Easter is almost here and I thought that it would be fun to get kids involved making little bunny rolls!
The kids always enjoy making something different, so be flexible to convert them to mice or bears if needed 😉. You could also make a mouse face and use dry spaghetti for the whiskers.
With only 4 ingredients, I think white bread is better for these fun rolls, it's hard to make a mistake, and the methodology is basically the same as for French baguette.
1 1/2 cup cold water
2 teaspoons yeast (I recommend Saf-Instant)
3 1/2 cups unbleached flour
2 teaspoons salt
Mix cold water and yeast. You can use a food processor, a stand mixer, your bread maker’s dough function or your hands.
Add flour and salt and mix well.
Once the dough is well kneaded, lightly oil a large bowl and place dough in it. Lightly oil a sheet of plastic wrap and place over dough. Cover bowl with a clean towel.
Let dough rise in fridge overnight. The cold fermentation process will bring out the flavors. If you don’t have time, try to let it rise for at least 2 hours in the fridge.
Take dough out of fridge and let it sit at room temperature for 1 to 2 hours.
Dust flour onto your counter. Cut dough into 10 pieces.
To make bunnies, split each dough piece into 3 parts: a larger one for the head and 2 smaller ones for the ears. To shape the different parts, make sure to pull the sides of the dough towards the bottom of the roll to make the top taut, pinching the bottom of the roll to seal the ends. If you don’t shape parts properly, dough will just spread out unevenly before you bake it. I used black peppercorns for the eyes and nose and black bean spaghetti for the lips. (I soaked spaghetti in warm water to make it more bendable).
Put shaped bunnies onto a baking sheet covered with a sheet of parchment paper.
Cover loosely with greased plastic wrap and let rise for 1 - 2 hours (until doubled).
Turn oven on to 400°F and let it heat up.
When oven is hot, put baking tray into oven and spray it with water using a water spray bottle. Repeat a few times during the first 5 to 10 minutes.
Bake for a total of 10 to 15 minutes or until bunnies are golden brown. Depends on your oven.
Who cares if they don't look factory-made, that makes them even cuter. Have fun!