Turtle Bread

Ingredients

• 2½ to 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 x 0.25-ounce (7 g) envelope quick-acting active dry yeast
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• ⅓ cup almond milk (soy or rice milk works fine, too)
• 1 tablespoon vegan margarine
• egg replacer equivalent of 1 egg
• 2 raisins
• vegetable or canola oil, for pan

Method

Preheat the oven to 200°C/400°F/gas mark 6. Mix 1½ cups of the flour, and the yeast, sugar, and salt in a large bowl.

Place the nondairy milk and margarine in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add ½ cup of water and heat until the margarine has melted, 125° to 130°F. Stir into the dry ingredients. Stir in the egg replacer. Add enough flour by the half-cup to make the dough easy to handle.

Transfer the dough to a floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic, about 5 minutes. Cover with a clean dish towel and let rest for 10 minutes.

Lightly grease a cookie sheet. Pull off a piece of dough and roll into a 2-inch ball for the head. Shape 5 additional walnut-size pieces of dough into balls for feet and a tail. Shape the remaining dough into a ball for the body. Place the body on the prepared cookie sheet and flatten slightly. Attach the head, feet, and tail by placing an end of each under the edge of the body to secure it. Press the raisins into head for eyes. Cover with a cloth and let rise for 20 minutes.

Make crisscross cuts in the body, ¼-inch deep, to look like a turtle shell. Bake until golden brown, 20 to 25 minutes.

This bread freezes well, so make extra batches for defrosting later.

Kitchen Tip

For braided challah-style bread, follow the instructions but braid the dough, using 3 ropes of the same length and thickness. Bake as indicated until golden brown.