Christmas Recipes
Baby Bear Breads with Honey Butter
Yield: 4 breads
Ingredients
Bread
- 3 teaspoons quick-rising yeast
- 2 cups bread flour
- 1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
- 1 cup Quaker oats (quick or old fashioned, uncooked)
- 1/3 cup sunflower seed kernels (optional)
- 1/3 cup firmly packed brown sugar
- 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 1/2 cups low-fat milk
- 1 egg, lightly beaten
- 5 tablespoons stick butter or margarine, melted
- Assorted raisins and other chopped dried fruits
Honey Butter
- 1 stick (8 tablespoons) butter or margarine, softened
- 3 tablespoons honey
Instructions
Bread
- Bring all ingredients to room temperature by letting them stand on the counter for about 30 minutes.
- Place yeast in bread machine according to directions in manual.
- In medium bowl, combine both flours, oats, sunflower seeds, brown sugar, cinnamon and salt. In separate bowl, combine milk, egg and butter.
- Place dry and liquid ingredients in bread machine according to manual. Use machine's dough setting to mix and knead. (Bread will not bake in machine.)
- Lightly grease 2 cookie sheets. Turn dough out of bread machine onto lightly floured surface. Knead for 6 to 8 times.
- To make bears, roll pieces of dough into four 2 1/2 inch balls for bodies, four 1 1/2 inch balls for heads, sixteen 1 inch balls for hands and feet and eight 3/4 inch balls for ears. On cookie sheets, gently place balls together to form 2 bears on each sheet. Use raisins to make eyes, nose, and other decorations. Cover; let rise in warm place 15 to 20 minutes or until nearly double in size.
- Heat oven to 375 degrees F.
- Bake bear breads for 12 to 15 minutes or until light golden brown.
- Carefully remove bears from cookie sheets to wire racks. Cool completely.
- Store tightly wrapped up to 1 day. Freeze for longer storage.
- Serve with honey butter.
Honey Butter
- In small bowl, combine butter or margarine and honey; mix until smooth.
- Store tightly covered in refrigerator.
Notes
Conventional Directions: In large bowl, combine 1 1/2 cups bread flour, whole wheat flour, oats, sunflower seeds, brown sugar, yeast, cinnamon and salt.
Heat milk and butter until very warm (120 degrees F to 130 degrees F). Add to flour mixture with egg and blend on low speed of electric mixer until moistened. Beat 3 minutes at medium speed. Stir in enough additional bread flour (about 1/2 to 1 cup) until a soft dough is formed and the dough begins to clear the sides of the bowl.
Turn dough out onto lightly floured surface. Knead 5 to 8 minutes or until smooth and elastic. Shape dough into ball; place in greased bowl, turning once. Cover; let rise in warm place 30 minutes or until doubled in size. Punch dough down. Cover; let rest 10 minutes. Shape into bears and bake as directed above.
Attribution
Recipe and photo used with permission from:
Quaker Oats