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Food

Vegan Pan de Muerto Recipe

This vegan recipe takes a fresh spin on classic Day of the Dead Bread, except there’s nothing deceased in here because it’ s animal-product and by-product free.
Vegan Pan de Muerto Recipe

"All of our lives, we've been told that pan de muerto can't be made without eggs, that the yeast cannot be activated properly without milk, and any bread without butter doesn't taste good. It's not true."

Ingredients

for the pan de muerto:
1 pound|450 grams organic whole wheat flour
2 ounces|60 grams sourdough (pre-fermented made out of apples, water and flour)
⅞ cup|200 ml purified water at room temperature
2 ⅞ ounces|80 grams pure, organic cane sugar
⅞ ounce|25 grams organic coconut oil
loose flour, for kneading
Muscovado sugar, to cover bread
3 teaspoons agave nectar

Directions

  1. Place the flour in a bowl and make a hole in the middle. Add water, sugar, sourdough, and coconut oil. Mix the ingredients with one hand (you don't want to get both hands dirty just yet) wrapping it up for several minutes until a smooth, elastic dough is created.
  2. Cover the bowl with a cloth and let the dough rest in a warm place for an hour or until it doubles its size.
  3. When the dough has doubled its size, divide the dough into portions of 7 ounces|200 grams and shape each portion until they become circular, making sure the dough outside remains smooth, with no lumps or bubbles.
  4. Set aside two servings of ¾ ounce|20 grams each to create the "tears" or "bones" which go over each bread, and a portion of 5 grams for the head (the ball that will be placed on the top).
  5. With the palm of your hand and on a flat surface, stretch the 20 gram portions until a long, thin and uniform cylinder is formed. Then use the index, middle, and ring finger to get the bones, making slits in the dough, being careful not to break it.
  6. Place the two strips of bones crossed on top of the bread. Place the little head, well-rounded, in the center and on top.
  7. Place the bread on a greased pan or on waxed paper. Cover it with a cloth and let it rest in order for the yeast to take effect and the bread triples its size.
  8. Bake at 165°C (325°F) for 18 minutes.
  9. When the bread is out of the oven, fluffy and with a beautiful golden color, glaze it with agave syrup and sprinkle some sugar on top (not too much, do not exaggerate). It's ready to eat and it's warm and delicious!

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