Sun bread
for a cloudy day
My sister-in-law gifted the kids a sweet children’s book called Sun Bread by Elisa Kleven for Christmas. The story revolves around everyone longing for the sun during winter, and a baker brings warmth back to the town by baking sun bread. This is my version of the recipe. It was a fun activity for the kids to be involved in, too, and they enjoyed watching the dough rise and rolling it. It’s just as enjoyable for adults and makes a great bread for a dinner party.
Makes 1 loaf
Flour, 4 1/2 cups
Yeast, 1 tbsp
Sugar, 1 tsp
Salt, 1 tsp
Warm water, 1 cup
Olive oil, 1/4 cup
Honey, 1/4 cup
Eggs, 3 whole
Egg yolk, 1
In a small bowl, whisk together the yeast, sugar and half a cup of water. Set aside for about five minutes until the mixture becomes foamy.
In another bowl, whisk together the remaining water, olive oil, honey and whole eggs.
In a large bowl (fitted with a cake mixer), combine the flour and salt. Pour in the wet ingredients and the foamy yeast. Using a wooden spoon, bring the dough together, then attach the bowl to the cake mixer with the dough attachment. Turn the speed to medium and mix for about six minutes.
Pull the dough away from the sides and shape it into a smooth ball. Leave the bowl in a warm place until the dough has tripled in size. This usually takes about one and a half hours, depending on the room temperature. Cover the bowl with a damp tea towel.
Line a baking tray with baking paper.
Once the dough has risen, lightly dust your clean work surface with flour and transfer the dough onto it. Knead the dough with your hands until it forms a smooth round ball. Then divide the dough into two pieces.
Roll one piece into a ball, press it down with your hands to form the face, and take a small piece of the other portion of dough. Roll it into a ball and press it between your palms to flatten it slightly, creating the nose. The remaining dough can be divided into about eight portions, which will become the tips of the sun. Roll half of these portions into long worms and shape them into snails. The other half can be rolled into triangles and attached to the sun.
Using a sharp knife, cut out eyes and a smile, then cover the sun with another damp tea towel and let it rise again for another one and a half hours.
Preheat the oven to 180°C with a fan or 200°C without. Crack the egg yolk into a small bowl and discard the white. Add a teaspoon of water and whisk it together, then brush it over the sun.
Bake for 20 minutes or until golden brown.
