Santa Bread Food

GOLDEN SANTA BREAD

Steps:

• In a large bowl, combine 2 cups flour, sugar, yeast and salt. In a small saucepan, heat milk, water and butter to 120°-130°. Add to dry ingredients; beat just until moistened. Beat in eggs until smooth. Stir in enough remaining flour to form a stiff dough. , Turn onto a floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic, 6-8 minutes. Place in a greased bowl, turning once to grease top. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour., Preheat oven to 350°. Punch dough down. Turn onto a lightly floured surface; divide into 2 portions, 1 slightly larger than the other. , Shape the larger portion into an elongated triangle with rounded corners for Santa's head and hat. , Divide the smaller portion in half. Shape and flatten 1 half into a beard. Place beard over face; using a sharp knife, cut deep slits to resemble hair. , Use the remaining dough for the mustache, nose, eyebrows, hat pompom and brim. Shape a portion of dough into a mustache; flatten and place on face over beard. Using sharp knife, cut slits to resemble hair. Place a small ball above mustache for nose. With scissors, cut 2 slits for eyes; insert raisins into slits. Form another small portion of dough into eyebrows; flatten and place above eyes. Roll out a narrow piece of dough to create a hat brim; position below hat. Fold tip of hat over and add dough ball for pompom. If desired, using scissors or sharp knife, cut small lines along edges of brim and pompom to resemble fur., In separate small bowls, beat each egg yolk. Add red food coloring to 1 yolk; carefully brush over hat. Brush plain yolk over remaining dough., Cover loosely with foil. Bake 15 minutes. Uncover; bake until golden brown, 10-12 minutes longer. Cool on a wire rack.

SANTA BREAD

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 200 degrees. Spread kataifi in a single layer on a baking sheet. Place in oven, turning occasionally until dry, about 20 minutes.
• In the bowl of a heavy-duty electric mixer fitted with the dough hook attachment, combine the high-gluten-flour, rye flour, salt, and yeast. Mix until well blended. With machine running, gradually add about 2 1/4 cups warm water (100 degrees) until dough comes together around hook. Continue mixing until dough is elastic and pulls away from sides of bowl, about 3 minutes. Turn out onto a floured work surface. Shape into a ball, and cover with a clean kitchen towel. Set aside for 40 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Divide dough into 1 one-pound piece and 1 two-pound piece. Keep smaller piece covered with a kitchen towel while working with the larger piece. Form larger piece into a cone. With smaller piece, form two 1 1/2-ounce balls for the pom-pom and nose, two 1-inch rounds for the eyes, one 8-by-1 1/2-by-1/4-inch rectangle for the hat brim, one half round 1/4 inch thick and 8 inches in diameter with a 6-inch radius for the beard, and one half round 1/4 inch thick and 5 inches in diameter with a 1 1/2-inch radius for the mustache.
• Stretch small end of cone, and curve it to one side to form cap. Transfer to baking sheet. Fit the rectangle onto base of cap for the brim. Take one 1 1/2-ounce ball, and attach to end of cap for the pom-pom. Place the second 1 1/2-ounce ball on face to make a nose. Place one raisin in each 1-inch round, and press onto face to form eyes. Using a knife, cut vertical slits in larger half round, to make beard. Attach to lower half of face. Cut horizontal slits in smaller half round. Gather in center, and press into face forming mustache and mouth. Cover with a clean kitchen towel, and let rise for 15 to 30 minutes.
• Brush face and beard with egg yolk. Add food coloring to egg yolk, and brush hood and tip of nose. Place in oven. Lower oven temperature to 350 degrees. Bake until it sounds hollow when tapped on the bottom, about 1 hour. Transfer to a wire rack to cool. Brush brim of hood and pom-pom with apple jelly. Sprinkle with kataifi or coconut.

SANTA BREAD FROM TASTE OF HOME

Steps:

• In large bowl, combine 2 cups flour, sugar, yeast and salt.
• In small saucepan, heat milk, water and butter to 120 - 130.
• Add to dry ingredients; buat just until moistened.
• Beat in eggs until smooth.
• Stir in enough remaining flour to form stiff dough.
• Turn onto a floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic, about 6-8 minutes.
• Place in a greased bowl, turning once to grease top.
• Cover and let rise in warm place until doubled, about 1 hour.
• Punch dough down.
• Turn onto a lightly floured surface; divide into two portions, one slightly larger than the other.
• Shap larger portion into an elongated triangle with rounded corners for Santa's head and hat.
• Divide smaller portion in half.
• Shape and flatten one half into a beard.
• Using scissors or pizza cutter, cut into strips to within 1 inch of top.
• Position on Santa's face; twist and curl strips if desired.
• Use remaining dough for mustache, nose, hat pom-pom and brim.
• Shape a portion of dough into a mustache; flatten and cut ends into small strips with scissors.
• Place above beard.
• Place a small ball above mustache for nose.
• Fold tip of hat over and add another ball for pop-pom.
• Roll out a narrow piece od fough to create a hat brim; position under hat.
• With scissors, cut two slits for eyes; insert raisins into slits (I think you could use blueberry craisins for blue eyes)
• In separate small bowls, beat egg yolk.
• Add red flood coloring to one yolk; carefully brush over hat, nose and cheeks.
• Brush plain yolk over remaining dough.
• Cover loosely with foil.
• Bake at 350 for 15 minutes.
• Uncover; bake 10-12 minutes longer or until golden brown.
• Cool on a wire rack.