Golden Santa Bread

If you’re looking for something out of the ordinary to bake this Christmas, I hope you give this Santa bread a try. The finished loaf looks complicated. but it's actually simple to create.

4 to 4-1/2 cups bread flour
1/2 cup sugar
2 packages (1/4 ounce each) active dry yeast
1-1/2 teaspoons salt
1/2 cup 2% milk
1/4 cup water
1/4 cup butter, cubed
2 large eggs, room temperature
2 raisins
2 large egg yolks
2 to 3 drops red food coloring

• In a large bowl, combine 2 cups flour, sugar, yeast and salt. 
• In a small saucepan, heat milk, water and butter to 120°-130°. 
• Add to dry ingredients; beat just until moistened. 
• Beat in eggs until smooth. 
• Stir in enough remaining flour to form a stiff dough.
• Turn onto a floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic, 6-8 minutes. 
• Place in a greased bowl, turning once to grease top. 
• Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour.
• Preheat oven to 350°. 
• Punch dough down. 
• Turn onto a lightly floured surface; divide into 2 portions, 1 slightly larger than the other.
• Shape the larger portion into an elongated triangle with rounded corners for Santa's head and hat.
• Divide the smaller portion in half. 
• Shape and flatten 1 half into a beard. 
• Place beard over face; using a sharp knife, cut deep slits to resemble hair.
• Use the remaining dough for the mustache, nose, eyebrows, hat pompom and brim. 
• Shape a portion of dough into a mustache; flatten and place on face over beard. 
• Using sharp knife, cut slits to resemble hair. 
• Place a small ball above mustache for nose. 
• With scissors, cut 2 slits for eyes; insert raisins into slits. 
• Form another small portion of dough into eyebrows; flatten and place above eyes. 
• Roll out a narrow piece of dough to create a hat brim; position below hat. 
• Fold tip of hat over and add dough ball for pompom. 
• If desired, using scissors or sharp knife, cut small lines along edges of brim and pompom to resemble fur.
• In separate small bowls, beat each egg yolk. 
• Add red food coloring to 1 yolk; carefully brush over hat. 
• Brush plain yolk over remaining dough.
• Cover loosely with foil. 
• Bake 15 minutes. 
• Uncover; bake until golden brown, 10-12 minutes longer. 
• Cool on a wire rack.

Recipe: Taste of Home