in bowl till dough comes collectively. Including the flour in two additions ensures all of the substances are evenly integrated into the dough.

BLENDING IN THE BUTTER

1. Prove dough onto a clear work floor. Add 1 tablespoon (14 grams) room temperature butter, and incorporate into dough through the use of the heel of your hand and urgent dough out and away from you; utilizing a bench scraper, deliver dough collectively right into a dough ball. Repeat process with remaining 5 tablespoons (70 grams) room temperature butter, 1 tablespoon (14 grams) at a time, till dough is clean and elastic and begins to stay collectively, 5 to 7 minutes. This mixing technique is named fraisage, a basic French method that entails a “smear-and-repeat” course of of blending butter into pastry or enriched dough. It ensures even mixing of fats and flour and is the quickest approach to incorporate the butter into hand-kneaded dough. The warmth and fixed friction will start to heat the butter throughout this step. For achievement, you need the butter to be at room temperature as a result of its delicate, pliable texture will simply incorporate into the dough.

GETTING KNEADY

1. On a clear floor, knead dough by selecting up dough, slapping dough onto floor, and folding dough in half; rotate dough 90 levels. Repeat slapping, folding, and rotating till dough passes the windowpane check, 10 to 12 minutes. The slap-and-fold method aerates and strengthens the dough by lifting it off the countertop, slapping it down, folding it, and repeating this technique till it’s delicate with out being sticky and passes the windowpane check. Through the first few rounds, you’ll discover some dough left in your countertop. (The bench scraper will probably be your most loyal companion, serving to you scrape the work floor and hold bringing the dough collectively!) Because the gluten develops, the dough will stick increasingly more to itself and fewer and fewer to you and your countertop.

RISING & PORTIONING

1. Frivolously oil a big bowl. Place dough in bowl, turning to grease prime. Cowl and let rise in a heat, draft-free place (75°F/24°C) till doubled in dimension, about 1 hour. If you wish to, you possibly can measure the peak of the dough as soon as it’s within the bowl, double it, and mark it with a chunk of tape to know when the dough has doubled in dimension.
2. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
3. Frivolously punch down dough. Cowl and let stand for five minutes. Prove dough onto a evenly floured floor, and reduce off one-fourth of dough (about 200 grams). Reserve, and canopy to stop it from drying out. Punching down the dough removes extra air. Then letting it stand for five minutes permits the gluten to loosen up. These steps make it simpler to form. When portioning out the dough, use a bench scraper (you don’t need to tear the dough) and a scale (you need consistency and uniformity).

SHAPING THE BOULE

1. Press remaining dough right into a ½-inch-thick disk. Elevate backside fringe of dough, and gently stretch and fold backside third as much as heart. Stretch proper facet out, and fold over to heart; repeat with left facet. End by folding prime third over earlier folds. Roll dough away from you, and utilizing each fingers, cup dough and pull it towards you to seal. Rotate dough 90 levels, and pull once more, repeating till a decent, clean boule kinds. Place, seam facet down, on ready pan. The pulling movement is what seals the seams of the dough, so ensure you’re making use of mild strain as you pull, making the most of the resistance the countertop supplies.

SHAPING THE “BONES”

1. Divide reserved dough in half (about 100 grams every). Working with 1 portion at a time, roll right into a 6½-inch log. In heart of log (3¼ inches from both finish), pinch dough, and roll together with your fingers to kind 2 smaller logs joined by a skinny heart. Measuring from heart, in every route, mark 1¾ inches. Pinch and roll at every mark to create 4 linked sections. Form every part right into a ball. Repeat with remaining reserved dough. Throughout shaping, the evenly floured floor is essential to make rolling and pinching dough simpler. It additionally helps the crossed prime (“bones”) from melding into the boule whereas baking.

ASSEMBLING & PROOFING

1. Place one strip of formed dough throughout prime of boule. Place second strip of formed dough on boule perpendicular to first strip, crossing on the heart. Cowl and let rise in a heat, draft-free place (75°F/24°C) till nearly doubled in dimension, 1 hour and 20 minutes to 1½ hours. (Dough ought to move the finger dent check; see Notes.) After shaping, the dough will rise once more. Enriched doughs are infamous for taking an extended time to rise, so endurance is essential. Remember the fact that it received’t be the usual “doubled in dimension,” puffing up solely 66% to 77%. Then we carry out a finger dent check by gently urgent a well-floured finger about ½ inch into the floor. In case your dough has correctly proofed, it’s best to have the ability to watch the dough spring again barely however nonetheless present an indentation.

BAKING & FINISHING

1. Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C).
2. Bake till golden and an instant-read thermometer inserted in heart registers 190°F (88°C), 35 to 40 minutes, overlaying with foil after 15 to twenty minutes of baking to stop extra browning. Take away from pan, and let cool on a wire rack for half-hour.
3. Brush melted butter onto loaf; sprinkle with remaining 3 tablespoons (36 grams) sugar. Serve heat or at room temperature. If baking the loaf forward of time, don’t brush with butter and sprinkle with sugar till you’re able to serve it; the sugar will dissolve on the loaf if saved in a single day.