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Christmas Reindeer Loaf

Prep Time2 hours
Cook Time20 minutes
Course: Bread
Cuisine: English
Servings: 6

Ingredients

  • 480 g Strong White Bread Flour
  • 100 g Granulated Sugar
  • 2 x 7g Sachets of Quick action Yeast
  • 1 1/2 tsp Salt
  • 120 ml Milk
  • 60 ml Water
  • 60 g Butter
  • 2 Eggs beaten
  • 1 Egg for Egg wash

'Paint'

  • 2 Drops of Red food colouring
  • 2 Drops of Midnight Blue Food Colouring
  • 2 Egg Yolks

Instructions

  • In a large bowl, add 240 grams of Flour, Sugar, Yeast and Salt, stir together.
  • Add milk, water and Butter to a saucepan, heat just until the butter melts (don't let it boil)
  • Let the milk mixture stand for a couple of minutes and make sure it is warm to the touch (not hot). Stir into the flour bowl.
  • Add the beaten Egg, stir rigorously, until it resembles sloppy cake batter
  • Stir in the remaining flour, until a dough forms. ( If it feels too wet, sprinkle extra flour, until workable)
  • Turn out onto a floured surface, knead until smooth and elastic (around 5 minutes)
  • Place the dough in an oil bowl or proving bowl, allow to rise for 1 hr 30 minutes or until doubled in size
  • Punch the dough to release any air
  • Preheat the oven to 180 degrees
  • Cut 1/3 of the dough off and set aside (This is for the nose, eyes and muzzle)
  • Shape the larger piece of dough into a tapered Oblong
  • Make cuts for the Antlers and ears (see video below)
  • After Shaping the Antlers, ears and face(see video). Get the dough you saved earlier. Cut it in half.
  • With one half of the dough, roll it out flat and cut a triangular shape for the Reindeer Muzzle (see picture)
  • Attach the muzzle to the reindeer face by brushing some water over the surface of the face.
  • Brush the Muzzle with flour.
  • With the second half of the dough, shape a round ball for the Nose, and 4 smaller balls for the eyes- flatten 2 of the small balls with your thumb, and pinch the corners-they will be the eye sockets, the other 2 will be the eyeballs (see video)
  • Attach all the facial elements to the reindeers face, with a dab of water to act as a glue.
  • Mix one egg yolk with the Red food colouring, and the other egg yolk with the blue food colouring
  • Gently Paint the Nose Red and the eyeballs blue. ** To give Rudolph a twinkle in his eye, place a grain of sea salt on each eyeball.
  • Brush with egg, everywhere but the mussel, nose and eyes.
  • Cover loosely with tin foil and place in the oven for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes remove the foil and bake for a further 10-15 minutes until golden and the base sounds hollow when drummed.