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Pan de muerto is the sugar-topped bread found in Mexican panaderías every October, right before Día de los Muertos. My pan de muerto recipe makes six soft, fluffy loaves flavored with orange zest and anise, and topped with butter and sugar.
A Note from Isabel
Pan de Muerto is one of those recipes that feels sacred to me, not just because of its history, but because of what it represents. Every year growing up, we’d see these beautiful round loaves show up at our local panadería in mid-October, covered in sugar and shaped with “bones” across the top. It was always a sign that Día de los Muertos was near.
Even though both of my parents are from Mexico, my family never really built an ofrenda when I was growing up. I’m not sure if it’s because it wasn’t a big thing in their small town near Sombrerete, Zacatecas, or for some other reason, but I always admired the tradition.
Now that I have my own family, I’m excited to start building one at home and share this celebration with my two girls, with photos, candles, marigolds, and the favorite foods of our loved ones like tamales, champurrado, conchas, and of course, pan de muerto. Baking it now fills our home with that same warmth and connection, and it’s a tradition I can’t wait to pass down.
What Is Pan de Muerto?
Pan de Muerto, or “Bread of the Dead,” is a lightly sweet, enriched bread traditionally made for Día de los Muertos. It’s flavored with orange zest and anise seeds, giving it a distinctive aroma and flavor that’s both cozy and fragrant.
Its shape is just as meaningful as its taste. The crisscrossed strips of dough on top represent bones, while the round ball in the center can symbolize a teardrop, a skull, or a heart. Traditionally, one loaf is placed on the family’s altar as an offering, and another is shared among family and friends.
Ingredients You’ll Need
This is just an overview of what you’ll need and why. See the recipe card below for detailed instructions.
- Flour: A mix of all-purpose and bread flour gives the dough structure and tenderness.
- Sugar: Used to sweeten the dough as well as a topping on the bread itself.
- Anise seed: Gives the bread a distinct natural sweetness with a touch of licorice flavor. It’s very subtle and delicious.
- Orange zest: Used to flavor the dough itself as well as mixed in with melted butter as a glaze on top before topping it with sugar. Many recipes call for a splash of orange blossom water which adds a floral aroma and is traditional in some regions. I wasn’t able to find any near me.
- Milk, butter, and eggs: Makes the dough rich, soft, and full of flavor. You can also use half lard, half butter for a more traditional flavor.
- Yeast: Helps the dough rise into a pillowy, airy loaf.
How to Make Pan de Muerto
Make the dough and let it rise. Mix the yeast, milk, sugar, flour, anise, eggs, butter, and orange zest until smooth and elastic. Cover and let rise in a warm spot until doubled in size, about 2 hours.
Shape the loaves and “bones.” Divide the dough into portions, roll into balls, and use smaller pieces to shape the signature “bones” and top ball. Arrange on top, cover, and let rise again for 90 minutes.
Bake at 350°F for 35-40 minutes, or until golden brown. Let cool slightly before topping.
Brush with butter and sugar. Brush the loaves with melted butter, sprinkle generously with sugar, and enjoy!
Recipe Tips
- Don’t rush the rise. This dough takes its time, and that’s what gives it that soft, pillowy texture. If your kitchen is on the cooler side, place the covered dough in your oven with the light on to help it rise.
- Use fresh orange zest and anise. These two ingredients give the bread its signature flavor. If you’re not an anise fan or don’t have any, you can use a smaller amount or replace it with a hint of ground cinnamon for warmth.
- Make it your own. Some people like to add a splash of orange blossom water or a dusting of cinnamon sugar instead of plain sugar for a twist. Some traditions even use ashes from roasted corn husks (totomoxtle).
How to Serve Pan de Muerto
Pan de Muerto is delicious all on its own, but it’s even better when enjoyed the way it’s meant to be, with something warm to sip on and share with family. I love serving it with a mug of café de olla or Mexican hot chocolate for the full experience. It’s also great with a glass of classic Mexican atole, atole de nuez, atole de elote, or even just a little milk.
Because it’s lightly sweet and scented with orange and anise, it makes the perfect breakfast or merienda (afternoon snack). I like to toast a slice the next day and spread a little butter on top. Seriously heavenly.
And if you’re preparing it as part of your Día de los Muertos celebration, set one loaf on your ofrenda as an offering, and keep another for sharing with friends and family.
Frequently Asked Questions
Absolutely. Pan de muerto is meant to be eaten and shared. Many families set a loaf on their ofrenda as an offering for loved ones who’ve passed, then eat it with family once the celebration is over. Some people believe the spirits take in the bread’s essence, so the altar loaf tastes a little plainer afterward.
