In the evening, we carefully sift the flour, making sure to leave it at room temperature to aerate and become fluffier. The next day, we prepare to start making the dough. We begin by soaking the yeast in a little warm water, ensuring that it is not hot, but just lukewarm. This step is essential to activate the yeast, and while it dissolves and rises, we get to work on the other ingredients.
We mix the flour with salt in a large bowl, and if we are using natural sourdough, we measure and add it now. If we do not have sourdough, we add the oil directly to the flour, followed by the risen yeast, and mix everything with our fingers. We start adding water from the amount specified in the recipe, kneading patiently. When the dough becomes soft and slightly sticky, we cover it with a clean towel and let it rest in a cool place for a few hours.
After the dough has rested, we take out the bowl and see how it has risen, becoming full of air bubbles, soft, and non-sticky. We take two smaller pieces of dough and round them in our palms; one of the balls will be the nose, so we make it smaller, while the other, slightly bigger, will be the pom-pom of Santa's hat, which we set aside. From the remaining dough, we cut a piece the size of a fist for the mustache, and another larger piece for the beard. Additionally, a small portion will become the edge of the hat.
Now, we roll out the rest of the dough into a conical shape, with a rounded tip. From the piece reserved for the edge of the hat, we delineate Santa's head and hat. If we wish, we can braid the edge or leave it simple, sticking it with the help of beaten egg. The tip of the cone is pulled towards the edge of the hat, forming a drooping cap, and the pom-pom is attached to its tip. It is important to glue all the joints well with beaten egg to prevent the tip of the hat from rising during baking.
For Santa's eyes, we can use large raisins or slices of dried dates and kiwi. We glue them onto his face, ensuring they are positioned well. Then, we attach the nose, the small ball set aside earlier. Next, we take the piece of dough for the beard, which we roll out into a half-circle shape, larger to give volume. We attach it under the nose, pulling the corners towards the forehead, and with scissors, we start cutting thin strips from the beard dough, twisting them for a messy look.
The last piece, meant for the mustache, we roll out into a rectangle and attach it under the nose, ensuring that the larger side is well glued. We also cut strips here, arranging them as we think a real Santa mustache would look. We cover the model with oiled plastic wrap to prevent sticking during rising. We let it rise until the dough doubles in volume, then we remove the wrap.
We brush the entire head of Santa with beaten egg, except for the hat and nose. The pom-pom will remain white, so we only brush it with egg. In the remaining egg, we add a few drops of red food coloring, mixing well. We brush the hat and cheeks, being careful not to dirty other parts. We bake in a preheated oven at 180°C, making sure to cover with aluminum foil if we notice too rapid baking on the surface.
Once the bread is baked, we let it cool on a rack and place it on fir branches or festive stands. It is a true joy to serve this delicacy alongside favorite dishes, bringing a touch of holiday magic to any table.
We mix the flour with salt in a large bowl, and if we are using natural sourdough, we measure and add it now. If we do not have sourdough, we add the oil directly to the flour, followed by the risen yeast, and mix everything with our fingers. We start adding water from the amount specified in the recipe, kneading patiently. When the dough becomes soft and slightly sticky, we cover it with a clean towel and let it rest in a cool place for a few hours.
After the dough has rested, we take out the bowl and see how it has risen, becoming full of air bubbles, soft, and non-sticky. We take two smaller pieces of dough and round them in our palms; one of the balls will be the nose, so we make it smaller, while the other, slightly bigger, will be the pom-pom of Santa's hat, which we set aside. From the remaining dough, we cut a piece the size of a fist for the mustache, and another larger piece for the beard. Additionally, a small portion will become the edge of the hat.
Now, we roll out the rest of the dough into a conical shape, with a rounded tip. From the piece reserved for the edge of the hat, we delineate Santa's head and hat. If we wish, we can braid the edge or leave it simple, sticking it with the help of beaten egg. The tip of the cone is pulled towards the edge of the hat, forming a drooping cap, and the pom-pom is attached to its tip. It is important to glue all the joints well with beaten egg to prevent the tip of the hat from rising during baking.
For Santa's eyes, we can use large raisins or slices of dried dates and kiwi. We glue them onto his face, ensuring they are positioned well. Then, we attach the nose, the small ball set aside earlier. Next, we take the piece of dough for the beard, which we roll out into a half-circle shape, larger to give volume. We attach it under the nose, pulling the corners towards the forehead, and with scissors, we start cutting thin strips from the beard dough, twisting them for a messy look.
The last piece, meant for the mustache, we roll out into a rectangle and attach it under the nose, ensuring that the larger side is well glued. We also cut strips here, arranging them as we think a real Santa mustache would look. We cover the model with oiled plastic wrap to prevent sticking during rising. We let it rise until the dough doubles in volume, then we remove the wrap.
We brush the entire head of Santa with beaten egg, except for the hat and nose. The pom-pom will remain white, so we only brush it with egg. In the remaining egg, we add a few drops of red food coloring, mixing well. We brush the hat and cheeks, being careful not to dirty other parts. We bake in a preheated oven at 180°C, making sure to cover with aluminum foil if we notice too rapid baking on the surface.
Once the bread is baked, we let it cool on a rack and place it on fir branches or festive stands. It is a true joy to serve this delicacy alongside favorite dishes, bringing a touch of holiday magic to any table.
Ingredients
580 g flour salt to taste (I put about a tablespoon shaken) 50 ml oil (or melted butter) 3 teaspoons of dry yeast (I used half a cup of natural sourdough and 1 teaspoon of yeast) 300-325 ml warm water 1 date (or 2 large black raisins) 1/2 slice of dried kiwi (if using date) 1 beaten egg 4-5 red food coloring (or more if not very concentrated)