LAMB-SHAPED BREAD KKVKVK N°17

The great baker Fidji at "Fidji Passion Boulange" from France has won the last "Kikiveutkivientkuisiner N°16" baking contest with her magnificent "Gâteau Des Rois (King's Cake)", so now it is her turn to host the round-up of the next event (N°17)...

The rule of the game is very simple. You just have to make a bread with the dough recipe of your choice and shape the loaf, using your imagination. You can either choose to make it a decorative party bread that will contain sandwiches or just simply a bread that represents an animal or object.

For this edition, I decided to make an Easter lamb-shaped bread, because I thought that it would look cute and bring a bit of gaiety to your Easter celebration table!

I used my "Ekmek" dough recipe from Eric Treuille and Ursula Ferrigno's "Ultimate Bread" (see review) book, then for the shape, I inspired myself from an old Betty Bossi magazine...

I must say that the bread turned out very well and looked quite nice! I would never have imagined that I could have been able to be patient enough in order to succeed in the task and end up with a bread actually looking like a lamb.

Here's the bread dough recipe:

• "Ekmek Bread" from Turkey (see recipe)

Other bread dough recipes that can also be used:

• "Challah Bread", a Jewish speciality (see recipe)
• "Grittibänz Bread" from Switzerland (see recipe)
• "Pain Au Lait" from Boston, USA (see recipe)

To shape the lamb:
1. Referring yourself to my model, draw a 30cm x 15cm (12 inches x 6 inches) lamb on a rectangular piece of parchment paper and turn the paper over.
2. Divide the dough as follows: 1/3 + 2/3.
3. Take 2/3 of the dough, roll it in order to get a 40cm (16 inches) long rope.
4. Cut this rope into 20 equal pieces.
5. Form a rope with each piece and shape into a coil.
6. Place each coil on the body of the lamb.
7. Then, with the leftover dough (1/3) make 2 ears, 2 legs and a head. Make the eyes, nose and mouth with raisins or the dry fruits of your choice.

8. Place all shaped parts on the parchment paper so as to form a lamb.
9. Let prove, covered with a towel, for 20-30 minutes.
10. Bake in a preheated oven at 200°C (400°F) for 25 minutes.
11. Remove the bread from the oven and baking rack/parchment paper, place on a rack to cool.
12. Lightly spray the lamb with water and sprinkle with flour.

Remarks:
Work fastly while you are forming the bread, otherwise the rising time will not be equal for the different parts that compose the lamb...

Serving suggestions:
Use this bread as you would do with any decorative bread. It is ideal for lunch or for a picnic with cheese and spreads of any kind or for breakfast with jam, honey, butter, etc...