La Calaca a Day - #16

(Image from here)**

Pan de Muerto 

(Bread of the Dead)

Ingredients:

1/4 cup milk 

1/4 cup (half a stick) margarine or butter, cut into 8 pieces 

1/4 cup sugar 

1/2 teaspoon salt 

1 package active dry yeast 

1/4 cup very warm water 

2 eggs 

3 cups all-purpose flour, unsifted 

1/2 teaspoon anise seed 

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon 

2 teaspoons sugar

Instructions: 

Bring milk to boil and remove from heat. Stir in margarine or butter, 1/4 cup sugar and salt. In large bowl, mix yeast with warm water until dissolved and let stand 5 minutes. Add the milk mixture.

Separate the yolk and white of one egg. Add the yolk to the yeast mixture, but save the white for later. Now add flour to the yeast and egg. Blend well until dough ball is formed.

Flour a pastry board or work surface very well and place the dough in center. Knead until smooth. Return to large bowl and cover with dish towel. Let rise in warm place for 90 minutes. Meanwhile, grease a baking sheet and preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Knead dough again on floured surface. Now divide the dough into fourths and set one fourth aside. Roll the remaining 3 pieces into "ropes."

On greased baking sheet, pinch 3 rope ends together and braid. Finish by pinching ends together on opposite side. Divide the remaining dough in half and form 2 "bones." Cross and lay them atop braided loaf.

Cover bread with dish towel and let rise for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, in a bowl, mix anise seed, cinnamon and 2 teaspoons sugar together. In another bowl, beat egg white lightly.

When 30 minutes are up, brush top of bread with egg white and sprinkle with sugar mixture, except on cross bones. Bake at 350 degrees for 35 minutes.

Makes 8 to 10 servings. 

*(From 'Look What We Brought You From Mexico!')

(Image from here)

**The image is called The Very Hungry God and is made up of hundreds of kitchen utensils, pots and pans.

(Rebecca is hosting La Calaca a Day for the month of October.  You can participate here.).