For Día de Muertos, chef Elena Reygadas pulls out all the stops — including totomoxtle — at her beloved bakery
Mexico City’s Panadería Rosetta may be widely known for its acclaimed rol de guayaba, or guava pastry, but when October hits, it’s all about the pan de muerto, or bread of the dead, which is prepared each Día de Muertos. Día de Muertos is a Mexican tradition celebrated each year on November 1 and 2. During this holiday, families welcome the souls of their departed relatives to heal and honor them. They pay their respects in a reunion filled with food, drinks, celebration, and of course, pan de muerto.
“It’s an essential part of our culture, one of the most important and beloved breads,” says Elena Reygadas, Panadería Rosetta’s chef and owner. “And, it’s personally my favorite.”
Pan de muerto inside the case at Panadería Rosetta, where crowds line up to buy the bread.
The pan de muerto is an essential offering on the Día de Muertos altar, which honors departed loved ones. While family members physically eat the pan de muerto, it’s believed that the spirits can be nourished by the “essence” of the bread and any other offerings left for them during this time. There are many variations and styles of pan de muerto, but it usually has a slightly sweet flavor enhanced by orange zest and a sugar topping (the bread can be covered in white or red sugar, sesame seeds, sprinkles, or brushed with an egg wash). Its most distinctive feature is the decorative pieces of dough shaped like bones placed on top, symbolizing the circle of life and death. The inside has a soft, airy texture, while the crust is golden brown. Traditionally, this bread is enjoyed with coffee, atole, or hot chocolate during the festivities.
Panadería Rosetta has been making pan de muerto since it opened in 2012, selling between 160 and 500 daily during the season that lasts between October 1 and November 3; the bakery uses orange blossom water in its recipe, giving the bread its characteristic aroma and flavor. “The essence of orange blossom is marked in our collective memory as part of our traditions here at Panadería Rosetta,” Reygadas says, crediting her mother with “passing on to me her love for Mexican celebrations.” The bakery also uses a sourdough (or masa madre) starter, resulting in a particularly soft, airy, and fluffy bread. Unsurprisingly, the pan de muerto sells out every day, and during Día de Muertos, lines are longer at the bakery than usual: “The beauty of bread lies in its freshness and its brevity,” Reygadas says. “We produce every day and bake only for the day.”
From Panadería Rosetta’s inception in 2012, Reygadas always included traditional pan de muerto covered in sugar. But in 2019, she introduced a new creation: bread of the dead mixed with totomoxtle, or corn ash, as a way to upcycle discarded corn husks from other areas of her business. The result is a striking, all-black pan de muerto. For Reygadas, the color is less about adding a decorative element than it is about history. “This reinterpretation adds a layer of metaphorical meaning, connecting the use of ash to pre-Hispanic culture and Catholic rituals while we take advantage of corn husks that would otherwise be discarded,” she says. “It’s a clear example of how heritage and symbolism come together in a single bread.”
Reygadas first gained recognition for her restaurant, Rosetta, opening the panadería as a separate bakery after demand from neighbors and other chefs. Reygadas then expanded Panadería Rosetta’s menu, starting with classic and traditional breads, and later reviving lesser-known Mexican recipes, such as pulque bread and cemita. This year, the bakery is launching a new pan de muerto recipe made with amaranth, as well as bread made with quelites, as a nod to other native ingredients that Reygadas has a special affection for. “We like to honor and keep our Mexican traditions alive with gestures like this,” Reygadas says.
Kisai Ponce is the director of audience development at Thrillist.
Leandro Motta is a photographer based in Mexico City.
