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Mexican Semita Bread (Semitas Chorreadas)

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This sweet and tender semita bread is designed to be eaten with your morning café de olla or a cold glass of your favorite plant-milk. Piloncillo, raisins, cinnamon, orange zest, and anise are studded throughout the semita, making it an incredibly fragrant and delicious Mexican pan dulce.

Flour, water, yeast in a large stainless steel bowl

Origin of Semita Bread

In the 16th century, a group of Semitic Jews came to the new world, brought by Luis de Carvajal y de la Cueva to settle what is now the state of Nuevo Leon, escaping the Spanish Inquisition that was in full force at the time. This Jewish community colonized the states of Nuevo Leon, Coahuila, and parts of what is now Texas, and continued to practice their faith in secret. It is thought that this community ate bread during Passover very similar to what we consider semita bread now, with the exception of the piloncillo and raisins. The origin of this bread, however, can be traced back to Spain and Islamic North Africa.

Dough for semita bread mixed in a stainless steel bowl

Semita vs. Cemita

Semita is not the same as cemita, and to confuse things even more sometimes they are both spelled the same. Semita is the sweet bread recipe I have for you today, made with piloncillo, raisins, and sometimes nuts. Cemita is a savory roll, with sesame seeds on top, that is used to make tortas, huge tortas that are very famous in Puebla.

ball of dough in a stainless steel bowl with dough hook in it

Our Vegan Mexico Project

This recipe is part of an amazing project called Our Vegan Mexico, where 32 talented cooks will be showcasing, right here on Dora’s Table, 32 vegan Mexican recipes. Each recipe will be representing one state of the Mexican union.

dough hook stretching the dough to show the texture

With this project, I am hoping to encourage the Mexican community in the U.S., and the people of my country to take a chance and make the change to a plant-based diet. This recipe, which is representing the state of Chihuahua, is the creation of the talented Liliana Arellanes from @veganocosmico and here she is sharing her story with us.

Ball of dough resting in a stainless steel bowl

Liliana’s Story

My Name is Liliana Arellanes; I am from Chihuahua Mexico but have been living in Los Angeles, CA for the last 30 years. My path to Veganism began 25 years ago, for two fundamental reasons, respect, and compassion for all living beings, and respect for myself. Understanding above all, that it is not necessary to kill another living being in order to eat. In this way, we will be nourishing ourselves with Light and not death.

Pecans, raisins, orange zest and pilincillo are added to the dough in the bowl

 

I share the recipe of the famous “CHORREADAS DE PILONCILLO” a typical bread of the region, with a delicious flavor reminiscent of “small town” comfort food. I have added my personal touch, with raisins, nuts, and fragrant orange zest. It is an exquisite handmade sweet bread, with a spongy crumb that you can enjoy fresh out of the oven with a café de olla or a glass of almond milk.

 

dough mixed well and shaped into a ball again

The Recipe: Mexican Semita Bread (Semitas Chorreadas)

  • These semitas are the best when eaten still warm right out of the oven. If you eat them the next day be sure to warm them up before eating.
  • You can use ½ whole wheat flour and half unbleached white flour to substitute the bread flour.

four balls of dough on a parchment lined sheet tray

  • The nuts and raisins are optional, but I think they add a special touch.
  • You can substitute the coconut butter with vegan butter.
  • You can use plant milk instead of water in the recipe, just make sure it’s warm.

basket of mexican semita bread and a white plate with slices of semita

a closeup of a piece of semita bread being held in a hand

Three mexican semita bread rolls in a basket on a light blue background

Mexican Semita Bread (Semitas Chorreadas)

Mexican Semita Bread, studded with pecans, raisins, orange zest and piloncillo.
5 from 1 vote
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Course: Breakfast
Cuisine: Mexican
Keyword: pan dulce, semita bread, vegan mexican breakfast
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Resting Time: 1 hour 20 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 55 minutes
Servings: 4 Medium sized rolls
Calories: 824kcal
Author: Liliana Arellanes

Ingredients

  • 3 ½ cup Bread flour
  • ½ cup Dark brown sugar
  • 1 tsp. Ground anise seed
  • 1 tsp Freshly ground cinnamon (Ceylon)
  • 1/3 cup Coconut butter, about 3 oz
  • 1 ½ cups Warm water
  • ½ cup Chopped pecans
  • ½ cup Raisins, soaked in the juice of one orange
  • 1 tsp. Orange zest
  • 1 tsp. Active dry yeast
  • 3.5 oz Piloncillo (about ½ cup)
  • ½ tsp. Salt

