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If you’re looking to bring some festive cheer and delicious warmth into your kitchen this season, I have just the treat for you: the Golden Santa Bread Recipe. This delightful bread doubles as an adorable holiday centerpiece and a tasty, fluffy bread perfect for sharing. Picture a soft, golden loaf shaped lovingly like Santa’s jolly face, complete with a twisted beard and bright red hat, glowing with a gorgeous golden crust. It’s not just bread; it’s a joyful celebration wrapped in dough that’s as fun to make as it is to eat.
Ingredients You’ll Need
Don’t be intimidated by the beautiful results because this recipe calls for simple, everyday ingredients that come together magically. Each component plays an important role—flour for structure, butter for richness, sugar for a light sweetness, and eggs for tenderness and color, all culminating in that gorgeous Golden Santa Bread Recipe you’ll adore.
- Bread flour (3 & 1/2 cups): Gives the bread a strong gluten structure, ensuring a chewy yet tender crumb.
- Salt (1 & 1/2 teaspoons): Balances the sweetness and enhances all the flavors.
- Milk (1/2 cup): Adds richness and helps create a soft texture.
- Water (1/4 cup): Hydrates the yeast and dough for perfect rising.
- Butter (1/4 cup, cubed): Brings buttery flavor and moistness to the bread.
- Sugar (1/2 cup): Sweetens and feeds the yeast for an airy rise.
- Yeast (2 tablespoons): The magic agent that makes your bread rise beautifully.
- Eggs (2): Provide richness and help with dough elasticity.
- Raisins (2): Used for Santa’s sparkling eyes, adding a whimsical touch.
- Egg yolks (2, separated in two bowls): For brushing and coloring—plain and tinted with red food coloring.
- Red food coloring: Gives Santa’s hat and cheeks that iconic festive glow.
How to Make Golden Santa Bread Recipe
Step 1: Mix the Dry Ingredients
Start by whisking together 2 cups of your bread flour and the salt in a large bowl or stand mixer. This forms the base for your dough and ensures the salt is evenly distributed—important for balanced flavor.
Step 2: Warm the Liquid Ingredients
Gently heat the milk, water, and butter until the butter is partially melted and the mixture is comfortably warm (120°-130°). This cozy warm temperature wakes up the yeast, but don’t rush—too hot and you’ll kill those precious yeast cells!
Step 3: Activate the Yeast
Stir in sugar and yeast to your warm mixture. If unsure about your yeast, wait 5 minutes and look for some foamy bubbles—that means your yeast is alive and ready to work its magic!
Step 4: Combine Wet and Dry
Add your liquid mixture to the dry flour and beat until just moistened. Then beat in the eggs until the batter is smooth, setting the foundation for a soft dough packed with fluffy goodness.
Step 5: Form the Dough
Gradually stir in the remaining flour until the dough forms into a slightly sticky ball. Don’t fret about a little stickiness; it means your bread will have a tender crumb, just add enough flour to handle comfortably.
Step 6: Knead for Texture
Turn out onto a floured surface and knead for about 6-8 minutes until smooth and elastic, or use a dough hook on medium speed. This step develops gluten, which gives your bread that irresistible chew.
Step 7: First Rise
Place the dough in a greased bowl and turn once to coat the top. Cover and let it rise in a warm spot until doubled in size—patience is key here as this usually takes 1.5 to 2 hours and promises that lovely fluffy bread.
Step 8: Shape Santa’s Face
Punch down the dough and divide it into two portions—one slightly larger. Shape the bigger piece into an elongated triangle with rounded corners; this will be Santa’s head and hat. Place it on a greased cookie sheet and get ready to bring Santa to life.
Step 9: Shape the Beard
Divide the smaller portion in half. Flatten one half for Santa’s beard and cut thin strips nearly all the way through, then twist and curl each strip for that festive fluffy beard effect.
Step 10: Add the Mustache, Nose, and Hat Details
Use remaining dough to flatten and slice a mustache, shape a small ball for the nose, and fold and stud the hat with pom-pom and brim pieces. It’s truly remarkable how simple shapes transform into the jolly old Saint Nick!
Step 11: Add Santa’s Eyes
Cut two slits for eyes and insert raisins. These tiny details bring Santa’s face to life with a mischievous twinkle.
Step 12: Color and Glaze
Brush plain egg yolk on all non-red parts to achieve a lovely shine. Tint the remaining yolk with red food coloring and carefully brush Santa’s hat, cheeks, and nose. Doing the plain yolk first keeps colors vibrant and prevents running.
Step 13: Final Rise
Cover loosely with foil sprayed with nonstick spray to guard the bread without sticking. Let the whole creation rise for another 30 minutes, preparing for the final bake.
Step 14: Bake to Golden Perfection
Bake at 350°F for 15 minutes covered, then uncover and bake another 5-10 minutes until a gorgeous golden brown crust forms. Cool on a wire rack while you prepare to dazzle your guests!
How to Serve Golden Santa Bread Recipe
Garnishes
Serve with a sprinkle of powdered sugar for a snowy effect or fresh herbs like rosemary twigs to mimic pine branches, adding a fragrant and festive touch that complements the bread’s buttery richness.
Side Dishes
This bread pairs wonderfully with creamy soups like tomato bisque or butternut squash, or alongside a vibrant cheese platter for a cozy holiday gathering filled with flavors and laughter.
Creative Ways to Present
Present your Santa bread on a rustic wooden board surrounded by holiday ornaments and candles for a magical centerpiece. Wrap slices individually in festive napkins for gift-giving or party favors that guests will remember fondly.
Make Ahead and Storage
Storing Leftovers
Wrap leftover Golden Santa Bread tightly in plastic wrap or place in an airtight container to keep it soft and moist. Stored at room temperature, it stays fresh for 2 to 3 days, making it a convenient festive snack.
