Turkey Yeast Bread topcook.tomathouse.com
Ingredients:
- 3/4 cup whole milk
- 2 packets of 7 g active dry yeast (4.5 tsp)
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled, plus extra for serving
- 3 large eggs at room temperature
- 4 cups premium flour + extra for dusting
- 1.5 tsp coarse salt
- 1/4 cup heavy cream
- Red gel food coloring
- Yellow gel food coloring
- Orange gel food coloring
- 2 granules of milk chocolate
Preparation:
- Heat the milk in a small saucepan until it begins to simmer, then remove from heat and let cool to 40°C (104°F). Stir in the yeast and let stand until the mixture becomes foamy, about 10 minutes.
- Pour the yeast mixture into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook. Add the sugar, butter, and 2 eggs and mix until smooth. Add the flour and salt and mix on medium-low speed until the dough comes together.
- Increase the speed to medium-high and knead until the dough is smooth and elastic, about 8 minutes. Transfer the dough to a large greased bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and let rise for about 1 hour, until doubled in size.
- Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C) and line an upside-down baking sheet with parchment paper. Whisk the heavy cream with the remaining egg until smooth.
- Place the dough on a lightly floured work surface. Roll it out into a circle 27 cm in diameter.
- Neck and head:
Take scissors and make a 15 cm (6 in) slit along the right side of the circle, leaving a 2.5 cm (1 in) margin on the side. Then turn the dough over so the slit is on the left. Begin shaping the turkey's neck by lengthening the strip of dough slightly and sharpening it at the top for the beak. Pinch the dough where you will fold the strip over. The top of the strip will be the turkey's head, and the bottom will be the neck. Immediately fold it down. Use your fingers to work the sharpened beak again and flatten the head slightly, giving it a more rounded shape.
- Blanks:
Cut a strip of dough about 5 cm from the bottom. Working with this strip of dough, cut long triangles: first, cut the dough in half. Use the left half to create two legs, cutting off the end of the dough and flattening it with your fingers. Set the right half aside.
Form them into long teardrop shapes with slits. Pinch and stretch slightly to create paws with claws.
Take the right side of the dough and cut off the far right strip to form a beard. Set it aside. Cut the remaining piece of dough into 3 triangles.
- Tail feathers:
Using a spatula or butter knife, make a semicircle on the dough. Using this marking as a guide, cut 2.5 cm wide strips (like the rays of the sun).
- Working along the top two-thirds of the circle, use scissors to make two shallow cuts on each strip to create texture. Pinch the ends of each feather to make them sharp.
Transfer the turkey to an inverted, parchment-lined baking sheet and straighten the feathers so they are slightly fanned out.
Using a brush, brush the turkey's head, neck, and body, but not the tail, with egg yolk.
- Coloring:
Divide the remaining egg mixture into three bowls and tint them red, orange, and yellow with food coloring.
Brush 2 legs with yellow egg and tuck them under the body at the bottom of the circle.
Begin laying the wing pieces, slightly overlapping, at the base of the neck. Paint with yellow, orange, and red egg wash, applying multiple layers as needed.
- Tuck the narrow end of the wattle under the turkey's head, where it will hang on the neck, paint it with red egg, and coat the tip of the beak with yellow egg.
Brush the base of the feathers with red egg, making sure the lines are arched.
- Brush the center of the feathers with orange egg. Brush the tips of the turkey's tail feathers with yellow egg.
- Bake in the oven until the bread is lightly golden brown and cooked through, 15–20 minutes. Remove from the baking sheet. While the bread is still warm, press chocolate chips into the turkey head to create eyes. Let the bread cool for 10 minutes and serve warm with butter.
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