Instructions

  • In a large bowl, mix all the dry ingredients flour, sugar, anise, cinnamon, yeast, and salt
  • Add the warm water and coconut butter to the bowl and knead.
  • I use the hook attachment on my mixer at medium-low speed for 4-6 minutes or until the dough has come off the sides of the bowl and is stretchy but not sticky.
  • If you don’t have a mixer you can knead by hand for 10 minutes or until you reach the desired consistency.
  • Place dough in a lightly oiled bowl, cover with a kitchen towel and let rise for an hour.
  • To prepare your piloncillo, place it in a plastic bag, and crush it with the help of a hammer until finely ground.
  • Separate the crushed piloncillo un half. Place half of the piloncillo in a small bowl and mix with 1 tsp. Flour. This will be used to top the semitas before baking.
  • Once the dough is done rising, add the reaming half of the piloncillo, pecans, and orange zest and knead until all the ingredients are mixed evenly throughout.
  • Preheat oven to 350°F.
  • Divide the dough in four, roll the pieces tightly into rounds, and place on a sheet tray lined with parchment. Press down on the rounds lightly. Brush the rounds with your favorite plant milk, and top with the piloncillo and flour mixture. Press down slightly on the piloncillo topping with your hands.
  • Cover the sheet tray with a kitchen towel and let the dough rise for 20 minutes.
  • Bake for 20 minutes at 350°F.

Notes

  • These semitas are the best when eaten still warm right out of the oven. If you eat them the next day be sure to warm them up before eating.
  •  You can use ½ whole wheat flour and half unbleached white flour to substitute the bread flour.
  • The nuts and raisins are optional, but I think they add a special touch.
  • You can substitute the coconut butter with vegan butter.
  • You can use plant milk instead of water in the recipe, just make sure it’s warm.

Nutrition

Calories: 824kcal | Carbohydrates: 149g | Protein: 16g | Fat: 19g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Sodium: 263mg | Potassium: 381mg | Fiber: 8g | Sugar: 50g | Vitamin C: 3.1mg | Calcium: 82mg | Iron: 3.1mg
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Chocolate Filled Vegan Pan de Muerto

Filling vegan pan de muerto is a common practice in México. This vegan day of the dead bread is filled with a sweet chocolate “cream”, and dusted with a sprinkling of sugar.. Serve with your favorite Mexican hot chocolate, and honor your loved ones on this Dia de los Muertos.

a tub of chocolate hummus

The filling is a bit of a well kept secret called chocolate hummus. I know it sounds totally unappetizing, but I promise it’s so good. I never thought I would hear my kids begging me to make chocolate hummus. Chocolate hummus is basically cooked chickpeas, cocoa powder, and a sweetener like maple syrup.

vegan pan de muerto piped with chocolate hummus

The store-bought kind is super smooth, almost like a mix between chocolate icing and pudding. When you make it at home it’s not as smooth, but still delicious. I tried making a chocolate-sweet potato frosting, but it was too thick, and a chocolate coconut whipped cream, but that was a total flop. Chocolate hummus was perfect with this vegan pan de muerto.

pan-de-muerto2

Let come to room temperature, roll into balls.

So what’s the big deal about pan de muerto?? Pan de muerto is a special bread eaten on the Day of the Dead in Mexico and placed on the ofrendas (altars) that honor the departed. It has a round shape with 4 elongated knobs in the shape of a cross, and a small ball at the top.

pan-de-muerto2

It’s round shape represents the cycle of life and death, the knobs represent the bones of the departed, and the ball represents the skull. It is traditionally infused with orange blossom water to remember our deceased loved ones. The shape of the cross is said to represent the 4 cardinal points, each one dedicated to a different god Tezcatlipoca, Tlaloc, Quetzalcóatl y Xipetotec.

Altar de muertos, a table with pictures, candles, bread, a cross

There are many different kinds of pan de muerto some shaped like animals, plants or trees, people, and fantastic creatures. You can find them filled with nata (clotted cream), whipped cream, cajeta, and dried fruits. I prefer mine unfilled and dipped in hot chocolate.

Vegan pan de muerto filled with chocolate surrounded by marigolds and a colorful skull

I love being able to share all these traditions with my children, and it’s a beautiful way of honoring my ancestors, and the loved ones that have gone before me. My 4 year old was saying that she didn’t understand why Jesus had to die. I explained a little bit, and then told her that we would all die one day. She got super quiet and said, ” But if we all die, who will put my picture on the altar??” So cute!! Feliz Día de los Muertos.

Vegan pan de muerto filled with chocolate, a hand is reaching in to take a piece

Vegan pan de muerto filled with chocolate surrounded by marigolds and a colorful skull

Chocolate Filled Vegan Pan de Muerto

This vegan pan de muerto is filled with a sweet chocolate "cream", and dusted with a sprinkling of sugar. Serve with Mexican hot chocolate
5 from 2 votes
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Course: Dessert
Cuisine: Mexican
Keyword: day of the dead, pan de muerto, vegan
Total Time: 20 minutes
Servings: 6 people
Author: Dora S.

