Pan de Muerto ♥
One of the treats I’d have never ever thought I’d eat again after becoming vegan. But when you get such a strong craving for something, it is the right kind of motivation you need for something like this to happen, right? hihi.
In case you’ve never heard of this kind of bread, it’s super traditional in Mexico (where I am from) during September-November season.
In my country, the Day of the Dead is celebrated on November 1st and 2nd. And, in fact, Pan de Muerto is linked to that celebration. One of the most beautiful and colorful traditions in my beloved Mexico.
And guys, I can’t stress enough how soft the bread is when you add a magical ingredient to the dough.
Which isssssssssss… * drum roll * POTATO!
Yup! Incorporating some mashed potato into the dough will add lots of softness, moisture, fluffiness and yumminess to our bread.
The only thing you’ve gotta consider is that the dough needs to rest a little longer than usual. But I promise you it’s so worth it!
I hope you like it!
Vegan Pan de Muerto
Ingredients
- 560 g all purpose flour
- 160 g white sugar
- 2 tsp dry yeast
- 1 tsp salt
- ½ cup soy milk warm
- ¼ cup orange juice
- 1 tsp orange zest
- 1 ½ tsp vanilla extract
- 120 g margarine or vegan butter melted
- 170 g cooked potato peeled & mashed
Coating
- 2 tbsp margarine or vegan butter melted
- ½ cup white sugar
Instructions
- NOTE: I suggest you reserve 3-4 tbsp of the total amount of flour and incorporate them once you start kneading the dough.
- In a medium bowl, mix the flour, sugar, yeast and salt.
- In another medium bowl, mix the milk, orange juice, orange zest, vanilla and melted margarine (120 g). Add the mashed potato and mix again.
- Pour the previous mixture into the flour bowl and mix until the dough begins to come together.
- Transfer the dough to a floured work surface and knead for 8 minutes or until the dough looks slightly shiny, feels very soft, but no longer sticks so easily to your hands.
- Grease a large bowl with a little olive or coconut oil and place the dough inside it. Cover with a kitchen towel or a large plate to generate some heat and allow the dough to rise. Place the bowl in a warm spot, until it doubles in size (approximately 1-1½ hours).
- Once it's properly risen, take some dough (~130 g) and reserve. Divide the remaining dough into 8 parts. Roll each of them and transfer to a baking tray (previously lined with parchment paper or a silicone mat). Make sure to leave enough space between each piece. Slightly press each ball.
- Divide the 130 g dough into 16 parts and spread each of them into strips long enough to cover the dough balls. When spreading each strip, roll them with your hand and fingers ajar to form some kind of "knobs" that represent the bones.
- With a brush and a little water, mark an ‘X’ on the top of each ball and place 2 strips (again forming an ‘X’) on top of that mark so that they stick to the dough. Repeat the process with the rest of the dough balls and strips.
- Cover with a towel and let rise for another hour in a warm place or until doubled in size.
- Fifteen minutes before the resting time is over, preheat the oven to 170°C.
- Bake for 23 minutes or until the bread looks slightly golden brown. Turn the oven off and let the bread rest inside for 8-10 more minutes. Remove from the oven.
- While the bread is still warm, melt 2 tbsp margarine and brush the bread with it. Coat with some sugar. Let the bread cool completely before eating it.
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