sun bread

Step 1

Mix eggs and sugar well.

Step 2

Combine flour and butter.

Step 3

Add the eggs mixture to the flour mixture and beat well.

Step 4

In a small bowl combine yeast and milk. Allow to stand until mixture is foamy, at least 5 minutes.

Step 5

Add the yeast mixture to the batter and stir. Knead dough on greased, floured surface for 8-10 minutes. (My dough is usually very sticky and buttery so I add ¼ to ½ cup more flour whenever I knead this dough.)

Step 6

Place dough in greased bowl, cover with a cloth and allow to rise in a warm place for about an hour (dough will be doubled in size).

Step 7

Gently deflate dough, knead for 5 minutes, then separate into 2 portions.

Step 8

To form the sun's face, shape one portion of the dough into a round, somewhat flattened ball, then place on a large greased (or covered with cornmeal) baking sheet. (I also used parchment paper.) With the greased end of a wooden spoon or with your finger, poke two "eyes" in the sun: draw a mouth with same way (I use a wide-lipped glass and press it gently into the dough). Make sure the lines are deep so they won't close up during rising and baking. Make a nose by securely attaching a small ball of dough to its face.

Step 9

Make the corona of the sun by rolling one half of the remainder of the dough into four or five long "snakes." Curl the snakes into puffy "snail" shapes. Shape the rest of the dough into four or five puffy triangles. Firmly attach the snails and triangles to the sun's face. (Use some water if the dough is dry. My dough was very buttery and moist, so I did not need to.)

Step 10

Cover the sun and let it rise again in a warm place for about an hour.

Step 11

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. I sprinkled my sun's corona with red salt and white sea salt. Bake for about 10-20 minutes.** Test for doneness by inserting a toothpick into the center of the bread. It should come out clean.

Step 12

Enjoy with a good salty butter, robust or floral honey, or jam.

Step 13

This bread is also wonderful as day-old toasted bread, with the above condiments.