Ingredients

Instructions

  • Once you have baked your vegan pan de muerto. Let it cool completely. If it's not completely cooled down the chocolate hummus will not hold it's shape.
  • Fill a piping bag with a star tip with the chocolate hummus. 
  • Cut your pan de muerto in half (lengthwise), and pipe chocolate hummus on the bottom half of the bread. Place the other half on top, and serve.

Notes

If you can't find chocolate hummus at your local grocery you can make your own.
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The Best Vegan Concha Recipe

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Vegan conchas, tender enriched yeast rolls topped with a crunchy cookie topping, and one of the most iconic varieties of pan dulce. Concha translates into seashell, which is exactly what this sweet bread resembles. Let me tell you, trying to make an amazing vegan concha recipe had me almost pulling my hair out!

Yeast and milk to make a vegan concha recipe

The problem was substituting the eggs. First I tried just omitting the eggs, which worked, but resulted in a dry concha. Then I tried almost every egg substitute so could think of aquafaba, flax, chia, you name it, I tried it. None of them worked like I wanted them too.

Sweet potato added to yeast

Mix sweet potato with a small whisk.

My kids absolutely loved this whole process. Eating one concha after another, giving me their honest opinion with sugar crumbs all over their tiny hands.

Add wet ingredients to dry to make vegan concha recipe

 

I almost gave up. “ I guess you can’t have everything in life,” I thought to myself. Until I tried something completely unexpected, sweet potato. Sweet potato provided just the right amount of binding and moisture my concha needed!!!

Kneaded dough to make vegan concha recipe

Risen dough to make vegan concha recipe

After this I had a little trial and error with the topping, testing out versions made with powdered sugar and shortening, and others made with granulated sugar and vegan butter. Until the most authentic Mexican vegan concha you’ve ever had came to fruition.

Balls of dough to make vegan concha recipe

Topping dough in white and hot pink colors

I had a friend on Instagram tell me that her grandma had said, that the only thing keeping her from going vegan was there thought of never having a good concha again. So hopefully this is the concha recipe that is going to convince all our abuelitas to go vegan!

 

Topping to make vegan concha recipe pressed between plastic wrap

Topping placed on top of vegan concha

The Recipe: Vegan Conchas

  • You can still make this even if you don’t have a standing mixer with a hook, you’re just going to get a good arm workout.
  • Bread flour is the best flour for this recipe. If you use another type of flour the amount of liquid you need will change.
  • You can use a knife to make the concha design if you don’t have a concha cutter .
  • You can make the topping any color you like by adding 3-5 drops of food coloring.
  • You can use the plant-milk of your choice as long as it’s unsweetened, but I found that soy milk works best.

Vegan concha recipe rising

A basket of vegan conchas with coffee

 

A basket of vegan conchas with coffee

The Best Vegan Concha Recipe

The best vegan concha recipe, tender enriched yeast rolls topped with a crunchy cookie topping. Try this iconic pan dulce.
5 from 3 votes
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Course: Dessert
Cuisine: Mexican
Keyword: pan dulce, vegan concha
Total Time: 1 day
Servings: 10 Mini conchas
Calories: 334kcal
Author: Dora S.

Ingredients

  • 2 tsp. (7 g.) Active Dry yeast
  • ½ + 1/8 cup (130 ml) Soy milk, room temp
  • 2 cups + 2 tbsp. (298 g.) Bread flour
  • ½ cup (78 g.) Sugar, granulated
  • ½ tsp. (2.8 g.) Salt
  • 1/3 cup (85 g.) Cooked, mashed, sweet potato
  • ½ cup (113 g.) Vegan butter (earth balance), cut into cubes, softened

Topping:

  • 1/3 cup Sugar granulated
  • 1/3 cup Vegan butter, earth balance, softened
  • ½ cup All-purpose flour
  • ½ tsp. Vanilla extract
  • ½ tsp. Ground cinnamon (optional)
US Customary - Metric

