Last updated on June 28th, 2026
Pan de Muerto is a traditional Mexican bread, typically enjoyed during the Day of the Dead celebrations. Mixed with sourdough discard, there becomes a unique twist on the classic. Get ready to indulge, and if you came here for the recipe, let’s jump straight in!
Table of Contents
- What Is Pan de Muerto?
- What Does Pan de Muerto Taste and Smell Like?
- Sourdough Discard Pan de Muerto Recipe
- Why Use Sourdough Discard in Pan de Muerto?
- How to Make Pan de Muerto
- Troubleshooting Cheat Sheet
- Pan de Muerto Variations to Try
- What to Serve With Pan de Muerto
- How to Store Your Pan de Muerto
- Day of The Dead Bread
- FAQs
Sourdough Pan De Muerto Recipe
Pan de Muerto is one of those breads that makes your whole kitchen smell like a celebration. This recipe uses sourdough discard alongside a small amount of yeast, so you get that deeper, slightly tangy flavor without waiting overnight for a starter to do all the work.
- Total Time: 3.5 hrs
- Yield: 1 large loaf 1x
Ingredients
Dough
- 3½ cups (440g) all-purpose flour, plus more for kneading
- ½ cup (100g) granulated sugar
- ½ tsp salt
- 1½ tsp active dry yeast
- ¼ cup (60ml) warm water (110°F / 43°C)
- ½ cup (120g) sourdough discard, room temperature
- ¼ cup (60ml) whole milk, warmed
- ½ cup (115g) unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled
- 4 large eggs, room temperature
- Zest of 1 large orange
- 1 tsp anise seeds (optional)
Finishing
- 1 egg + 1 tbsp milk (egg wash)
- 2 tbsp unsalted butter, melted
- ¼ cup (50g) granulated sugar
Instructions
- Activate yeast in warm water with 1 tsp sugar for 5 to 10 minutes until foamy.
- Whisk discard, warm milk, melted butter, eggs, orange zest, and anise seeds together. Add yeast mixture.
- Combine wet and dry ingredients until a shaggy dough forms.
- Knead 8 to 10 minutes until smooth and slightly tacky.
- First rise in a greased bowl, covered, for 1.5 to 2 hours until doubled.
- Punch down. Reserve a quarter of the dough for decorations. Shape remainder into a ball on a parchment-lined sheet.
- Divide reserved dough into 5 pieces. Roll 4 into bone-shaped ropes and lay in a cross on top of the loaf. Press the 5th into a ball and place at the center.
- Second rise, covered loosely, for 45 minutes to 1 hour until puffed.
- Brush with egg wash. Bake at 350°F (175°C) for 25 to 30 minutes until deep golden brown.
- Cool 10 minutes, brush with melted butter, coat with sugar. Cool 30 more minutes before slicing.
Notes
- Use discard that is no more than a week old. Fresher discard gives a milder tang; older discard closer to a week gives more sourness.
- The dough will feel stickier than a standard enriched dough because of the discard. Add flour slowly and only when truly needed.
- If bone decorations are sticking to your hands or losing shape, refrigerate them for 10 minutes before placing on the loaf.
- The second rise takes longer than a regular yeasted dough. Don’t cut it short or the bread will be dense.
- If the top browns too fast, tent loosely with foil after 20 minutes.
- Brush with butter before the sugar coating, not after. The butter is what makes the sugar adhere.
- Don’t slice until the loaf has cooled at least 30 minutes or the crumb will compress.
- The discard gives this loaf a slightly longer shelf life than a plain yeasted version. Good for up to 3 days at room temperature, wrapped.
- Prep Time: 30 mins, rise time 2-2.5 hrs
- Cook Time: 25-30 mins
- Category: bread
- Cuisine: Mexican
What Is Pan de Muerto?
Pan de Muerto (which translates to “Bread of the Dead”) is a soft, lightly sweet Mexican bread, baked every year for Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead, celebrated on November 1 and 2).
The bread is round, generously dusted with sugar, and topped with strips of dough shaped to look like bones, with a small dough ball representing a skull pressed into the center.
The bread is placed on home altars called ofrendas as an offering for deceased loved ones. But it’s also shared and enjoyed by the living throughout the holiday.
Once you smell it baking, with all that orange zest, anise, and warm butter filling your kitchen, you’ll want to make it year-round!
What Does Pan de Muerto Taste and Smell Like?
The texture is soft and pillowy, somewhere between a brioche and an enriched dinner roll. It’s lightly sweet, buttery, and has a tender crumb that pulls apart beautifully.
Flavor-wise, you get a gentle citrus note from the orange zest and a subtle warmth from the anise. Neither one is overpowering. Together they give the bread its signature character that sets it apart from any other sweet roll you’ve had.
What the sourdough discard adds is a mild, background tang that makes the overall flavor feel more complex and less one-note sweet. It’s not sour the way a sandwich loaf might be. It’s more like a subtle depth that lingers.
