Mexican Day of the Dead Bread with Orange and Anise

What you need

• 340 g (2 3/4 cups) all-purpose flour, 70 g for the sponge, the rest for the dough
• 2 tsp active dry yeast
• 120 ml (1/2 cup) whole milk, warm, 40 °C (105 °F)
• 70 g (1/3 cup) sugar
• 1 large egg, room temperature
• 1 egg yolk, room temperature
• 1 orange, zest only
• 2 tsp orange blossom water
• 1 tsp anise seeds, lightly crushed
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 60 g (4 tbsp) unsalted butter, softened, plus extra for greasing
• 1 egg, for the egg wash, beaten with 1 tbsp water
• 30 g (2 tbsp) unsalted butter, melted, for finishing
• 50 g (1/4 cup) sugar, for coating

Method

Restated from the original video

1. 1

   Stir the yeast into the warm milk with 70 g (1/2 cup) of the flour. Cover and leave in a warm spot until bubbly, about 30 min.

2. 2

   Beat the sponge with the sugar, whole egg, yolk, orange zest, orange blossom water, anise and salt until combined.

3. 3

   Add the remaining flour and mix until a shaggy dough forms.

4. 4

   Knead the dough, adding the soft butter a piece at a time, for 10-12 min with a dough hook, or 15-20 min by hand. The dough should be smooth, elastic and slightly sticky.

5. 5

   Move the dough to a greased bowl and cover it. Leave somewhere warm until it has doubled in size, 1 h 30 min - 2 h.

6. 6

   Punch down the dough on a lightly floured surface. Pinch off one quarter and set it aside.

7. 7

   Shape the larger piece into a round loaf and set it on a baking tray lined with parchment. Flatten it slightly.

8. 8

   Divide the reserved dough into 3 equal pieces. Roll two into ropes about 20 cm (8 in) long, pressing with your fingertips at intervals so they look like bones, and drape them in a cross over the loaf.

9. 9

   Roll the third piece into a small ball and press it into the middle of the cross as the skull.

10. 10

    Cover loosely and let the loaf rise until puffy, 40-60 min. Heat the oven to 180 °C (350 °F) in the last 20 min.

11. 11

    Brush the loaf with the egg wash. Bake until deep golden and hollow-sounding when tapped underneath, 25-30 min.

12. 12

    Brush the hot loaf all over with the melted butter, then sprinkle or roll it in the coating sugar. Cool on a rack before slicing.

Imported from pinaenlacocina.com. Recipe Grab pulled out what you need to cook it; the video stays where its author put it.