Instructions

  • In a medium bowl, dissolve the yeast in the soy milk. Let sit 5 minutes.
  • In the bowl of a mixer, with the dough hook, combine the dry ingredients: the flour, salt, and sugar. Mix.
  • Add the mashed sweet potato to the yeast-milk mixture, and whisk to combine.
  • Add the wet ingredients to the flour mixture and mix on low until the dough begins to incorporate, about 3 minutes.
  • Add the softened butter little by little and increase speed to medium. Mix for 15 min. until the dough has come off the sides of the bowl and is smooth and stretchy, but not sticky. (If the dough is too sticky add a little more flour.)
  • Place the dough in a large oiled bowl, cover with a towel and let rise for 1 hour, or until doubled in size. Punch down the dough and fold the side over unto each other and flip. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.
  • The next day take the dough from the fridge, remove the plastic wrap and cover with a towel. Let rise in a warm place (70-75F) until the dough comes to room temperature, about an hour.
  • Divide the dough into 10 pieces weighing about 2.5 oz (70 g.), and set aside, roll them tightly into rounds and place on a sheet tray lined with parchment. Press down on the rounds to form a dome shape.
  • Make topping: Cream butter and sugar with a whisk or hand mixer. Add vanilla, flour, and cinnamon and mix well. Knead lightly to fully incorporate. It should have the consistency of a soft play-dough. If it’s too sticky or wet add flour in small amounts until you’ve reached the right consistency.
  • Divide topping into 10 balls the size of a large gum-ball. Take two sheet of plastic wrap, and one at a time place a ball of the topping between the two plastic sheets and press down with hand until it is large enough to cover the top of concha.
  • Peel one side of the plastic wrap off, then take the piece of plastic wrap with the topping on it and place it down on the concha. Slowly peel of the plastic wrap. Repeat this process until all 10 conchas are done.
  • Using a concha cutter, dusted with flour, press down on the topping and the concha to make the design. (Don’t be afraid to press down hard and flatten the concha a little.)
  • Preheat oven to 350°F.
  • Let conchas rise for 40 min. in a warm place (70- 75F) or until doubled in size.
  • Bake on the middle rack of the oven for 20 -25 min. or until the sides and bottoms of your conchas are golden brown.
  • Let bread cool completely before eating.

Notes

You can use a knife to make the concha design if you don’t have a concha cutter . Bread flour is the best flour for this recipe, if you use any other kind of flour you will have to modify the amount of soymilk. You can make the topping any color you like by adding 3-5 drops of food coloring. You can use the plant-milk of your choice as long as it’s unsweetened, but I found that soy milk works best. Recipe adapted from Fanny Gerson’s My Sweet Mexico

Nutrition

Calories: 334kcal | Carbohydrates: 55g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 16g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Sodium: 223mg | Potassium: 103mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 19g | Vitamin A: 1515IU | Vitamin C: 1.6mg | Calcium: 13mg | Iron: 0.8mg

If you’re looking for more vegan pan dulce you can try this pan de muerto, marranitos, and hojarascas. 

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Easy Vegan Blueberry Muffins (Fuss-Free Vegan)

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There’s nothing quite as effortless as popping a muffin in your purse for breakfast when you’re on the go, and these easy vegan blueberry muffins are the perfect solution. The recipe is from Sam Turnbull’s new book Fuss-Free Vegan: 101 Everyday Comfort Food Favorites, Veganized. Sam is the girl behind the blog It Doesn’t Taste Like Chicken.

Fuss-free vegan cookbook

This is the perfect book for the new vegan. I wish it had been around when I started to make changes, but still craved my favorite comfort foods. In the beginning I was so hesitant to try to veganize things like pizza and burgers, because I knew it wouldn’t taste the same. It took me a long time to finally try it. I wish Sam’s book was around back then.

There's nothing quite as effortless as popping a muffin in your purse for breakfast when you're on the go, and these easy vegan blueberry muffins are the perfect solution. They are so good!

The recipes, as the title suggests, are fuss-free. In other words, they are easy and require few ingredients. Some of my favorite recipes from the book, besides these vegan blueberry muffins, are the vegan mozzarella, the mushroom wellington, and the lasagna. Every recipe has a picture, which is very helpful, and it has a very thorough introduction to what you need in a vegan pantry and everyday kitchen tools. I would have liked to see more vegan Mexican recipes, but I guess that’s more my thing.

There's nothing quite as effortless as popping a muffin in your purse for breakfast when you're on the go, and these easy vegan blueberry muffins are the perfect solution. They are so good!

What I really loved about the book was that it is unmistakably Sam’s. It’s bright and colorful, like I imagine she is, and you can tell she put a lot of hard work into it. She even made her own font!! I really recommend this book, especially if you’re just starting out. You won’t be disappointed.

The Recipe: Easy Vegan Blueberry Muffins

The recipe is pretty straightforward, but I did successfully make these substituting:

  • the sugar with 1/2 cup of maple syrup (for those that are sugar free),
  • the oil for apple sauce (for those that are fat-free)
  • I did 1/2 AP flour and 1/2 whole wheat flour
  • You can substitute the blueberries for raspberries or blackberries if you wish.

Enjoy!

There's nothing quite as effortless as popping a muffin in your purse for breakfast when you're on the go, and these easy vegan blueberry muffins are the perfect solution. They are so good!

