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Brief history of pan de muerto.
The pan de muerto, which for Mexicans is a real pleasure, traces its origin to pre-Hispanic times and is now one of the most important elements in the offerings of the Day of the Dead.
On November 2 is celebrated throughout Mexico on All Souls Day, when their cemeteries and their tombs are visited by mourners who decorate them with flowers of various colors and other offerings with dishes that its liked the deceased.
Several historians have agreed that the families of this country have had a particular fondness for this bread and have maintained the tradition for several centuries.
They have also shown that the emergence of this bread goes back to the era of human sacrifice and the arrival of the Spanish in what was then New Spain (now Mexico) in 1519.
At that time, a princess was offered to the gods, his heart still beating was introduced in a pot of amaranth to bite later in thanks to a god.
The Spanish, not consenting to such sacrifices, they mapped out a wheat bread heart shaped sugar plated painted red, simulating the blood of the maiden and so did the pan de muerto.
José Luis Curiel Monteagudo, in his book "Afanes added sugar, sweets and breads," says: "Eating for the Mexican dead is a true pleasure, cannibalism is considered the bread and sugar. The phenomenon is treated with respect and irony, is challenged to death, make fun of her eating it. "
Other historians have revealed that the birth of this bread is based on a ritual that made the first inhabitants of Mesoamerica were burying the dead with their belongings.

In the book "In Our Traditions" recounts the development of bread comprising ground amaranth seeds and toast, mixed with the blood of the sacrifices offered in honor Izcoxauhqui, or Huehueteotl Cuetzaltzin.
They also made an idol of Huitzilopochtli of "joy", which after a peak and fit way of sacrifice, it drew the heart in symbolic form, as the amaranth bread was the heart of an idol, he adds.

Then he says, people were split between the pieces of bread to share divinity.

It is believed that there arose the pan de muerto, which was modified in various ways, until the present he says.
The pan de muerto is meaningful, the circle is at the top of it is the skull, the cops are the bones and the taste of orange is the memory of the deceased.

These breads are classified as follows

• Apes, which are those that represent the human figure,

• Zoomorphic, with the idea of animals such as birds, rabbits, dogs, fish and butterflies, among others.Are characteristic of Tepoztlan, and equally Telolapan Mixquic.

• Phytomorphic, representatives of various plants such as trees, flowers and bowers

• Mitomorfos, shaped figure is not identified as human, plant or animal, they represent fantastic beings.

The Day of the Dead offerings are placed objects as remembered image of the deceased, candles, flowers, herbs, aroma, food, Itacate, objects and dead tissue paper calacas chopped or made of clay or cardboard, among others.
The celebration of the deceased becomes a mortuary feast dominated by food and yellow flowers (the color of death for Hispanic cultures), as the marigold, the clemoles, oranges, guavas, bananas, squash and bread characteristic of the occasion.
Some historians have said that "this bread, pastry, with its four droplets or spool, who symbolizes the bones are gone. The top of his heart."
For others, the bread takes four taps to form a cross, because they are designated the four directions of nahuolli (the universe).
They in turn, the four cardinal points, defined by as many deities: Quetzalcoatl Camaxtli, Xipetotec, Tlaloc, Huitzilopochtli and Tezcatlipoca, expressions of the concept of pre-Hispanic world.

In height above sea level or climates differ you may need to reduce or increase the liquid ingredients also the yeast.

The rule is in a greater heigh above sea level you need increased liquids and dicreased yeast; is in a lower heigh above sea level you need dicreased liquids and increased yeast