Happy Halloween Skeleton Bread

      

Here's a Happy Halloween Skeleton Bread that you can make as a family treat, a take along to a potluck or as part of a Halloween supper before Trick or treating! This guy is a regular at our annual neighbourhood halloween potluck. He is Huge, about 3'6" tall., using enough dough for 2 loaves of bread.  If you want a smaller guy, use half the recipe!

I used Martha Stewart's Ladies' Fingers recipe   HERE  Assemble your equipment. I used a mixer, but you can make the dough by hand. I used Instant Yeast instead of the traditional yeast called for in the recipe. If you use it, you just mix it in with the flour, no need to proof it first.

After you make the dough, let it rise, covered, in a warm spot for about an hour until it is doubled in size.
                                     The dough will be firmer than bread dough usually is.

                                                  Divide the dough into six roughly equal pieces.
 Use the largest piece first, this will be the head. It is easier to work on a counter that doesn't have any flour on it, so that the dough sticks slightly and stays in place while you are rolling and shaping.
                                                                        

                    Flatten the dough with your fingers or a rolling pin and poke holes into it, making a face.
                                 The dough will be about 3/4 of an inch thick when you flatten it.

                                              The next largest piece will become the rib cage.
                             Cut ribs into both sides of the dough, leaving a connection in the middle.

                                        Use your fingers to make the ribs longer and thinner.

                          To make legs, take another piece and roll it into a rope, about 14 inches long.
                               Cut lengthwise down the middle, then cut the two long pieces in half.

                                  The arms are made the same way with the next piece of dough.

                              Make the hips by flattening a piece and poking two holes into it.

                                     Cut the last piece into 4 parts and make feet and hands.

                                              Here's what he looks like before getting poached.
                     I used a large roaster with about 2 inches of water and 2 tablespoons of baking soda.

Following Martha's directions, poach all the pieces for a minute on each side, taking great care with the ribs, so that they don't break off. I use tongs and two spatulas to lift the biggest pieces out of the water. If anything breaks, just shove it back together before baking. Brush each piece with egg wash (a beaten egg mixed with 1 T of water), sprinkle with coarse salt or sesame seeds and bake at 350 for about 30 minutes until golden brown.

                                                 Or, you can just make some skull buns!

This seems a bit complicated, but its not that hard! I made a video describing the whole process  last year and you can watch it here on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/user/EvesLittleEarthlings

                                                                Happy Halloween!