Cooking Delights: Christmas bread

I have followed the traditional recipe of bread loaf for making this christmas bread!
The dough is hand kneaded and easy to make!

Ingredients for the dough:
All purpose flour- 3 and 1/4 cup,
Salt -1 tsp,
Yeast- 1 packet,
Sugar-1 and 1/2 tbsp,
Water-1 and 1/4 cup,
Olive oil- 1 and 1/2 tbsp.
Red colour ( food colour powder) for the cap-Mix 1/4 tsp with 2 tbsp of water in a small bowl or few drops of gel with water,
Chocolate chips -2- for eyes,
Egg wash-1 egg +1 tbsp of water,
Melted butter for brushing the top.

Method:( The size of the christmas bread will depend upon the size of your tray.
Use dough accordingly or use the left over dough to make dinner rolls or bread sticks)

Grease a 9 x13 inch pan with olive oil and keep aside.
Oven temperature for baking the bread is 220 C for the first 7 minutes and then lower the temperature to 190 C for 23 minutes.
Total baking time is 30 minutes.

Take a measuring cup and heat 1 and 1/4 cup of water for 40 seconds in microwave or till luke warm.
Add yeast and sugar to the luke warm water and mix with a spoon.

Let it rest in the microwave for 5 minutes.

The yeast will be activated and start to foam.
Add olive oil and stir with a spoon.

In a medium size bowl,sieve 2 and 1/4 cup of flour .Add 1 tsp of salt.

Mix with wire whisk.

In another bowl add 2 cups of flour and make a well in the center.
Pour the activated yeast mixture in the well and with a wooden spoon mix in a circular motion.

The dough will be very gooey.

Add 1/2 cup of flour and mix the dough in a circular motion.

Once the flour is mixed add another 1/2 cup of dough and mix again.

Sprinkle half of the 1/4 of flour on the counter and dump the sticky dough on it.

Knead the dough by stretching and folding method.
Once all the flour is incorporated,add the rest of the flour and knead the dough for 8 to ten minutes.
The dough will be smooth on top and if a finger poked,the dough will spring back.

Place the dough in a bowl greased with olive oil.
Toss and turn the dough ball so that all sides are coated with oil.

Cover with a damp towel cloth and place it in the microwave for an hour for the dough to rise double in size.

Once the dough has risen,make a few punches to knock the air out.

Dump it on a lightly floured surface.

Roll it to make a log.

Divide the dough into two halves.

One part is for making the face of the bread and cap.

The other half of the dough will make the beard, moustaches, two round balls and a strip for the border of the cap .
Take out the extra dough for making them,before rolling the dough.

Roll the dough using a rolling pin or just pat and shape it in an elongated shape to make the cap and face.The top should be slightly conical and the bottom should be wide.

Fold the conical cap a little from the top and place a round ball at the tip.
Make a border of the cap with the extra dough and tuck and pinch at the sides

Place the dough on the greased baking tray.

To make the moustaches,take some dough and pat them into a small rectangle.
Cut thin strips and then roll them.

To make the beard,pat the dough into crescent shape.

The width should be according to the bottom of the face as it has to be placed on it.
Cut thin strips with a knife or scissors,leaving one inch at the top.
Since the dough has yeast,so the process of shaping has to be fast.

The best way to go is to twist the strips as you cut them.
Place the beard on the face.

To make eyes,place two small chocolates chips.
Place a small round ball for the nose.
Place the thin strips as moustaches below the nose.
Pinch together all the strips in the center and then spread the thin strips.

Brush the bread with butter and leave it rest for fifteen minutes to half hour in a warm place or microwave,
It depends on the time taken to make the bread and the temperature of the room.

Cover with a damp cloth.
As the dough is resting ,pre-heat oven to 220 C.

Take a small bowl and add 1/4 tsp of red food colour with 2 tbsp of water.If using gel,use a few drop to dissolve in water.
Mix with a spoon.
In another bowl,beat one egg with 1 tbsp of water.

Once the dough has rested for 15 minutes,brush the face and the beard with egg wash.

Using another brush,colour the cap and the belt with red.

Bake the bread for 7 minutes in 220 C.
Lower the temperature to 190 C and bake for 23 minutes or until the top has a light brown crust.

Take out from oven and place it on wire rack.

Brush the bread with melted butter.
Cover with a cloth to keep the bread soft and moist.
After 5 minutes,using a flat spatula loosen the sides of the bread and gradually the bottom.