These “Birdie Rolls” or “ Bread Birds ” as we call them are an awesome addition to any holiday spread! They are tons of fun to make, and looks like you spent all day preparing! Don’t be intimidated by the looks, these attractive rolls are relatively easy to make!
| Prep Time: 2 hr 30 min | Cook Time: 20 min | Total Time: 2 hr 50 min |
This Recipe is: Vegetarian
Meal Type:Appetizer
Cuisine Type: American
Ingredients:
- 3 – 3 ½ cups flour
- ¼ cup sugar
- 1 package (¼ ounce) active dry yeast
- 1 tsp salt
- ¼ cup butter
- ½ cup milk
- ½ cup water
- ½ tsp almond extract
- 1 egg (lightly beaten)
- 16 slivered almonds (optional)
- 32 currants (optional)
Honey Butter:
- ¼ cup butter
- 2 tbsp honey
Directions:
- In a large mixing bowl, combine 1 cup flour, sugar, yeast, and salt.
- Melt ¼ cup butter in microwave. Add milk and water to melted butter.
- Add butter mixture to flour mixture. Mix well. Stir in extract and egg. Beat until smooth. Add enough of the remaining flour to form a soft dough.
- Turn dough onto a floured surface. Knead dough 6-8 minutes until smooth and elastic.
- Place dough into a greased bowl. Turn once to coat both sides. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled (approx 1 hour).
- Punch the dough down and divide into 16 equal pieces.
- To shape the birds, roll each piece into a 10 inch rope. Tie each piece into a knot. Cut one end a few times with scissors to form tail feathers. Tuck in the other end of the knot to form a head.
- Place on a greased baking sheet. Cover and let rise until almost doubled (approx 30 mins).
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Bake in preheated oven for 17-20 mins or until golden brown.
- Combine ¼ cup butter and honey and whisk together. Brush over hot rolls. Return to oven 2-3 mins.
- If desired, make small holes with a toothpick for beak and eyes. Insert a slivered almond for the beak and currants for eyes.
