Bunny Bread Recipes

EASTER BUNNY BREAD

Steps:

• Cut a fourth off of one loaf of dough; shape into a pear to form head. For body, flatten remaining portion into a 7x6-in. oval; place on a greased baking sheet. Place head above body. Make narrow cuts, about 3/4 in. deep, on each side of head for whiskers., Cut second loaf into four equal portions. For ears, shape two portions into 16-in. ropes; fold ropes in half. Arrange ears with open ends touching head. Cut a third portion of dough in half; shape each into a 3-1/2-in. oval for back paws. Cut two 1-in. slits on top edge for toes. Position on each side of body., Divide the fourth portion of dough into three pieces. Shape two pieces into 2-1/2-in. balls for front paws; shape the remaining piece into two 1-in. balls for cheeks and one 1/2-in. ball for nose. Place paws on each side of body; cut two 1-in. slits for toes. Place cheeks and nose on face. Add raisins for eyes and almonds for teeth., Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 30-45 minutes. Brush dough with egg. Bake at 350° for 25-30 minutes or until golden brown. Remove to a wire rack to cool., Place bread on a serving tray. Cut a 3-1/2-in. circle in center of body. Hollow out bread, leaving a 1/2-in. shell (discard removed bread or save for another use). Place a 1-cup shallow bowl in the hole and fill with dip.

EASTER BUNNY EASTER BREAD

Steps:

• Whisk warm milk, 1/4 cup flour, and yeast for dough together in the bowl of a stand mixer. Let sit about 15 minutes to ensure yeast is active; small bubbles should start to rise to the surface. Add sugar, beaten egg, lemon and orange zest, cinnamon, salt, cardamom, nutmeg, melted butter, and most of the remaining flour (you might not need it all). Mix with a dough hook attachment until dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl and becomes slightly elastic, 5 or 6 minutes. Continue kneading until dough is soft and shiny, about 10 minutes. Remove dough from dough hook and shape into a ball. Transfer to a lightly floured work surface.
• Shape dough into a round ball. Transfer to lightly oiled mixing bowl. Cover and let rise in a relatively warm, draft-free place until double in size, about 2 hours.
• Poke dough down a bit with your fingertips. Transfer to a lightly floured work surface. Work dough into a uniform piece and cut into eight 4-ounce pieces. Roll one piece with the flats your hands into a 12-inch rope; it's okay if one end is a little thicker than the other.
• Cut 2 inches off the smaller end and 3 inches off the larger end. Roll the 2-inch piece into a ball for the tail. Roll the ends of the 3-inch piece into points, then flatten one end slightly for the face. Roll the remaining piece into a 12-inch rope, about 1/2 inch wide.
• Transfer the rope to a Silpat®-lined baking sheet and make a coil for the body. The end of the coil will be the bunny's front legs and paws, so place the head on top of that, touching the body, with the flatter side facing the same way as the paws.
• Cut the back side of the head (the pointy side) about 2/3 of the way in towards the face to make 2 ears. Make depressions in the middle of each ear with a bench scraper or the back of a knife; do not cut all the way through. Set the tail in place, touching the back of the body.
• Repeat to form remaining bunnies; you will use 2 lined baking sheets for 8 bunnies. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and proof in a warm spot for 15 minutes.
• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Beat egg and water together for egg wash.
• Remove plastic wrap from the baking sheets and brush dough with egg wash. Poke small holes in the faces for eyes, then push raisins in the holes. Redefine the ears by pressing again with a bench scraper or knife.
• Bake in the center of the preheated oven until beautifully browned, 12 to 15 minutes. Carefully remove from the pan and transfer to a wire rack to cool.
• Cut into the center of the ears again to redefine them. Brush bunnies with simple syrup and sprinkle coconut onto the tails.

BUNNY BREAD

Steps:

• Bread:.
• Place bread ingredients in order according to manufactures directions of your machine.
• Press the dough cycle and let process for a bit if it needs more water slowly add.
• Set for dough cycle.
• Filling:.
• Meanwhile mix butter and sugar together and set aside.
• Mix raisins, chips and cinnamon together and set aside.
• When dough is ready punch down.
• Pinch 4 pieces (2 ears and 2 feet) of dough the size of a golf ball; 2 pieces (hands)1/2 the size of a golf ball; 2 pieces (cheeks)1/4 size of a golf ball.
• Make a flat disk out of each, place a tiny amount of the butter mixture and 1 chip and 1 raisin on each; bring up the side to enclose and make balls out of them, except for the ears shape into bunny ears, set aside.
• Roll rest of dough on a very lightly floured surface (a sil pad works great) into 18 x 8 rectangle.
• Spread the butter/sugar mixture on the dough.
• Sprinkle the raisin/ chip mixture on the butter. Bring up the long sides over into a wide roll tucking head edge down and bottom up.
• Tighten the neck area in shaping the head smaller then the body.
• Place on a greased cookie sheet.
• Pinch the ears on the head arranging where you would like them.
• The cheeks go next together on the lower part of the head have them touching using some of the egg wash to adhere.
• Place the hands on the chest adhereing with eggwash.
• And the feet at the bottom adhere with eggwash. I used peanuts for the toes but use what you like.
• Brush egg wash on the whole exposed surface of bunny and let rise in a warm place for 30 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Bake 30 minutes.
• FYI-If the hands, feet, cheeks come off during baking you can adhear them to the bunny after cooled with decorating icing. And if they do come off they may be bake so they can be removed from oven if done. My bunny`s ears opened up so they looked really full and cool!
• Have fun and decorate as you want.