Recipe: Pan de Muertos (day of the dead bread)/Rosca de Reyes (king's ring)

I make this bread twice a year, once for Day of the Dead (Halloween), and once around Christmas (in latin traditions, January 6, when the wise men met Jesus).  The difference is how you shape it and decorate it for each occasion.  Allow a bit of time as the dough ripens in two stages, almost like a quick sourdough.

Dough stage 1

454  g   flour
   8   g   sea salt
  56  g   sugar
  29  g   fresh yeast (20 g dry)
150 ml  milk (warm)
    3       large eggs

- bloom yeast in warm milk - feed with small amount of the sugar
- mix all ingredients with dough hook (or by hand) until elastic, sticky and shiny
- round out and proof in plastic wrapped bowl until double in size - overnight in fridge is ok

Dough stage 2

227 g   sugar
200 g   soft unsalted butter
454 g   flour
150 g   egg yolks (8 or 9)
 30 ml  milk (to whisk into yolks)
 60 ml  milk
   5 ml  orange blossom water
   4       orange zest (finely grated)
   3 g    ground anise seed
   3 g    ground nutmeg
   3 g    ground cinnamon
   1       vanilla bean
20 g     poppy seeds

Glazing:

            melted butter
            sugar

Rosca de Reyes will also need:

   1       plastic baby jesus (check latin bakeshops)
   4       large egg yolks
114 g   unsalted butter
  56 g   sugar
            flour to make "paste"
            assorted dried or candied fruit
            lightly toasted almonds

- if stage 1 dough was refrigerated, bring it to room temperature
- whisk 30 ml milk with yolks
- tear starter dough into small pieces and place in mixing bowl with sugar, zest, poppy seeds, spices and butter
- mix well with dough hook, than alternately add flour and milk/yolk mix
- mix in rest of milk and orange blossom water
- when sticky, smooth and shiny, round out and proof in wrapped bowl until double in size


Pan de Muertos:  4 loaves

- divide dough into 4
- keep a little of the dough aside from each, and round up the rest
- with the extra dough, form "skulls" and "bones", place on loaves like a skull and crossbone pattern
- proof on baking trays, double pan if possible
- preheat oven to 325 F/ 163 C
- when proofed, poke "eyes" into the skulls and place breads in oven
- bake 20 - 30 minutes until golden brown and sound hollow when tapped (depending on your  oven, you may need to rotate the pan and give it more time)
- brush with melted butter and sprinkle with sugar

Rosca de Reyes:  2 loaves

- divide dough into 2
- roll logs, connect ends to make elongated rings - place on baking sheets, double panned if possible
- insert baby into dough (the "lucky" recipient gets to throw a party later on February 2nd) - let proof
- preheat oven to 325 F/ 163 C
- when proofed, place into oven
- prepare yolk, flour,sugar and butter paste to an icing-like consistency, and a small amount very thick 
- bake about 20 minutes - 90% done (again, depending on your oven, you may need more time)
- pull out of oven and decorate with glaze, then use thick paste to stick fruit on
- return to oven to cook the glaze and finish cooking the bread
- take out of oven, brush with melted butter and sprinkle with sugar and toasted almonds