DAY OF THE DEAD: Food

Pan de Muertos
Bread of the Dead
Recipe by Roe Di Bona
Inspired by Diana Kennedy

Sponge:
4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1/3 cup sugar
1-1/2 tablespoons dry yeast
1/2 cup plus 2 tbls. lukewarm water
3 large eggs, room temperature, lightly beaten

In the bowl of an electric mixer, place dry ingredients and gradually beat in the water and the eggs. Beat until the dough is slightly sticky, smooth and shiny – about 4 to 5 minutes. Set dough aside in a buttered and floured bowl, covered with greased plastic wrap and a towel. Place bowl in a warm place, 70-75 degrees, and let rise until the dough doubles, approximately 2 hours.

Final Dough:
the sponge torn into small pieces
1-1/4 cups sugar
10 ounces unsalted butter, room temperature
4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
8 egg yolks
approximately 1/4 cup water
grated zest of 1-1/2 oranges

Decoration:
4 egg yolks, lightly beaten
1/4 ounce marzipan
1 ounce white chocolate

In bowl of electric mixer, add egg yolks, sugar, orange zest and water to torn pieces of sponge and mix thoroughly. Add butter and mix until smooth. Add the flour and mix again until the dough is slightly sticky, smooth and shiny for about 2-3 minutes. Place dough in buttered and floured bowl, cover with greased plastic wrap and set aside for approximately 1-1/2 hours, until it doubles.

Cut dough in half and shape into spirit, or ghost shapes, with elongated head, body and arms. Place on two buttered baking sheets and cover loosely with plastic wrap and let rise for 2 hours. After rising time is complete, brush egg yolks onto surface of breads and bake for 20-30 minutes in oven preheated at 375 degrees.

Let bread cool to room temperature

Shape marzipan into two skeleton masks and attach to spirit heads by brushing back of masks with warm water. Melt white chocolate in a double boiler and pipe star shapes onto body. Let breads stand until white chocolate decoration hardens on surface.

Roe Di Bona co-owns and operates the Rocking Horse Cafe Mexicano, at 182 Eighth Ave., New York, NY 10011. She can be reached by phone at (212) 463-9511, or fax at (212) 243-3245. Roe and Rocking Horse make and sell her Day of the Dead Bread at the end of October every year.

DAY OF THE DEAD: Food

Mexico’s Day of the Dead has some special culinary delights.
Air Date:11/06/1997
Scientist:
Transcript:

Pan de Muertos
Bread of the Dead
Recipe by Roe Di Bona
Inspired by Diana Kennedy

Sponge:
4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1/3 cup sugar
1-1/2 tablespoons dry yeast
1/2 cup plus 2 tbls. lukewarm water
3 large eggs, room temperature, lightly beaten

In the bowl of an electric mixer, place dry ingredients and gradually beat in the water and the eggs. Beat until the dough is slightly sticky, smooth and shiny - about 4 to 5 minutes. Set dough aside in a buttered and floured bowl, covered with greased plastic wrap and a towel. Place bowl in a warm place, 70-75 degrees, and let rise until the dough doubles, approximately 2 hours.

Final Dough:
the sponge torn into small pieces
1-1/4 cups sugar
10 ounces unsalted butter, room temperature
4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
8 egg yolks
approximately 1/4 cup water
grated zest of 1-1/2 oranges

Decoration:
4 egg yolks, lightly beaten
1/4 ounce marzipan
1 ounce white chocolate

In bowl of electric mixer, add egg yolks, sugar, orange zest and water to torn pieces of sponge and mix thoroughly. Add butter and mix until smooth. Add the flour and mix again until the dough is slightly sticky, smooth and shiny for about 2-3 minutes. Place dough in buttered and floured bowl, cover with greased plastic wrap and set aside for approximately 1-1/2 hours, until it doubles.

Cut dough in half and shape into spirit, or ghost shapes, with elongated head, body and arms. Place on two buttered baking sheets and cover loosely with plastic wrap and let rise for 2 hours. After rising time is complete, brush egg yolks onto surface of breads and bake for 20-30 minutes in oven preheated at 375 degrees.

Let bread cool to room temperature

Shape marzipan into two skeleton masks and attach to spirit heads by brushing back of masks with warm water. Melt white chocolate in a double boiler and pipe star shapes onto body. Let breads stand until white chocolate decoration hardens on surface.

Roe Di Bona co-owns and operates the Rocking Horse Cafe Mexicano, at 182 Eighth Ave., New York, NY 10011. She can be reached by phone at (212) 463-9511, or fax at (212) 243-3245. Roe and Rocking Horse make and sell her Day of the Dead Bread at the end of October every year.