Pan De Muerto (Mexican Bread Of The Dead) - cooking recipe

Ingredients

Bread
1/2 cup warm water
2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast
4 1/2 cups bread flour
1 tablespoon anise seed, crushed
1 orange, zest of, grated
5 large eggs
1 cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled to lukewarm
butter, for greasing pans
3 tablespoons orange liqueur
1/3 cup sugar
2 teaspoons salt
Glaze
2 cups powdered sugar
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
2 tablespoons orange juice (fresh)
1 tablespoon lemon juice (fresh)
1 teaspoon grated orange zest
Topping
yellow or orange colored crystal sugar, crystals or candy sprinkles

Preparation

For the Bread:
Pour warm water into a 1 quart bowl and sprinkle yeast over water. Set aside in a warm place that is free of draft until bubbly, about 5 minutes.
Stir 1 cup of flour to make a sponge. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and set aside until the sponge doubles in volume, about 1 hour.
Scrape the sponge into the bowl of an electric mixer. Beat in anise seeds, orange zest, butter, orange liqueur, sugar, salt, eggs and 2 cups of flour. Beat the batter on medium speed for about 5 minutes. Reduce the speed to low and add, one 1/4 cup at a time, the remaining 1 1/2 cups of flour until it forms a very soft dough that cleans the side of the bowl.
Knead with hook for 4 minutes (dough will be smooth and very soft, but it should not be sticky, if needed add more flour by the tablespoon to preventing sticking). Place the dough in a greased bowl, cover it with a cloth and set aside to rise in a warm place free of draft until doubled in volume, about 1 1/2 hour.
Grease 2 8-inches round cake pans. Gently deflate dough and divide in half, (dough will be very soft). Carefully transfer each half to a greased cake pan, turning the edges under to smooth the top as best you can. Cover the pans loosely with plastic wrap, then with damp cloths and let stand in a warm place until dough rises to the top of pan, about 1 1/2 to 2 hours.
Preheat oven to 350\u00b0F.
Bake bread until hollow when thumped, about 35 to 40 minutes. Immediately remove the loaves from pans and place them on a wire rack to cool completely.
For Glaze:
Stir everything together until smooth, add more orange juice if necessary to reach spread consistency.
Spread glaze over cooled loaves and sprinkle with toppings.