Looking for a Thanksgiving Centerpiece? Try This Viral Trend and Shape a Turkey From Your Bread Dough.
The holiday season has arrived, and the viral Turkey-Shaped Bread Loaf videos on social media are once again circulating. Instead of the traditional bread basket, some are choosing to cut and shape their loaves into what can look like a real roasted turkey. It's fun, it's creative, and a great opportunity to showcase your baking skills. In this post, I'll walk you through the steps of creating a sourdough turkey that will at the very least serve as a conversation starter, and make for a delicious and beautiful addition to your table.
*This post does not include a recipe for the bread dough. It does not have to be sourdough. You can use just about any bread dough recipe.
Disclosure: This post contains some affiliate links. I may earn a small commission
on any purchases you make using my links, at no cost to you. Thank you.
Ingredients:
Bread dough (I'm using sourdough)
Flour for dusting (things will get sticky)
Egg wash (optional, for a golden finish) *Substitute egg for vegetarian milk or oil
Paprika, chili powder, or cocoa powder (for a more realistic finish)
Tools:
Parchment Paper or Silicone Mat
Bench Scraper or Knife
Brush or Silicone Brush (or your fingers if you're in a pinch)
Bread Lame or Knife
Clean Scissors
Visit my Amazon Storefront where you can find all the items I use in my home kitchen alachemy lab.
Instructions:
1. Prepare Your Sourdough Dough:
Preheat your oven to what your bread recipe calls for. I set mine to 450ºF (232ºC)
Begin by having a well-fermented sourdough dough ready. Full disclosure, the bread I made in this post is under proofed. An under proofed loaf doesn't rise as well when baked. You'll have the best results if you use a dough with a lower hydration. For sourdough, that's around 75% hydration. If you don't know how to calculate the hydration on your sourdough, check out Bakers Percentage.
Place dough on parchment paper or a silicone mat. Dough should be shaped into a ball. If you are using sourdough bread, this is the last step before baking your loaf. Remove dough that has cold proofed in the refridgerator from proofing basket and place on baking paper or baking mat.
2. Divide and Shape the Body:
Arms/Wings: Using a bench scraper or a knife, start by cutting the arms at the top. Make an angled virtical cut on the left and right sides from the center and moving up. The wings should get slightly widerat the top. The wings should still be attached to the main 'body' of the dough, creating cute little armpits.
Legs/Drumsticks: The lower end of the dough now bells out. Cut the dough in a wider vertical angle, wider on top, and narrow at the bottom. The legs will detach from the main body of the dough. The main body now has a somewhat diamond shape to it.
3. Shape and Place the Drumsticks:
Dust the drumsticks to cut down on the stickiness of the exposed dough. Shape the legs so they are round at the top, and small at the bottom. You know, make it look like a drumstick. Then position the legs on either side of the dough body, and cross the legs over each other at bottom.
4. Score the Dough and Position the Wings:
The dough will expand a lot in the oven. To avoid ripping in unwanted locations, score the dough down the center with a bread lame, knife, or scissors. I am using a goodeneck lame by Wire Monkey Shop. You can get 10% off using my affiliate link.
Once you've scored the bread, position the arms pointing in. Avoid letting the arms fall over the scored part of the dough. This could affect the outcome of the rise and accidentally cause ripping in the dough.
5. Add Details:
To enhance the turkey's realistic appearance, add about five little snips along the bottom outer edge of the arms with a pair of clean kitchen scissors.
6. Egg Wash and Paprika:
Crack an egg into a dish or cup and mix with a fork or your brush. You can water it down. You'll have leftover, so maybe make a little scramble after. Gently brush the egg wash over the entire loaf. Follow up with sprinkling paprike, chili powder, cocoa powder, or whatever you decide to use over the top.
7. Bake:
Preheat your oven to the recommended temperature for your bread dough. Place your beautiful creation onto a baking tray, and set on the middle rack in the oven. Bake according to your recipe instructions, until the crust is browned to your liking, or the internal temperature reaches the desired level of doneness.
Use code: CARA15 for 15% off Lanon Heat Resistant Silicone Gloves pictured here.
And that is how you shape and bake your bread dough into a turkey for the holidays. If you decide to give it a try and share it on social media, feel free to tag me, @amateurfoodalchemist. I love to see the handy work of other amateur food alchemists, and share their creations with the amateur food alchemy community. Happy experimenting!