There's nothing quite as effortless as popping a muffin in your purse for breakfast when you're on the go, and these easy vegan blueberry muffins are the perfect solution. They are so good!

Easy Vegan Blueberry Muffins

"Excerpted from Fuss Free Vegan: 101 Everyday Comfort Food Favorites, Veganized. Copyright © 2017 Samantha Turnbull. Published by Appetite by Random House®, a division of Penguin Random House Canada Limited. Reproduced by arrangement with the Publisher. All rights reserved.”
5 from 1 vote
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Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes
Servings: 12 small muffins
Calories: 200kcal
Author: Sam Turnbull

Ingredients

Dry Ingredients

  • 1 ½ cups All-purpose flour
  • ¾ cup White sugar
  • 2 tsp. Baking powder
  • ½ tsp. Salt

Wet Ingredients

  • ¾ cup Non-dairy milk (such as soy or almond)
  • ½ cup light oil (such as canola or vegetable oil)
  • 1 tbsp. Fresh lemon juice
  • 2 tsp. Vanilla extract
  • 1 cup blueberries (fresh or frozen)
US Customary - Metric

Instructions

  • Preheat your oven to 400°F. Lightly grease the cups of a muffin pan or fill it with liners.
  • In a large bowl, whisk together all of the dry ingredients. Set aside.
  • In a medium bowl, whisk together all of the wet ingredients except for the blueberries. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix until just combined. Add the blueberries and lightly fold them in, being careful not to overmix. It’s ok if there are lumps.
  • For large bakery-style muffins, fill 8–9 muffin cups right to the top with batter, then bake for 18–22 minutes until lightly golden on top, and a toothpick inserted in the center of a muffin comes
  • out clean. For small muffins, divide the batter evenly among the 12 muffin cups and bake for 15–20 minutes, until lightly golden on top and a toothpick inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean. Let the muffins cool in the pan, then store them on a plate covered with a clean tea towel for 2 to 3 days. This will keep the muffins the best texture, but if you want them to last longer, store them in a large sealable bag in the fridge for up to a week.

Nutrition

Serving: 1muffin | Calories: 200kcal | Carbohydrates: 26g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 9g | Sodium: 101mg | Potassium: 109mg | Sugar: 13g | Vitamin A: 5IU | Vitamin C: 1.7mg | Calcium: 57mg | Iron: 0.8mg
Nutrition Facts
Easy Vegan Blueberry Muffins
Amount Per Serving (1 muffin)
Calories 200 Calories from Fat 81
% Daily Value*
Fat 9g14%
Sodium 101mg4%
Potassium 109mg3%
Carbohydrates 26g9%
Sugar 13g14%
Protein 1g2%
Vitamin A 5IU0%
Vitamin C 1.7mg2%
Calcium 57mg6%
Iron 0.8mg4%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Disclosure: I received a free copy of this book for reviewing purposes, but all opinions and thoughts are my own.

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Hearty Whole Wheat Flour Tortillas

The northern part of Mexico, where I am from, is famous for their flour tortillas. Of course whenever you are trying to be “healthy” you eat whole wheat tortillas. These hearty whole wheat flour tortillas are my paternal grandmother’s recipe. They are not your chewy and tasteless like the ones you can get at the grocery store. These are vegan and the real deal! I had to test the recipe a couple times to get it right, but the kids loved them. We even toasted them on a comal and cut them into triangles to dip in our guacamole or hummus.

These hearty whole wheat flour tortillas are my paternal grandmother's recipe. These are vegan, delicious, kid approved, and the real deal!

We finally hiked Diamond Head and we had so much fun! I had been postponing it because I didn’t want to do it without my hubby, and I was trying to avoid the crowds. One day though, I got tired of being stuck in the house so I decided to go for it. I wore the two year old on my back and Dylan wore the camelback and the snacks. I would say it is an intermediate hike in terms of difficulty, but adding the extra 29 pounds to my back really made it a great workout. The crowds of tourists were pretty bad. The whole hike we were surrounded by people, almost like we were all hiking together in a huge line. Regardless, the kids and I enjoyed ourselves and ended the hike with some shaved ice.

These hearty whole wheat flour tortillas are my paternal grandmother's recipe. These are vegan, delicious, kid approved, and the real deal!

The Recipe: Heart Whole Wheat Flour Tortillas

A couple weeks ago I had the pleasure of connecting with Douglas Cullen of the blog Mexican Food Journal, and he was kind enough to guest post with his recipe for Creamy Poblano Soup. This time I have guest posted on his blog and that is where you will find the recipe.