The texture stays soft and pillowy, with a tender crumb that pulls apart easily. The discard also adds a little extra moisture to the dough, which helps keep the bread fresh longer than a straight yeasted version.
The smell fresh out of the oven is still the highlight: orange, anise, butter, and toasted sugar, with just a faint fermented warmth underneath that lets you know something more interesting is going on.
Sourdough Discard Pan de Muerto Recipe
Pan de Muerto is a truly delicious treat to savor.
The recipe below shows how you can create your own Pan de Muerto. Embrace the flavors and traditions of this special bread!
Yield: 1 large loaf (8 to 10 servings)
Prep time: 30 minutes
Rise time: 2 to 2.5 hours
Bake time: 25 to 30 minutes
Ingredients
For the dough:
- 3½ cups (440g) all-purpose flour, plus more for kneading
- ½ cup (100g) granulated sugar
- ½ tsp salt
- 1½ tsp (half a 7g packet) active dry yeast
- ¼ cup (60ml) warm water (around 110°F / 43°C)
- ½ cup (120g) sourdough discard, room temperature
- ¼ cup (60ml) whole milk, warmed
- ½ cup (115g) unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled
- 4 large eggs, room temperature
- Zest of 1 large orange
- 1 tsp anise seeds (optional but traditional)
For finishing:
- 1 egg + 1 tbsp milk (egg wash)
- 2 tbsp unsalted butter, melted
- ¼ cup (50g) granulated sugar
Why Use Sourdough Discard in Pan de Muerto?
Sourdough discard is the portion of starter you remove before feeding. On its own it won’t leaven bread reliably, which is why this recipe also uses a small amount of active dry yeast to handle the rise. The discard’s job is flavor, not lift.
| What the discard adds | What the yeast adds |
|---|---|
| Mild tang and fermented depth | Reliable, predictable rise |
| Extra moisture and tenderness | Faster timing than starter-only |
| Slightly longer shelf life | Structure and oven spring |
You want your discard to be at room temperature and no more than a week old.
Fresh discard (fed within the last day or two) gives a milder flavor. Older discard (closer to a week) is tangier. Both work fine here.
How to Make Pan de Muerto
1. Activate the yeast
In a small bowl, stir together the warm water and 1 teaspoon of the sugar. Sprinkle the yeast over the top and give it a gentle stir. Leave it for 5 to 10 minutes until it turns foamy. If nothing happens, your water was too hot or cold, or the yeast has expired. Sort this out before moving on since nothing else works without it.
2. Mix the wet ingredients
In a medium bowl, whisk together the sourdough discard, warm milk, melted butter, eggs, orange zest, and anise seeds if you’re using them. The discard can look a little lumpy at first but it will smooth out as you mix. Pour in the activated yeast mixture and stir until everything is combined.
3. Form the dough
In a large bowl, whisk the flour, remaining sugar, and salt together. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and mix with a wooden spoon or your hands until a rough, shaggy dough comes together. It will look a little scraggly at first. That’s normal.
4. Knead
Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 8 to 10 minutes until smooth, soft, and slightly tacky. The discard makes this dough a touch stickier than a standard enriched dough, so be patient and resist the urge to keep adding flour. Add it one tablespoon at a time only if the dough is genuinely sticking to everything. A little tackiness is fine and actually good for the final texture.
5. First rise
Shape the dough into a ball and place it in a lightly greased bowl. Cover with plastic wrap or a clean kitchen towel and leave it somewhere warm for 1.5 to 2 hours, until it has doubled in size. The discard slightly slows things down compared to a straight yeasted dough, so give it the full time.
No warm spot in your kitchen? Place the covered bowl in your oven with just the oven light on. The gentle warmth from the bulb is usually enough to get things moving.
6. Shape the loaf
Punch the dough down to release the gas. Pinch off roughly a quarter of the dough and set it aside for the decorations. Shape the larger portion into a tight, smooth ball and place it on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
7. Make the bone decorations
Divide the reserved dough into 5 pieces. Roll 4 of them into ropes about 7 to 8 inches long. Pinch small bulges along each rope at intervals to suggest the shape of a bone, and taper the ends slightly. Lay two ropes across the top of the loaf in a cross pattern, pressing gently so they adhere. Roll the 5th piece into a smooth ball and press it into the center where the two ropes cross.
Tip: If the dough feels warm and is sticking to your hands during this step, pop the shaped decorations in the fridge for 10 minutes before placing them. They’ll hold their shape much better.
8. Second rise
Cover the shaped loaf loosely and let it rest for 45 minutes to 1 hour, until noticeably puffed. Because of the discard, this second rise takes a little longer than a straight yeasted loaf, so don’t rush it.
