Winter Dough Figure

Forming these charming little bread figures is fairly straightforward and easy. However, because there are so many steps, if you are working in a hot climate or steamy kitchen, it is a good idea to decrease the yeast by one-fourth to allow more working time before the dough proofs. The same is true if you are producing a large number of figures in one batch.

If you prefer, the figures can be made to hold a fresh twig from an olive or redwood branch, for example, instead of the bare