~ Vixon's recipe for Pan De Muerto ~

Ingredients

Dough:

1/2 cup water, heated to 110°

1 (1/4-oz.) packet) active dry yeast (2 1/2 tsp.)

4 cups (480 g.) bread flour, divided

1/2 cup (100 g.) plus 1 tsp. granulated sugar, divided

2 Tbsp. finely grated orange zest (from about 2 oranges)

1 tsp. anise seeds

1 tsp. kosher salt

3 large eggs

1 Tbsp. orange blossom water

3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature

Cooking spray

Glaze:

3 Tbsp. unsalted butter, melted

2 Tbsp. granulated sugar

Instructions

In a medium bowl, whisk water, yeast, 1/2 cup (60 g.) bread flour, and 1 tsp. sugar until smooth. Let sit until bubbling and almost doubled in size, about 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, in the large bowl of a stand mixer, rub together orange zest and remaining 1/2 cup (100 g.) granulated sugar with your fingertips. Add anise seeds, salt, and remaining 3 1/2 cups (420 g.) flour and whisk to combine.

Set bowl in stand mixer fitted with the dough hook. Add eggs, orange blossom water, and yeast mixture and mix on low speed until dough mostly comes together, about 1 minute. (There will still be some dry shaggy bits.) Increase speed to medium and, with the mixer running, add butter, 1 Tbsp. at a time, beating to blend after each addition.

Increase mixer speed to medium-high and beat for 15 minutes. At this point, the dough should be elastic and smooth and slapping against sides of bowl.

Meanwhile, grease a large bowl with cooking spray. Turn out dough into bowl, turning once to grease the top. Cover bowl with plastic wrap or a clean kitchen towel and let rise until doubled in size, 90 to 120 minutes.

Gently punch down on dough to deflate any large air pockets; transfer to a clean work surface (no need to flour). Pinch off approximately one-quarter of dough (about 260 g.); cover and set aside. Divide remaining dough into 2 pieces (about 390 g. each).

Flatten one portion of dough to a flat circle. Tug on the right side of the circle to lengthen slightly, then fold it in toward the center. Repeat with the left side of the circle, then the top and the bottom; pinch seams together to seal as much as possible, then flip ball over so the seam is on the bottom. Using cupped hands, rotate ball on surface, using friction between dough and surface to tighten into a ball. Transfer to one side of a parchment-lined baking sheet, positioning toward one of the corners. Repeat with second large portion of dough, positioning on sheet so it’s diagonal from the other loaf.

Divide reserved 260-g. portion of dough into 6 pieces. Roll 2 pieces into a ball using the same technique as larger balls. Roll remaining portions into 8" ropes. Using your fingers, create 3 divots in each rope so they look like bone. Drape 2 ropes over each loaf, crisscrossing at their central divots so they’re perpendicular. Place a small ball of dough on top of each loaf where the ropes intersect.

Loosely cover loaves and let rise until puffy, 30 to 45 minutes.

Arrange a rack in center of oven; preheat to 350°.

Bake loaves until deeply golden brown, 20 to 25 minutes. Tent with foil and continue to bake until an instant-read thermometer inserted into loaves registers 190°, 10 to 15 minutes more. Let cool 10 minutes.

Transfer loaves to a platter. Brush all over with butter. Sprinkle with sugar.