READ RECIPE AT MEXICAN FOOD JOURNAL

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Vegan Day of the Dead Bread

Who knew death could be so colorful? Purple and orange tissue paper banners line altars decorated with marigold petals, colorful sugar skulls, and a bounty of fruit and vegetables. This is a celebration of life and triumph over death, the intermingling of the religious beliefs of the indigenous people of Mexico and the faith of the Spaniards that conquered them. The Day of the Dead is not only a holiday that honors those who have left us, but it is believed that on that special day the souls of the dead return to visit the living. Both the indigenous people and the Church of the Spaniards believed that death was not an end, but only a passageway to another life. That is why this is a joyous occasion, a homecoming festival, and at the same time a way to mock death and the power it holds over our bodies.

This vegan Day of the Dead bread (Pan de Muerto) is moist, airy, has a hint of orange zest, and is perfect for dipping in hot chocolate.

Before the arrival of the Spanish conquistadores, the Aztecs held rituals for the dead during the summer months in a joint celebration with the first days of harvest. The dead were traditionally buried with rich offering of ceramics, personal objects, and food. The offerings where meant to assist them in their journey to the afterlife. After the arrival of the Catholic missionaries their traditions and beliefs were merged with those of the indigenous people, and the festivities were moved to coincide with All Saints Day and All Souls Day, Nov 1st and Nov 2nd.

This vegan Day of the Dead bread (Pan de Muerto) is moist, airy, has a hint of orange zest, and is perfect for dipping in hot chocolate.

 

This vegan Day of the Dead bread (Pan de Muerto) is moist, airy, has a hint of orange zest, and is perfect for dipping in hot chocolate.

The festivities have evolved over the years and differ from region to region. Some of the most popular ones include altars in honor of loved ones who have passed, preparing the dead’s favorite foods, and gathering at the cemetery to decorate a loved one’s grave, share a meal and reminiscence. My favorite tradition is the elaboration of the altars. The symbolism incorporated into the altars is so rich and meaningful that it truly honors the dead, those we keep in our hearts, but somehow with the passing of time fade in our memories.

This vegan Day of the Dead bread (Pan de Muerto) is moist, airy, has a hint of orange zest, and is perfect for dipping in hot chocolate.

This vegan Day of the Dead bread (Pan de Muerto) is moist, airy, has a hint of orange zest, and is perfect for dipping in hot chocolate.

Every altar has several key symbols which are:

water– as an offering to the soul to quench their thirst in their long journey

salt– as a symbol of purification and to preserve the body so it will not wither

fire– to represent the light of the faith and guide the spirits in their journey

incense– to elevate our prayers to God in heaven

flowers– marigolds, their color represents the radiance of sunlight and life

bread– as a symbol of the body of Christ, usually round loaves with topped with “bones” and known as pan de muerto

a picture of the person who the altar is dedicated to

religious images– to symbolize God as an intermediary between the living and the dead

the favorite foods and drinks of the departed– to delight the souls who will be visiting (the most common being Mexican hot chocolate, tequila, atole, mole, tortillas and rice

candy skulls– the indigenous held the skull as symbol of death being a part of life

tissue paper banners– purple to symbolize christian mourning and orange to symbolize Aztec mourning

fruits and vegetables– an offering from the earth

personal objects of the person being honored– to accompany them on their journey back

a dog– to protect and guide the spirits.

This vegan Day of the Dead bread (Pan de Muerto) is moist, airy, has a hint of orange zest, and is perfect for dipping in hot chocolate.

This vegan Day of the Dead bread (Pan de Muerto) is moist, airy, has a hint of orange zest, and is perfect for dipping in hot chocolate.

Every year we make an altar in our home to a loved one lost. It is our own special way of introducing our deceased loved ones to our children. We talk about the things that they liked to eat, do, and why they are important to us. On November 2nd we say a prayer for them, and keep hoping for the day we will be reunited in the afterlife. For years now, we have also been attending the Day of the Dead Festival in Oceanside, CA. The festival takes place in the Mission San Luis Rey. There are a variety of traditional foods such as tamales, tacos, tortas, aguas frescas, and pan de muerto. There is also face painting, sugar skull decorating, and regional dances. However, the highlight of the festival is the showcase of the altars, some representing various Mexican states and built by whole communities and families.

This vegan Day of the Dead bread (Pan de Muerto) is moist, airy, has a hint of orange zest, and is perfect for dipping in hot chocolate.

This vegan Day of the Dead bread (Pan de Muerto) is moist, airy, has a hint of orange zest, and is perfect for dipping in hot chocolate.

Out of all the wonderful Mexican traditions, the Day of the Dead might be the one that still holds firm to its pre-Hispanic roots. The loved ones lost, who we cannot see or hear, make themselves present in our homes, share our food, and partake in the rejoicing of life and the conquest of death.

