Panda Bread!

This was fun.

On the difficulty scale.....I'd give it an 8 out of 10. The challenge for me was not in assembling the Panda, but rather in getting the consistency of the dough just right. It's fun to try at least once, so get your yeast out and let's rock and roll!!

Panda Bread Dough

3 cups of flour

1 egg yolk

1 1/2 tablespoons of unsalted butter

1 cup of milk

1 tablespoon of salt

3 tablespoons of sugar

1 package active dry yeast

2 tablespoons of green tea Matcha mixed with a tablespoon of hot water

1/2 teaspoon of black food coloring mixed with a teaspoon of hot water

Add the egg yolk to the milk and microwave for 1 minute. Set aside. In a mixer (preferably one with a bread hook attachment) Blend the flour, salt, sugar and yeast. After mixing for about a minute, add the butter and milk/yolk mixture and blend on medium until the dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl.

Remove the dough from the mixer and split the dough into three pieces, two the same size and the third a bit smaller.

I used Green Matcha Tea to color one of the larger dough balls green.

It's a bit tricky to add color to bread dough, but if you add about a tablespoon of hot water, the mixing goes along much smoother and you get a much better result.

I used black food coloring to color the smallest dough ball. You might want to wear some gloves before doing this because it's MESSY!!!

The third dough ball isn't colored at all.....poor thing.  :)

Put each dough ball into a greased bowl, cover with clear wrap and put the bowls in a non-drafty area of your kitchen.

 Let the dough rise up until it's about double in size. You have about an hour to two hours for this to happen.......use your time wisely. Why not cut up old charge cards to use as a mosaic for your kitchen backsplash? Ya....I don't blame you. Well, you could do what I did.  Plunked myself down in front of the telly with an icy cold mug of IBC Root Beer. Yes, I did.

I wuz just bein' dang lazy that day.

When the dough has risen up enough, you are ready to roll.  Actually, it's easier to explain the Panda process in pictures......but please pardon the photography. Because I don't get in from work until 8 or 9pm some evenings, I totally miss out on photographing in natural light. So until my work schedule changes.... please enjoy these incandescent shots!!!

Once you reach this point, carefully place the dough, seam side down, into the bread

pan and cover with clear wrap. Let it rise for about an hour.

Bake at 375 degrees for 30 minutes. Once it's finished baking, turn the bread out to cool,

 then slice it up to see the Panda!!!!