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–+ servings
sun shaped bread on board with butter in a dish

Soaked Dough Sun-Shaped Bread

Tessa Zundel
Make this delicious soaked-dough recipe that you can shape into a festive sun for your congregation's summer picnic, your backyard barbeque, or even your summer solstice celebration. The recipe includes instructions for creating a simple sun-shape that only requires your two hands and a pair of kitchen scissors.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 6 hours
Bake Time 35 minutes
Total Time 6 hours 55 minutes
Course Healthy Recipes
Cuisine Holiday
Servings 1 loaf

Ingredients
  

For Soaker:

  • 1 3/4 Cups Bread Flour
  • 1/2 tsp. Sea Salt
  • 3/4 - 1 Cup Milk
  • 1 Tbsp. of Apple Cider Vinegar Water or Milk Kefir, or Yogurt

For Sponge:

  • 1 3/4 Cups Bread Flour
  • 1/8 tsp. Yeast
  • 1 Tbsp. of Honey
  • 1/2 tsp. Sea Salt
  • 3/4 - 1 Cup Filtered Water
  • 1 Tbsp. of Apple Cider Vinegar Water or Milk Kefir, or Yogurt

For Final Mix:

  • 1/2 tsp. Sea Salt
  • 2 Tbsp. Softened Butter or Coconut Oil
  • 3 Tbsp. Sweetener of Choice - raw sugar coconut sugar, monk fruit sugar, etc.
  • 1 tsp. Yeast

For Egg Wash:

  • 1 Egg
  • 1 tsp. Filtered Water

Instructions
 

  • Mix all the ingredients for the Soaker thoroughly in a bowl. Add enough liquid to mix the dough. Cover with a lid or plastic wrap.
  • Mix all the ingredients for the Sponge thoroughly in a bowl. Add enough liquid to mix the dough. Cover with a lid or plastic wrap.
  • Place both bowls in a warm place for six hours or overnight.
  • Mix the contents of the Soaker bowl with the contents of the Sponge bowl until completely incorporated. I recommend using a mixer with the dough hook attached.
  • Add the ingredients from the Final Mix section until completely incorporated into the dough.
  • Remove from the mixing bowl and knead the dough for eight minutes. You may use a floured board to knead on to prevent the dough from sticking. Don't add too much flour or it will dry out the bread.
  • Shape the bread into a circle resembling a large donut or tire, with a hole in the center.
  • Transfer the dough to a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Cover with a light towel and allow to rise for an hour (or until doubled in size) in a warm place.
  • Using sharp kitchen scissors, make diagonal cuts along the edge of the round loaf. Turn the loaf as you make the cuts. Cut about three quarters of the way into the loaf.
  • Don't stress too much about measuring between cuts. This is a fun, festive bread that you shouldn't fret over!
  • Mix the egg with the water and brush lightly over the surface of the sun bread loaf. This step is optional, but it will give the finished bread a golden, sunny hue.
  • Bake 30-45 minutes at 350°F/176°C, or until an inserted thermometer reads at least 170°F/76°C. When you tap the bread, it should sound hollow.

Notes

If you don't have good kitchen scissors, you may also use a sharp knife to make the cuts. Try not to press in on or flatten the dough as you make the cuts with the knife.
You may slightly open each cut you make to splay the "sunbeams" out a bit. Experiment with the look you like best.
To Make Individual Sunbeams:
You may also reserve half the dough after initial donut shaping to shape "sunbeams".
  1. Cut the reserve into equal portions and shape them into triangles to attach to the round-shaped dough.
  2. To get the triangular sunbeams to adhere to the loaf, mix extra egg wash and brush the flat side of the triangle with it.
  3. Gently press and slightly pinch the triangle onto the main body of the round-shaped dough.
  4. Allow these to rise together until doubled in size.
  5. Be careful to allow the bread to completely cool and transfer with care so as not to break away the sunbeams from the main body of the sun.
  6. If that happens, no worries! The sunbeams will allow for easy tearing of individual portions of the bread.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!