Sources:

Los Dias de Los Muertos, Smithsonian Institution National Museum of the American Indian and National Museum of American History, 2010

Simbolismos en el altar del Dia de los Muertos, Tanatologa Aida Maria Castro Morales, 2007 (http://www.slideshare.net/internatoni/simbolismos-en-el-altar-del-da-de-muertos)

The Recipe: Vegan Day of the Dead Bread (Pan de Muerto)

This recipe might be better than the non-vegan version, according to my husband. I have substituted the eggs with potatoes, resulting in a moist, soft, and sweet bread. It is perfect for dipping in hot chocolate or coffee.

pan-de-muerto2

Bake at 350F for 40- 45 minutes. Brush with butter and sprinkle with sugar.

pan de muerto

 

pan de muerto

Vegan Day of the Dead Bread

This vegan day of the dead bread or pan de muerto is tender, sweet, and delicious. Perfect for dipping on hot chocolate.
4.5 from 2 votes
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Course: Dessert
Cuisine: Mexican
Keyword: day of the dead, pan de muerto, vegan
Prep Time: 1 day
Cook Time: 45 minutes
Total Time: 1 day 45 minutes
Servings: 4 loaves
Author: Dora Stone

Ingredients

  • 1 pack (.25 oz) Active dry yeast
  • ½ cup (3.5 oz) Almond milk, room temperature, 3.5 oz
  • 3 1/3 cup (17.5 oz) Bread flour
  • ¾ cup (5.5 oz) Sugar, granulated
  • 1 tsp. Salt
  • 1 tsp. Orange zest
  • ¼ cup Orange juice
  • ¾ cup (6 oz.) Potato, Yukon gold, cooked, mashed
  • ½ cup + 1 tbsp. (4 ¼ oz.) Vegan butter room temperature, cut into 1 inch pieces,

Topping

  • 2 tbsp. Vegan butter, melted
  • ½ cup Sugar, granulated

Instructions

  • In a medium bowl, dissolve the yeast in the almond milk and add 2 tbsp. of the flour. Whisk to incorporate and let rest in a warm place for 20 min.
  • In the bowl of a mixer, with the dough hook, combine the dry ingredients: the rest of the flour, salt, sugar, and orange zest. Mix.
  • Add the wet ingredients: the orange juice, mashed potato, and yeast-flour mixture. Mix on low until the dough begins to incorporate.
  • Add the ½ cup + 1 tbsp. of softened butter little by little and increase speed to medium. Mix for 15 min. until the dough has come off the sides of the bowl and is stretchy but not sticky.
  • Place the dough in a large oiled bowl, cover with a towel and let rise for 1 to 1 ½ hours, or until doubled in size. Punch down the dough and fold the side over unto each other and flip. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.
  • The next day take the dough from the fridge, remove the plastic wrap and cover with a towel. Let rise in a warm place (70-75F) until the dough comes to room temperature, about an hour.
  • Take a piece of dough, weighing about 3 oz., and set aside. Divide the remaining dough into four pieces. Roll them tightly into rounds and place on a sheet tray lined with parchment. Press down on the rounds lightly.
  • Use the reserved dough to make 4 small balls the size of a quarter and set aside. Use the remaining dough to roll out eight strips long enough to cover the rounds. Place two strips on top of each round forming an x, use your fingers to press lightly on the strips to form knobs, they should resemble bones. Repeat the process with the rest of the rounds.
  • Cover with a towel and let rise for 1 ½ hrs. in a warm place (70- 75F) or until double in size.
  • Meanwhile preheat the oven to 350F. Place the small balls in the center of the rounds with a little bit of water. Bake for 20-30 min. until the rounds have become a rich brown color. Cover with foil and bake for 10 to 15 min. more, until the bread reaches an internal temperature of 190F. Remove from the oven and let cool on a rack.
  • While the bread is still warm melt 2 tbsp. of butter and brush the bread with it. Sprinkle evenly with sugar.
  • Let bread completely cool before eating.

Video

Notes

My favorite vegan butter is Earth Balance. This recipe is a combination of my dad’s recipe and Fanny Gerson’s method for Pan de Muerto in My Sweet Mexico.

This vegan Day of the Dead bread (Pan de Muerto) is moist, airy, has a hint of orange zest, and is perfect for dipping in hot chocolate.

This vegan Day of the Dead bread (Pan de Muerto) is moist, airy, has a hint of orange zest, and is perfect for dipping in hot chocolate.

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Whole Wheat Honey Bread

I’ve always been deeply suspicious of vegetarians and vegans. In restaurants they’re a pain in the butt, with all their special requests and demands. I have tried to be empathetic, but really, who willingly gives up all kind of animal product? Don’t they know how delicious a medium rare steak is? or a slice of Manchego cheese from Spain? I’m also guilty of being inconsiderate towards them, like the time we invited our vegetarian friend to eat at Animal Restaurant! We didn’t do it on purpose, we completely forgot. Luckily they had a couple of vegetarian options.

