The temps are dipping and my outside world is a little on the cold and rainy side for days. I’m ready to see the sun, even though I know it won’t pack the warmth that the summertime rays typically have.
This dreary weather makes me want to snuggle up with a good book and a cup of steaming tea.
It also makes me want to BAKE!
Wouldn’t it be fun to bake bread in the shape of the sun and coax it to come out? I think it’s worth a try!
After all, that’s precisely what happens in Elisa Kleven’s book, Sun Bread.
This very inventive tale with its bouncy rhymes makes for a family classic.
Winter’s chill has set in and spring cannot be found. It’s been gray for days and the sun hasn’t been anywhere. The baker especially misses the sun and sets out to bring some warmth to her gloomy town by baking a sun bread, as golden and glorious as the sun in the sky. As the bread bakes, it’s smell wafts through the town bringing everyone to the bakery to share in its goodness. Even the sun itself had to join in.
Let’s Bake Some Sun Bread: A Fun Sun Bread Recipe
The recipe for sunbread is provided in the book. I needed to make some adjustments to it and will write my version for you here. Remember flour and yeast are very fickle things. The same recipe will react differently depending on which part of the country you’re baking your bread in. Please feel free to add flour or water as needed.
There’s one more thing before I share the recipe. You can make Sun Bread without reading the book, and it will taste wonderful, but the real magic happens when you bake Sun Bread after you read the book. The bread tastes completely different, almost enchanted
Prep Time: 1 hr.
Cook Time: 1 hr.
Directions: Mix Well
3 eggs and 3 tablespoons of sugar
Combine 2 1/2 cups of sifted all-purpose flour with 1 stick of melted butter.
Add the egg mixture to the flour mixture and beat well.
In a small bowl, combine 2 packages of dry yeast 3 tablespoons of water 1/8 tsp of sugar.
Let the yeast mixture stand for 5 to 10 minutes until it becomes foamy. Add the yeast mixture to the batter and stir well. I used my kitchen aid for this, but you can also do it by hand perfectly well.
Knead the dough on a floured surface for 8 to 10 minutes. The dough will be very smooth, and oily looking.
Place dough in a greased bowl, cover with a kitchen towel and let rise in a warm place for about an hour or until doubled.
Punch down the dough, knead for a few minutes, then separate into two portions.
To form the sun’s face, shape one portion of dough into a round, somewhat flattened ball, then place on a large greased baking sheet or use parchment paper.
With your fingers or a well-greased wooden spoon, punch in two deep holes for the eyes and a big smile for the mouth. These have to be deep, or else the holes will close during rising and baking.
Make a nose out of a little piece of dough rolled into a ball. To make the sun’s rays, roll one-half of the remaining dough into four long snakes. Starting at one end of each snake, curl it into a snail and place it at the top, bottom, and two sides of the sun.
Shape the rest of the dough into puffy triangles and place them in between the snail pieces.
Firmly attach all pieces to the sun center using a pastry brush and water. Egg white also works.
Cover your sun dough masterpiece and let it rise again in a warm place for about an hour.
Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Bake the sunbread for 20 minutes, but watch it carefully. Test for doneness by inserting a toothpick into the center of the bread. If it comes out clean, the bread is done.
Notes: Remember, flour and yeast are very fickle things. The same recipe will react differently depending on which part of the country you’re baking your bread in. Please feel free to add flour or water as needed.
{Adapted from Sun Bread by Elisa Kleven)
