Birdie Bread Rolls

By susanwadle

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup water, at room temperature
• 1/2 cup orange juice, at room temperature
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 2 1/4 teaspoons instant yeast
• 11 1/4 ounces (about 2 1/4 cups) bread flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• Chocolate pearls (for eyes)
• Slivered almonds (for beaks)

Details

Servings 8
Preparation time 40mins
Cooking time 40mins
Adapted from seriouseats.com

Preparation

Step 1

Combine water, orange juice, sugar, yeast, and bread flour in bowl of stand mixer fitted with dough hook. Knead on low speed until dough is smooth and elastic, about 5 minutes. Add salt and olive oil, and continue kneading until they are completely incorporated and dough is smooth, silky, shiny and elastic, about 5 minutes longer. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and set aside until doubled in size, about 1 hour.

Adjust oven rack to center position and preheat the oven to 350°F. Line baking sheet with parchment paper. Sprinkle work surface with flour and turn the dough out. Knead briefly, then divide into 8 even pieces. Take one of the pieces and cut off about 1/4 of the dough. Form that smaller piece into a ball. Form the other piece into a teardrop shape.

Make a divot in the fat part of the teardrop-shaped piece, but not too close to the edge as shown in the photo.

Place the ball on top of the teardrop shaped piece on top of that divot you just made.

Place this on the baking sheet, with the pointy end facing the center of the sheet. This will make it easier to work in the face later. Continue until all the birds are shaped. Cover the birds with plastic wrap and set aside until nearly doubled in size, about 20 minutes.