I recently watched the documentary Forks over Knives and read the book the China Study. I also just read a really good blog that talks about the myths of nutrition. All this reading has made me more aware of the food I eat or should be eating and what I feed my family. So as an offering for Lent we will be eating a whole foods plant based diet. This means no animal product of any kind, and no processed foods. How is this different from veganism? We are making this choice for health reasons not political ones. We love animals, but we also love to eat them. This has never been an issue for us, but when you read things like:

“Those who eat more whole, plant-based foods not only have lower cholesterol levels, but have less heart disease.”

“That a diet high in animal protein gives rise to cancer cells, and allows more rapid growth of tumors once they have officially formed.”

“Multiple sclerosis has been linked to animal food consumption, especially dairy consumption.”

“A whole-foods plant based diet can protect against and even treat a wide variety of chronic diseases.” (The China Study by T. Colin Campbell & Thomas M. Campbell II)

……..you can’t just continue to eat the way you did before. Will this eventually lead to a full conversion to the other side? I don’t think so, but it is yet to be seen.

How do we eat now? A week of dinners looks like this:

Monday: Pan roasted Steelhead Trout, Roasted Baby Fennel & Cherry Toamtoes, Celery Root Mash.

Tuesday: Eat out (this week we had pizza)

Wednesday: Turkey Chilli, Cornbread & Black Bean, Corn & Tomato Salad in a lime-avocado dressing.

Thursday: Roasted Chicken, Baked Sweet Potatoes, Kale braised with garlic, onion, apple cider, chicken stock, and almonds.

Friday: Whole wheat pasta, olive oil, oven dried cherry tomatoes, sugar snap peas, garlic, red pepper flakes, & mushrooms.

Saturday: Shredded Chicken Tinga, Avocado, Salsa, Tortillas & Beans.

Sunday: Leftover day

I buy most of our produce at the local farmer’s market, and cook almost everything from scratch. I’m not obsessive about buying organic, I focus on buying mostly local. I spend about $120-$140 a week on groceries for a family of 3. We drink water with our meals and enjoy wine, cocktails and beer whenever possible. When it comes to processed food we buy staples like bread, crackers, tortillas & peanut butter. We also indulge in the occasional donut, muffin, cookie, cake, and ice cream. We love ice cream!

When we eat out it’s another story. We are professional cooks, so we eat everything and anything we can get our hands on. We take it upon ourselves to taste as much as possible. Bottom line is, we enjoy eating and cooking, it’s our job and our passion.

I will be posting recipes here and pictures of what we’re cooking or eating on Pinterest, you can find us as Dora Stone. For now here is a recipe for whole wheat bread, it’s easy to make and contains no additives, preservatives or high fructose corn syrup like your typical grocery store sandwich bread.

The Recipe: Whole Wheat Honey Bread

This bread is hearty and soft with a touch of sweet. Perfect for sandwiches and toast.

Whole Wheat Honey Bread

Recipe adapted from Orangette: Rancho la Puerta Whole Wheat Bread
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Cook Time: 2 hours
Total Time: 2 hours
Servings: 2 loaves
Author: Dora Stone

Ingredients

  • 2 ¼ cups Whole wheat flour
  • ½ cup Wheat bran
  • ½ cup Oat flour
  • 1 tbsp. Active dry yeast 1 pkg
  • 1 tsp. Salt, kosher
  • 1 tbsp. Oil, canola
  • 1/8 cup Honey
  • 1 ¾ cups Water warm

Instructions

  • In a large bowl combine the oil, active dry yeast, water, and honey. Stir and set aside for 5 to 6 minutes or until the mixture bubbles and foams.
  • Spray 1- 8×5 loaf pan with cooking spray.
  • In a medium bowl combine the flours and the salt. Add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients 1 cup at a time, mixing with a wooden spoon until all flour is incorporated.
  • Turn the dough out into a lightly floured surface and knead for 8 to 10 minutes, or until the dough is smooth and elastic. To test if the dough, insert your thumb into the dough for 5 seconds. If your thumb comes out clean the dough is ready.
  • Preheat oven to 350F. Shape the dough into a loaf and place in the pan. Cover with a dish towel and let rise until it doubles in size, for about 1 hour.
  • Bake bread on the center rack of the oven for about 40 min. or until the crust is golden brown and the bread sounds hollow when tapped on the bottom.
  • Cool completely on a rack before slicing.

Notes

To make this vegan, you can substitute the honey for agave nectar

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