Gluten-Free Pan de Muerto (Day of the Dead Bread) Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What is the trick to making good gluten free bread? ›

One such delicacy is "pan de muerto," translated as "bread of the dead," a seasonal pan dulce (sweet bread) placed on the altars to pay homage to the departed. Interestingly, it's also a sought-after delight among the living in Mexico, with people eagerly anticipating its arrival to enjoy themselves.

What type of yeast should be used to bake Gluten Free Bread? Active dry yeast and instant yeast both work well and are often interchangeable. Be on the lookout for any Rapid Rise yeast that is best for one rise. For most of us that's the way gluten free bread is baked, a single rise in the tin.

Of course make sure that your yeast and baking powder is still active and fresh. Your bread will not rise if your yeast or baking powder has expired. A dense loaf could also be the result of not measuring your ingredients accurately. Weight measurements are best (I have to update my recipes).

One of the main challenges in making gluten-free bread is achieving the same texture and rise as traditional wheat bread.

What's the best gluten-free flour for baking? Bob's Red Mill gluten-free 1-to-1 baking mix is my favorite gluten-free all-purpose flour blend for baking. It has a mild texture and plenty of "stick" thanks to a blend of sweet rice flour, brown rice flour, and sorghum flour, plus some starches and xanthan gum.

As part of the celebration, loved ones eat pan de muerto as well as the relative's favorite foods, but not those that have been placed on the ofrenda. It is believed the spirits do not eat, but absorb its essence, along with water at their ofrenda, after their long journey back to Earth.

This pan de muerto is a version of the bread made for the November 2 celebration known as Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) in Mexico. You can also mold the bread into different shapes like angels and animals.

Each type of pan de muerto is filled with symbolism. For the classic hojaldra, its round shape symbolizes the circle of life and death. The ball on top represents the skull of the deceased. And the pieces that lay across the bread in the shape of a cross signify their bones and tears.

In short, it depends on the kind of yeast. Most yeast is gluten-free, but some kinds of yeast do contain gluten. The most common kinds of yeast used for baking, like baker's yeast and active dry yeast, are gluten-free.

Is it cheaper to make your own gluten-free bread? ›

Luckily, gluten-free bread is much tastier and cheaper if you make it at home. You can bake gluten-free bread in an oven, but if you regularly bake gluten-free bread, I highly recommend investing in a bread maker.

Fresh yeast requires two rises, so it is not ideal for gluten free breads, which require only one rise.

Why am I getting sick? Answer: Unfortunately, you're probably getting glutened from your "gluten-free" foods. Sadly, gluten-free on the label doesn't mean "contains absolutely no gluten," and some of us are sensitive enough to react to the tiny amounts of gluten remaining in these products.

Bubbles add air (duh, right?).

It's amazing what adding bubbles can do for the lift in your bread loaf! Try the same amount of gluten-free beer, ginger ale, 7-Up, Perrier … you get the picture. Room temperature, of course, and measured appropriately (let the bubbles settle for accurate measurements).

Without xanthan gum in a gluten-free bread or cake recipe for instance, the dough or batter would be dry and crumbly and would not rise, despite the presence of a leavening agent.

If your gluten free bread turned out dense, you didn't have enough liquid in the dough. It is critical to measure your dry ingredients accurately. Measure for weight when you can. If you don't have a digital scale, I recommend using either the spoon or the leveling method to measure your flour.

2 teaspoons of baking powder per cup of gluten-free flour is necessary to ensure proper leavening. Baking soda and buttermilk can be used to leaven instead of baking powder, but 1-1/8 teaspoon of cream of tartar should be added for each 1/2 teaspoon baking soda used.

Apple cider vinegar or another acid lightens up the dough. You can add up to 4 Tbsp of acid for 500 g gluten-free flour. Don't worry, you won't be able to taste it afterwards. To lighten up a yeast dough even more, you can add a packet of baking powder or cream of tartar baking powder to 500 g flour.

The gluten in traditional flour is what gives dough its stickiness. Without it, gluten-free products can be dry and crumbly. There is a way to compensate for this however — use xanthan gum. Some bakers also use gelatin or agar.