Golden Santa bread

Preparation – 10 minutes + waiting time

Pour lukewarm water in a small bowl and stir in dry yeast and let it stand for about 5 to 10 minutes until the mixture becomes foamy. Meanwhile combine flour, salt and sugar in the bowl of your stand mixer.

Pour milk and butter in a small saucepan and heat on medium heat until the butter has melted. don't let the mixture come to a boil. Pour the milk and butter into the flour and mix on medium speed until well combined.

Add in two eggs and also the foamy yeast. Keep on mixing until a dough forms, then knead for about 5 minutes until it becomes elastic. Cover the dough with a clean kitchen towel and let it rest for about 1 hour, or until doubled in size.

Pre-heat the oven to 180 degrees celsius or 350 degrees fahrenheit.

Baking the golden Santa bread –50 minutes

Divide  the dough into one big piece and a smaller piece, make the smaller piece about 1/3th of the dough. Shape the biggest piece of dough into a head.

Shape the smaller piece into the hat, thin strips for the beard and 2 small balls, one for his nose and the other one for the hat. Use a little bit of egg yolk to stick all the pieces onto the shaped head.

Use a knife to create small holes for the eyes, then press the raisins in the holes so santa can see. Use the egg yolks again for coating the head and beard.

Then mix the red food colouring into the leftover egg yolks and coat the hat and nose with the red egg yolks. Cover the bread loosely with tin foil and bake in the oven for about 25 minutes.  

Remove the foil and bake for another 10 to 15 minutes, or until golden brown.