Vegan Mexican Day of the Dead Bread (Pan De Muerto)

Instructions:

• Activate the yeast: Add 1 sachet of instant yeast to a warm (not very hot) non-dairy milk, stir until the lumps are dissolved.
• Add vanilla to the yeast mixture and let it sit for a few minutes.
• In a large bowl mix well all dry ingredients: all-purpose flour, salt, brown sugar, orange zest and a pinch of anise. Add applesauce and coconut oil and stir well.
• Give yeast mixture a check, when you see that it has a foamy or bubbly cap approx. ½ inch, the yeast mixture is ready.
• Mix all ingredients together. Incorporate everything with your hands until the dough has consistent texture and is easy to handle. Try to knead for at least 5-10 minutes so that you have a smooth, manageable dough.
• When the dough is ready, transfer it to a bowl and cover with plastic wrap. We are going to let the dough rest in a warm place for 45 to 60 minutes approx. You can leave it in the oven only with the light on so that the heat of the light bulb helps it to rise. When the time is up, the dough must have grown and doubled in size. Ready to form the loaves.
• Divide the dough into 4 equal parts. Three parts we will use to make bases of the loaves and one part to make ‘bones’ decoration.
• To make the base of the loaf, knead each part well until it is soft and shape into a flat-bottomed semi-sphere; try to make all loaves same size. Place them on the tray with enough space in-between, because they will grow in the oven.
• To decorate, take a pinch of dough and press it between your hands to make a roll. Then separate your middle and index fingers so that there is a space between the two, and when you press the dough, three balls and two spaces are made a little thinner. After this piece, cross it with a bone.
• Once you have formed the loaves, let them rest on the tray for 1 - 1:30 hr to finish rising.
• About 20 minutes before the time is up, start preheating the oven to 375 F / 190 C .
• After 90 minutes of rising loaves are ready to be transferred to the oven at 375 F / 190 C for about 15 minutes. After 15 mins, lower the temperature to 338 F / 170 ℃ and leave the loaves for about 10 more minutes until they are completely cooked. Let them cool before final decoration.
• To decorate: you will need melted margarine or coconut butter/coconut oil, and white sugar to frost the loaves.
• Brush each love with margarine (or coconut oil) and place it into a bowl with white sugar so that it covers the loaf.
• To serve, cut loaves in half and fill them with Morama Hazelnut Cacao Butter. ENJOY!