Keep it covered at room temperature for up to 3 days. After that, you can move it to the fridge, where it’ll keep for up to 5 days total, but it might dry out a little. When that happens, I like to toast slices and spread a little butter on top.
Pan de Muerto
Ingredients
- ½ cup + 1 tablespoon granulated sugar, divided
- 2 ¼ teaspoons active dry yeast
- ⅔ cup warm whole milk (about 110-115°F)
- 2 ½ cups bread flour
- 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon fine salt
- 1 teaspoon anise seed
- 1 cup unsalted butter, melted
- 4 large eggs
- 2 teaspoons orange zest (about 2 medium oranges)
- oil or cooking spray, for greasing
For the topping
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
- 1 teaspoon orange zest (about 1 orange)
- ½ cup granulated sugar
Instructions
- Prepare the dough. In a small bowl, whisk together 1 tablespoon of the granulated sugar, the active dry yeast, and the warm milk. Cover with plastic wrap and let the yeast bloom for 10 minutes, until very foamy.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer (or a large separate bowl), whisk together the bread flour, all-purpose flour, the remaining granulated sugar, salt, and anise seed.
- Add the melted butter, eggs, orange zest, and yeast mixture. Attach the dough hook and mix on medium-low speed for 6-8 minutes (or knead by hand), until the dough is smooth, elastic, and pulls away from the bowl.
- Transfer the dough to a large greased bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Allow the dough to rise in a warm place until doubled in size, about 2 hours.
- Shape the loaves. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
- Divide the dough into 6 equal pieces. Cut about a quarter off each piece and set those small pieces aside to create the bone shapes that will drape across each loaf.
- Roll each big piece into a smooth ball. Place them on the baking sheet, spaced a few inches apart.
- Pinch a cherry-tomato-sized piece off each small piece of dough and roll it into a ball. You’ll have 6 balls, one for each loaf.
- Roll what’s left of each small piece into a rope about 12 inches long, then cut it in half so you have 2 bones for each loaf. Pinch each rope in three evenly spaced spots so it gets little knobs like a bone.
- Lay 2 bones over each loaf in an X, pressing the ends down at the base. Press a ball into the center, right where the bones cross.
- Cover loosely with a kitchen towel and let rise for 1 ½ hours.
- Bake. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Uncover the loaves and bake for 35 minutes until golden brown. If the bones start to darken too quickly, loosely tent them with a small piece of aluminum foil around the 25-minute mark. Remove the bread from the oven and let cool for 30 minutes.
- Make the topping. Whisk together the melted butter and orange zest in a small bowl. Brush it all over the loaves, then sprinkle or roll them in sugar.
Video
Notes
- Storage. Keep covered at room temperature for up to 3 days, or move to the fridge for up to 5 days total. Toast slices if it starts to dry out.
- Adjusting the number of loaves. This recipe yields 6 small-medium loaves, but you can divide it to make 2 large loaves or 12 small individual loaves. You may need to adjust the cooking time accordingly.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
More Traditional Mexican Recipes
This post was originally published in October 2022 and has been updated with new photos and more helpful recipe tips.
Bought the wrong kind of anise (star anise) oops. So I made it without it and the flavor was still amazing! I did add a 1/4 tsp vanilla extract to the dough to add some warmth since I didn’t have the anise seed on hand. Made it with my almost 4-year old and we had so much fun and I got to teach him about our traditions.
These are amazing. The only issue I had a was because of my own error. I read the recipe wrong and made 12 small loaves instead of 6. I read “divide 6 balls in half” completely wrong. I am so glad I checked the oven half way around 16min to rotate my pans when I realized the were a deep golden color so I took them out. Some of the bones were a little crispy but still good! The bread is nice and soft. The smell is so beautiful. Ps I don’t know why the page never lets me rate 5 stars. It just allows me to select 4. This happened with the pumpkin conchas too!
Hi! I love your recipes 🙂 ! One question!.. why is it half of all-purpose flour and half of bread flour? I live in Europe and it is so difficult to find equivalents for flour 🙁 . Is it because the bread flour has higher protein? Do you think i can use Italian 00 flour instead of bread flour? (i use patent flour instead of all-purpose) Thanks!
ADELANTE!! Espero Los piers see!! Thank you for every delicious recipe that reminds me of ALL my Ancestors, the strong women I wish I were more like!! You & that beautiful princessa will make beautiful memories! Que Dios Los bendiga siempre
May I have permission to use your pan de muerto in my upcoming Catholic cookbook, giving you credit for the recipe? Please let me know ASAP
I love your recipes I wish you had a book I could purchase.
Just finished making these for Diá de Los Muertos and they are so good! 5 stars!