9. Preheat and egg wash
Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Whisk the egg and milk together. Brush the egg wash gently over the entire surface of the loaf, bones and all. Use a light hand so you don’t disturb the decorations.
10. Bake
Bake for 25 to 30 minutes until deep golden brown. The center should read 190 to 195°F (88 to 90°C) on an instant-read thermometer. If the top is browning too fast before the inside is cooked through, tent it loosely with foil after the first 20 minutes.
11. Finish
Let the loaf cool on the pan for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack. While it’s still warm, brush the whole surface with the melted butter and sprinkle sugar generously over the top. The butter is what makes the sugar actually stick, so don’t skip it.
12. Cool before slicing
Wait at least 30 minutes before cutting in. Slicing too early compresses the crumb and you lose that soft, airy texture you worked for.
Troubleshooting Cheat Sheet
| Problem | Likely Cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Yeast didn’t foam | Water too hot or cold, or old yeast | Use 105 to 110°F water; check expiry date |
| Dough very sticky | Discard is high hydration | Add flour slowly, 1 tbsp at a time; some tackiness is normal |
| Slow rise | Cool kitchen or older discard | Give it more time; move somewhere warmer |
| Bone decorations spread out | Dough too warm or soft | Chill decorations 10 minutes before placing on loaf |
| Bread turned out dense | Under-kneaded or under-proofed | Knead the full time; don’t cut the rises short |
| Top too dark | Oven runs hot | Tent with foil after 20 minutes |
Pan de Muerto Variations to Try
Chocolate: Swap ¼ cup of the flour for ¼ cup of unsweetened cocoa powder. The sourdough tang and chocolate are genuinely good together.
Orange Blossom: Replace the orange zest with 1 tsp of orange blossom water for something more floral and delicate.
Almond: Add ½ cup of finely ground blanched almonds to the dry ingredients for a nuttier, slightly denser loaf.
Anise-Free: Leave the anise seeds out entirely. The orange zest and discard flavor carry things on their own.
Cinnamon Sugar Coating: Stir ¼ tsp of ground cinnamon into the finishing sugar before sprinkling. Worth doing at least once.
What to Serve With Pan de Muerto
| Pairing | Why It Works |
|---|---|
| Mexican hot chocolate | The cocoa richness balances the sweetness of the bread |
| Café de olla | Cinnamon-spiced Mexican coffee echoes the anise notes |
| Orange marmalade | Doubles down on the citrus in a bright, tangy way |
| Pumpkin butter | Creamy, spiced, and perfectly seasonal |
| Mexican vanilla ice cream | Cold and creamy against the sugary crust |
| Spiced apple compote | Warm and cozy alongside a thick slice |
How to Store Your Pan de Muerto
The good news about this version is that the sourdough discard gives it a slightly longer shelf life than a plain yeasted loaf. The acidity slows staling.
- Room temperature: Wrap tightly in plastic wrap or store in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Keep it on the counter, not the fridge. Refrigerating enriched breads speeds up staling rather than slowing it down.
- Freezing: Wrap the cooled loaf or individual slices snugly in plastic wrap, then place in a zip-top freezer bag. Freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw at room temperature while still wrapped. A few minutes in a 300°F (150°C) oven refreshes the crust nicely.
One more tip: Slice only what you need and keep the rest of the loaf intact. A cut loaf dries out faster than an uncut one.
Day of The Dead Bread
In conclusion, Day of the Dead bread, or Pan de Muerto, holds a special place in the hearts and traditions of Mexico. This symbolic and flavorful bread serves as a connection between the living and the departed, a way to honor and remember loved ones.
With its distinct round shape, bone decorations, and delightful flavors, Pan de Muerto embodies the spirit of celebration and remembrance during this important cultural event.
FAQs
What is the meaning behind el pan de muerto?
El Pan de Muerto, or “Bread of the Dead,” is a traditional Mexican pastry with a deep cultural meaning. It is prepared and enjoyed during the Day of the Dead celebrations, honoring deceased loved ones. The round shape symbolizes the circle of life, and the decorative bones represent the departed souls. It is a delicious and symbolic treat that connects families and communities in remembrance and celebration.
What does pan de muerto taste like?
Pan de Muerto is a flavorful and aromatic pastry with a unique taste. It is slightly sweet and enriched with ingredients like orange zest, anise, and sometimes hints of cinnamon. The texture is soft and tender, with a light crumb. Its delicate flavors and richness make it a delightful treat during the Day of the Dead festivities.
Are you supposed to eat Pan de Muerto?
Yes, absolutely. The bread is placed on altars as an offering, but it’s also meant to be eaten and shared by the living. It’s a celebratory food and a meaningful one.
Can I make this without any yeast at all?
You can, but you’d need an active, well-fed sourdough starter rather than discard, and you’d be looking at a much longer fermentation time, anywhere from 6 to 12 hours depending on your starter and kitchen temperature. That’s a different recipe altogether.
