Here is my recipe for our Christmas teddy bear bread that we have for our Christmas Eve dinner.  I usually make it the morning of the Christmas party.  It only takes a few hours to rise which is nice when you leave it for the last minute.  I am always afraid that if I make him too early he will be missing an ear or foot for our dinner if the kids get to him first:).  As a little girl I remember my sisters and I fighting over who got the head… good memories!

Christmas Teddy Bear Bread

Ingredients

– 1/2 tbsp active dry yeast

– 1 cup of warm milk ( I used 1 % that I microwaved for 30 seconds)

– 4 tbsp granulated sugar

– 1 tsp salt

– 2 eggs + 1 for the glaze

– 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

– 4 tbsp of olive oil + 1 teaspoon for greasing the bowl and another for the glaze

– 1 tsp honey

– 4 to 4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

– about 12 craisins

Directions

If you have a stand mixer you are going to want to use it for this… the dough can be hard to mix:)  Start using your paddle attachment.

1) Combine the yeast and warm milk. Let the yeast sit for about 5 minutes.

2) Add the sugar, salt, 2 eggs, vanilla, 4 tbsp of olive oil and then the honey. (Add the honey last using the same spoon from the olive oil.  The honey will slide right off of the spoon!).  See below…

3) Add 1 cup of flour first, then slowly add the rest of the flour, 1/2 cup at a time until all 4 cups are used.

4) Add your dough hook attachment now and knead about 3 minutes until soft and springy. If the dough is sticky, dust with it with a little flour.

5) Place the dough in a bowl and cover it with 1 tsp of olive oil.   Cover it with saran wrap and wait for it to rise on your kitchen counter until doubled about 1 1/2 to 2 hours.

6) Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or lightly grease the cookie sheet.

7) To make your teddy bear… 🙂

– Cut the dough in 1/2. This is for the bear’s body.  Roll it into a big ball and put it on the cookie sheet.

– Cut the dough in 1/2 again for the teddy bear’s head.  Roll the head into a ball and place it above the body.

– Cut off about 1/3 of the rest of the dough to make two small ears and one even smaller round nose.

– The remaining dough gets divided into 4’s for the teddy bears arms and legs.

– Add craisins for eyes, nose, mouth, and buttons (press them into the bread)

8) Brush on a coat of egg mixed with some olive oil on your teddy bear.

Don’t forget to pin our Christmas Teddy Bear Bread Recipe!!!