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Bird Bread Rolls Recipe

50Plus Magazine

Holiday meals fill our hearts as much as our bellies, and small touches bring a little something extra that delight and are long remembered by all ages.

These whimsical little bird rolls are not only easy to prepare (and fun to make with kids and grandkids), they bring a table to life — deliciously!

 

Ingredients

  • 3 cups all-purpose flour/ whole wheat flour
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • ½ cup milk + ½ cup water (more if required and 2-4 tablespoons more if using whole wheat flour)
  • 2 teaspoons instant dry yeast
  • 4 tablespoons unrefined sugar
  • ¼ cup oil
  • 2 tablespoons butter (to brush warm rolls)
  • Few black raisins or choco chips for eyes
  • A toothpick.

Instructions

  1. In a large bowl, whisk flour and salt. Keep aside.
  2. Mix milk and water and heat it until warm. Add sugar and stir to dissolve. Add yeast. Mix and cover and let sit for 10 minutes. Add oil and mix.
  3. Add dry ingredients and stir until a shaggy dough forms. Transfer to the counter. Knead to get a soft and smooth dough. Add more water only if the dough feels very dry.
  4. Transfer to a greased bowl. Turn around once to coat evenly with oil. Cover and keep in a warm place to rise for 1 hour or until almost double.
  5. Punch and knead for 1-2 minutes. Let dough rest for 5-6 minutes. Pinch out small balls of dough. Roll out one ball at a time into a rope of about 6-8 inches in length.
  6. Now tie each roll into a knot from the center. Lift one free end of the knot and shape it into the birds head. Pull out the beak. Shape the head and beak. The other free end of the knot will be the tail. Flatten it with the index finger and press it with a fork to make feathers. You can also cut with a knife and shape the tail feathers.
  7. Arrange the rolls on a lined baking tray. Cover and keep in a warm place to rise for 30-45 minutes or until puffy.
  8. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees C. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until the rolls turn a beautiful golden.
  9. Transfer from the oven to the cooling rack. Brush warm rolls with butter.
  10. With a toothpick, make holes for eyes. Press a choco-chip / black raisin into the hole.

Courtesy of AmbrosiaSoulfulCooking.com