Pan De Muerto (mexican Bread Of The Dead)

Total Time: 6 hrs 35 mins Preparation Time: 6 hrs Cook Time: 35 mins

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup warm water
• 2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast
• 4 1/2 cups bread flour
• 1 tablespoon anise seed, crushed
• 1 orange, zest of, grated
• 5 large eggs
• 1 cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled to lukewarm
• butter, for greasing pans
• 3 tablespoons orange liqueur
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 2 cups powdered sugar
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
• 2 tablespoons orange juice (fresh)
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice (fresh)
• 1 teaspoon grated orange zest
• yellow or orange colored crystal sugar, crystals or candy sprinkles

Recipe

• 1 for the bread:.
• 2 pour warm water into a 1 quart bowl and sprinkle yeast over water. set aside in a warm place that is free of draft until bubbly, about 5 minutes.
• 3 stir 1 cup of flour to make a sponge. cover the bowl with plastic wrap and set aside until the sponge doubles in volume, about 1 hour.
• 4 scrape the sponge into the bowl of an electric mixer. beat in anise seeds, orange zest, butter, orange liqueur, sugar, salt, eggs and 2 cups of flour. beat the batter on medium speed for about 5 minutes. reduce the speed to low and add, one 1/4 cup at a time, the remaining 1 1/2 cups of flour until it forms a very soft dough that cleans the side of the bowl.
• 5 knead with hook for 4 minutes (dough will be smooth and very soft, but it should not be sticky, if needed add more flour by the tablespoon to preventing sticking). place the dough in a greased bowl, cover it with a cloth and set aside to rise in a warm place free of draft until doubled in volume, about 1 1/2 hour.
• 6 grease 2 8-inches round cake pans. gently deflate dough and divide in half, (dough will be very soft). carefully transfer each half to a greased cake pan, turning the edges under to smooth the top as best you can. cover the pans loosely with plastic wrap, then with damp cloths and let stand in a warm place until dough rises to the top of pan, about 1 1/2 to 2 hours.
• 7 preheat oven to 350°f.
• 8 bake bread until hollow when thumped, about 35 to 40 minutes. immediately remove the loaves from pans and place them on a wire rack to cool completely.
• 9 for glaze:.
• 10 stir everything together until smooth, add more orange juice if necessary to reach spread consistency.
• 11 spread glaze over cooled loaves and sprinkle with toppings.