Freezing
You can freeze this bread either before or after baking. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap and then foil to protect against freezer burn, and it will keep well for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge or at room temperature before enjoying.
Reheating
Warm slices gently in a 300°F oven wrapped loosely with foil for 10-15 minutes. This brings back the bread’s softness and revives that irresistible golden crust, like it just came out of the oven fresh.
FAQs
Can I make this bread without a stand mixer?
Absolutely! This Golden Santa Bread Recipe is flexible—you can easily mix and knead by hand. Just prepare for a little elbow grease during the kneading step but the results are worth every minute.
What types of flour work best in this recipe?
Bread flour is recommended for its higher protein content, which develops gluten giving the bread its perfect chew and light texture. All-purpose flour can be substituted, but the bread might be slightly less chewy and more tender.
Can I use dry yeast instead of fresh yeast?
You can use active dry yeast for this recipe. Just remember to activate it in the warm liquid with sugar before mixing with the flour to ensure a beautiful rise for your Golden Santa Bread Recipe.
Is red food coloring necessary?
The red coloring creates the festive look of Santa’s hat and rosy cheeks but isn’t essential for flavor. You can omit it or use natural alternatives like beet juice for a subtle hue.
How long will the bread stay fresh once baked?
This bread stays fresh and soft for about 2 to 3 days at room temperature. Beyond that, consider freezing to maintain its texture and flavor, so you can enjoy the festive magic anytime.
Final Thoughts
I can’t wait for you to try this Golden Santa Bread Recipe and bring a piece of holiday magic to your home kitchen. It’s not just a bread—it’s a labor of love that fills your space with warmth, smiles, and that unbeatable aroma of fresh-baked goodness. Whether you’re sharing it around the table or gifting it to loved ones, this Santa-shaped bread is sure to become a treasured tradition year after year.
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Golden Santa Bread Recipe
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 50 minutes plus 2 hours rising time
- Yield: 8 servings
- Category: Bread
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Description
Golden Santa Bread is a festive homemade bread shaped into a jolly Santa Claus face, featuring a soft, slightly sweet dough enriched with butter and eggs. The dough is carefully shaped into Santa’s hat, beard, mustache, and facial features, then decorated with egg wash and red food coloring for a cheerful holiday presentation.
Ingredients
Dough
- 3 1/2 cups bread flour (spooned and leveled)
- 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
- 1/2 cup milk
- 1/4 cup water
- 1/4 cup butter (cubed)
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 2 tablespoons yeast
- 2 eggs
Decorations
- 2 raisins (for eyes)
- 2 egg yolks (separated into 2 bowls)
- Red food coloring
Instructions
- Mix Dry Ingredients: In a large bowl or stand mixer, combine 2 cups of the bread flour and the salt to create the base for the dough.
- Warm Liquid Ingredients: Heat the milk, water, and butter mixture to 120°-130°F until the butter is partially melted, stirring until fully melted. Ensure the mixture is warm but not hot before proceeding.
- Activate Yeast: Add sugar and yeast to the warm liquid. If uncertain about yeast viability, wait 5 minutes to see if it foams, indicating it’s active.
- Combine Ingredients: Add the yeast mixture to the dry ingredients and beat just until moistened. Then beat in 2 eggs until the mixture is smooth.
- Add Remaining Flour: Gradually stir in the remaining flour to form a dough that comes together in a ball but may still be slightly sticky. Add flour until the dough is manageable by hand.
- Knead Dough: Turn the dough onto a floured surface and knead for 6-8 minutes until smooth and elastic. Alternatively, use a dough hook attachment for this duration.
- First Rise: Place the dough in a greased bowl, turning once to coat the surface. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled in size, approximately 1.5 to 2 hours.
- Divide Dough: Punch down the risen dough and turn it onto a lightly floured surface. Divide into two portions, with one slightly larger than the other.
- Form Santa’s Head and Hat: Shape the larger portion into an elongated triangle with rounded corners and transfer it to a greased cookie sheet.
- Create Beard: Divide the smaller portion in half. Shape and flatten one half into a beard shape. Use scissors or a pizza cutter to cut thin strips to within 1 inch of the top to create curls, then twist and position over Santa’s face.
- Shape Facial Features: Use the remaining dough to form the mustache (flattened with ends cut into strips), nose (small ball), hat pom-pom (small ball), and hat brim (rolled narrow piece tucked under the hat).
- Add Eyes: Cut two small slits for eyes on the triangle dough and insert raisins as eyes.
- Apply Egg Wash and Color: Beat the 2 egg yolks separately. Brush plain yolk over the dough areas that will remain natural. Add red food coloring to the other yolk and carefully brush the hat, nose, and cheeks. Apply the plain yolk first to avoid color bleeding.
- Second Rise: Loosely cover the bread with foil sprayed with nonstick spray, avoiding touching the dough. Let rise for 30 minutes.
- Bake: Preheat the oven to 350°F. Bake covered for 15 minutes, then uncover and bake an additional 5-10 minutes or until golden brown.
- Cool and Serve: Remove from oven and cool on a wire rack before serving. Enjoy the festive creation and admire the attention it receives.
Notes
- Make sure the milk and water mixture is warm but not hot to prevent killing the yeast.
- Scissors are essential for cutting the dough strips for the beard and mustache for better shaping.
- Apply the plain egg yolk wash before the red to avoid bleeding colors on the bread.
- Covering the dough loosely with foil prevents the bread from burning or drying out during the second rise.
- Let the dough rise in a warm environment to encourage proper fermentation and doubling in size.
- This bread is best served fresh but can be stored in an airtight container for 2 days.
- Use bread flour for better gluten development and a chewier texture.
