T is for Turtle Bread - ABCs of Homeschooling

A few days ago, Sophia made "Turtle Bread" - a recipe that is in her Alpha-Bakery cookbook. She was given the cookbook from her cooking teacher at the homeschool co-op she attends. Each week, she has been making a recipe from the book.

The Turtle Bread is a simple recipe that makes enough for a family to enjoy. The bread is best right out of the oven with some butter on it.

Turtle bread.

The photo is a bit dark and the turtle is casting a shadow.

Perhaps making the bread during the day and

not having it at 7:00 at night would have yielded a better photo.

Nonetheless, the bread was delicious and well worth the wait!

INGREDIENTS:

2 1/2 to 3 cups all-purpose flour
1 package of quick-acting dry yeast
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup water
1/3 cup milk
1 tablespoon of butter
1 egg
2 raisins

DIRECTIONS:

1. Mix 1 1/2 cups of flour, the yeast, sugar and salt in a large bowl.

2. Heat water, milk and butter to 125 -130 degrees; stir into yeast mixture. Stir in egg. Stir in enough of remaining flour to make the dough easy to handle.

3. Sprinkle a surface lightly with flour. Turn the dough onto the surface; knead until smooth and elastic, about 5 minutes. Cover and let rest 10 minutes.

4. Lightly grease a cookie sheet. Shape a 2-inch piece of dough into a ball for head. Shape 4 walnut-size pieces of dough into balls for feet. Shape 1 walnut-size piece of dough into tail. Shape remaining dough into a ball for body; place on cookie sheet and flatten slightly. Attach head, feet and tail to secure. Press raisins into head for eyes. Cover and let rise 20 minutes.

5. Heat oven to 400 degrees. Make crisscross cuts in body, 1/4 inch deep to look like a turtle’s shell. Bake until golden brown, 20 to 25 minutes.