Oaxacan bakery in Milwaukee ready to make thousands of orders of pan de muerto

It’s 8 a.m. on a Monday morning in mid-October and Heladio and Efren Garcia are hard at work.

The brothers have been working since 3 a.m., getting La Casa Del Pan, a Oaxacan bakery on Milwaukee’s south side at 2131 S. Muskego Ave., ready for customers.

A small wireless speaker with traces of flour on it plays Peso Pluma and Grupo Frontera.

Efren kneads dough and shapes it into small shells. A loud buzz catches Heladio’s attention. He walks over to the oven and takes out a batch of fresh breads.

They work around each other effortlessly, like a rehearsed dance. Each of them is making a different kind of bread or pastry. The room smells of sweet wheat.

It’s a regular day at the bakery and a few customers have walked in. Two more brothers will join Heladio and Efren later in the afternoon.

They're gearing up for one of the busiest times of the year. As Day of the Dead approaches, the family will soon work overnight, making thousands of orders of pan de muerto (bread of the dead).

Pan de muerto is a bread that's traditional to the Mexican state of Oaxaca, usually made to celebrate Day of the Dead from Nov. 1 to Nov. 2. It's made with flour, eggs, butter, milk, water and cream. Resembling brioche bread, it’s typically decorated in traditional designs.

While thousands of people will place orders, the bread isn't for them. Pan de muerto is for the loved ones who are no longer with us. The breads are meant to be placed on altars and offered to relatives who have passed away.

“The belief is that, on that day, souls come back to visit our homes, and that’s why the Oaxacan people put up altars,” Heladio said. (Heladio spoke in Spanish and this interview has been translated and edited slightly for clarity.)

Families decorate altars with photos of late relatives and add fruits, chocolate, traditional meals, shots of mezcal and other items that were special to that person.

While the tradition is celebrated in Mexico and across Latin America, one of the largest Day of the Dead celebrations is in Oaxaca.

La Casa Del Pan is one of the few bakeries in Milwaukee where people can get traditional Oaxacan recipes.

Heladio’s wife, Miriam Garcia, grew up in the bakery business in Oaxaca. Her grandparents — similar to many people in her pueblo — were bakers.

“When we got here, we noticed people here didn’t celebrate that much,” Heladio said.

The Garcia brothers wanted to bring those traditions to Milwaukee, especially for those who aren't able to travel back to their hometowns.

“It makes people feel like they are at home, even if they can no longer visit,” Heladio said.

The Garcia brothers came to Milwaukee from Oaxaca in 2005. They worked in the restaurant and service industry but eventually wanted to create something of their own.

Heladio and Efran, along with brothers Silverio and Bulmaro, opened La Casa Del Pan in 2020 during the coronavirus pandemic. They couldn't pass up the opportunity to buy the building on Muskego Avenue.

“We have been here more than 15 years, but the pandemic is what pushed us to work on our own account,” Heladio said.

The Garcia family will soon put up their own altar in the bakery. They're prepared to work all night to fulfill the many orders for pan de muerto.

This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Milwaukee's La Casa Del Pan bakery prepares to make pan de muerto