Soft in the center and slightly crisp on the outside, Bird Bread Rolls are slightly sweet. These make a lovely accompaniment to hot soup. Kids love to eat the little bread birds just plain or with some butter.

Winter has been pretty severe in our latitude so far. It hasn’t snowed yet but the low temperature   has caused the lotus pond to freeze and the adjoining birdbath looks like a massive piece of misshapen glass.

Simple things in life keep us going and give much more happiness than the grander affairs. And happiness never comes in large doses. Small flecks of happiness are all around us. It needs a receptive soul to savour these.

A rose finch peeping through a glass window is happiness.

A Black Lored Tit flitting on the branches of the Cherry tree and letting out sonorous notes is happiness.

We are the happiest people in the world when the Sun magically appears on a cold winter day, lifting spirits and letting rid of top layers of heavy clothing. For a moment, it feels that we are in Spring.

It was a warm day yesterday and we baked bird-shaped bread rolls for dinner. Happiness is also the squeals of excitement let out by the kids as they shaped the birds with balls of dough. It became an interesting family project and in no time we had a tray of bird rolls ready in the oven.

I kept the dough on the sweeter side. You may reduce the sugar. Use any bread dough that works for you. We got so excited with the shaping that we made the rolls twice.

 The first time, we made two birds and the next day, one bird. 

You may use whole wheat flour as well. In that case, you will have to increase the liquids.

Bird rolls were enjoyed with hot soup.

 

Bird Bread Rolls

Ingredients

• 3 cups all-purpose flour/ whole wheat flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• ½ cup milk + ½ cup water (more if required and 2-4 tablespoons more if using whole wheat flour)
• 2 teaspoons instant dry yeast
• 4 tablespoons unrefined sugar
• ¼ cup oil
• 2 tablespoons butter (to brush warm rolls)
• Few black raisins or choco chips for eyes
• A toothpick.

Instructions

1. In a large bowl, whisk flour and salt. Keep aside.
2. Mix milk and water and heat it until warm. Add sugar and stir to dissolve. Add yeast. Mix and cover and let sit for 10 minutes. Add oil and mix.
3. Add dry ingredients and stir until a shaggy dough forms. Transfer to the counter. Knead to get a soft and smooth dough. Add more water only if the dough feels very dry.
4. Transfer to a greased bowl. Turn around once to coat evenly with oil. Cover and keep in a warm place to rise for 1 hour or until almost double.
5. Punch and knead for 1-2 minutes. Let dough rest for 5-6 minutes. Pinch out small balls of dough. Roll out one ball at a time into a rope of about 6-8 inches in length.
6. Now tie each roll into a knot from the center. Lift one free end of the knot and shape it into the birds head. Pull out the beak. Shape the head and beak. The other free end of the knot will be the tail. Flatten it with the index finger and press it with a fork to make feathers. You can also cut with a knife and shape the tail feathers.
7. Arrange the rolls on a lined baking tray. Cover and keep in a warm place to rise for 30-45 minutes or until puffy.
8. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees C. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until the rolls turn a beautiful golden.
9. Transfer from the oven to the cooling rack. Brush warm rolls with butter.
10. With a toothpick, make holes for eyes. Press a choco-chip / black raisin into the hole.

Linking to #BreadBakers

#BreadBakers is a group of bread loving bakers who get together once a month to bake bread with a common ingredient or theme. You can see all our lovely bread by following our Pinterest board right here. Links are also updated after each event on the #BreadBakers home page. We take turns hosting each month and choosing the theme/ingredient.

The theme this month is animal-shaped bread. And our host is Stacy who blogs at Food Lust People Love.  Check out some animal-shaped deliciousness by our members.

• Bird Bread Rolls from Ambrosia
• Easter Bunny Buns from Cook with Renu
• Ham and Cheese Elephant Rolls from Food Lust People Love
• Hedgehog Bread from Making Miracles
• Honey Bear Loaf from A Day in the Life on the Farm
• Sourdough Animal-shaped Breads from Zesty South Indian Kitchen
• Matcha Milk Bread Turtles from A Messy Kitchen
• Meyer Lemon Custard-Filled Matcha Turtles from Culinary Adventures with Camilla
• Peacock Shaped Pizza Rolls from Magical Ingredients
• Piglet Bread Rolls from Sneha's Recipe
• Turtle Bread from Passion Kneaded

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 Golden crust, soft sweet pillowy centre, this easily sliceable bread is very delicious on its own. Best enjoyed with peanut butter and a drizzle of honey, it makes great sandwiches too.

Winters may be harsh but the season comes with its own little joys. The joy of curling up in the quilt a little longer, the joy of walking on the frost laden grass and that sound of ice clinking under feet, fighting for your place around the fireplace and huddling together and dunking a buttered slice into the hot soup.

Late autumn and the time before the snow comes, has its own beauty. The orchards become bare, while leaves of some trees wear exceptionally bright shades to make up for the brown foliage. 

Some leaves get high on red tints and peep forth from the grey rocks. 

Together with the blueness of the sky, it makes a lovely scenery.

A milk bread on its final stages of baking makes the home smell heavenly. The bread has a super soft and sweet crumb. Its tastes divine with butter and pairs very well with hot soup. Such meals make an ideal light dinner in winter.

Milk Bread

Ingredients

• 1 cup hot milk ( more if required)
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 2 teaspoons instant dry yeast
• 2 tablespoons sugar (brown or unrefined sugar)
• 1 ¼ teaspoon salt
• 3 cups all-purpose flour

Instructions

1. Add butter to hot milk. Let the milk become warm. Add sugar. Stir to dissolve. Add yeast, cover and keep it for 10 minutes.  The mixture will become frothy.
2. In the meantime whisk flour and salt. Add to the milk mixture. Stir. Now get it to the counter and knead to get a very soft dough. If the dough feels a little hard, add a teaspoon of milk or more to get a very smooth, very soft and satiny dough.
3. Transfer the dough to a greased bowl. Turn around once to coat evenly with oil all over. Cover and keep in a warm place for 1 hour or until the dough doubles in size.
4. Punch the risen dough and shape into a loaf. Place the shaped loaf in one greased 8 ½ x 4 ½ inch loaf pan.
5. Cover and keep to rise for 45 minutes or until it almost doubles or, crests 1 inch above the edge of the pan. During the last stages of rising, preheat the oven to 180 degrees C.
6. Bake 30-35 minutes or until the top turns a beautiful golden brown.
7. Remove from the oven after 6-8 minutes. Remove from the pan and transfer to a cooling rack.
8. Slice when cold.

Recipe adapted from www.kingarthurflour.com

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