Part 3/7:
The Recipe and Its Significance
Making pan de muerto is a layered process, steeped in tradition. A notable recipe can be traced back to 1938 and originates from Reposteria Selecta, a cookbook by Josefina Velasquez de Leon. The ingredients required include:
4 cups of bread flour
1.5 tablespoons of dried yeast
2 whole eggs plus 5 yolks
Sugar, butter, lard, orange blossom water, orange zest, anise, and salt.
The preparation involves creating a starter, mixing and kneading the dough, and shaping it into decorative forms that symbolize bones and tears—acts reflective of mourning and remembrance.