Golden Santa Bread

September and the new school year begins for the grandchildren — Ethan in sixth grade, Sophie in fourth, Noah in first, Hannah in pre-K. Four grandchildren in school. Four deliveries of rugelach to four teachers. The rugelach tradition is robust, well-funded (in butter), and shows no signs of weakening. I baked six dozen and drove to White Plains and delivered them personally, because the personal delivery is part of the tradition, because the handing of the cookies to the teacher is the moment, the eye contact, the smile, the "I'm their bubbe, and these are for you." The teachers eat the rugelach. The teachers remember. The teachers are kinder to my grandchildren for the first week, which is the strategic advantage of showing up with baked goods on the first day, and I am not above strategic baking.

I made a back-to-school challah — the tradition I started when David entered kindergarten in 1989 and which I have maintained for thirty-five years and which I will maintain until there are no more grandchildren entering school, and since Hannah is four and Ethan is eleven, I have at least seven more years of back-to-school challahs, and the seven years are a promise, and the challah is the sealing of the promise, and the braiding is the binding, and I braid and bind and promise and the flour is on my hands and the future is in the dough.

After the rugelach were delivered and the teachers were charmed and the strategic advantages secured, it was the challah that mattered most to me — the braiding, the binding, the flour on my hands. This Golden Santa Bread is the recipe I reach for when I want a shaped, celebratory loaf that holds the same energy: dough that becomes something beautiful under your hands, a bread that announces itself as a gift. The shaping takes patience, but patience is exactly what September calls for, when you are promising four grandchildren and thirty-five years of tradition that you will be here, you will bake, you will show up.

Prep Time: 45 min | Cook Time: 30 min | Total Time: 1 hr 15 min (plus 1 hr 30 min rise) | Servings: 12

Ingredients

3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for kneading
2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast (1 packet)
1 teaspoon sugar
1 cup warm water (110°F)
1/4 cup warm whole milk
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
1 teaspoon salt
1 large egg, room temperature
1 egg yolk mixed with 1 tablespoon water (for egg wash)
2 raisins or currants (for eyes, if decorating)
Sesame seeds or poppy seeds for topping (optional)

Instructions

Activate the yeast. Combine warm water, sugar, and yeast in a small bowl. Let sit 5–10 minutes until foamy and fragrant.
Mix the dough. In a large bowl, whisk together flour and salt. Add the yeast mixture, warm milk, softened butter, and egg. Stir until a shaggy dough forms.
Knead. Turn dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 8–10 minutes until smooth and elastic. The dough should spring back when poked. Add flour a tablespoon at a time only if the dough is sticking badly.
First rise. Place the dough in a lightly oiled bowl, cover with a clean towel or plastic wrap, and let rise in a warm spot for 1 hour, or until doubled in size.
Shape the bread. Punch down the dough and turn it onto a lightly floured surface. Divide into portions to form your shaped figure: a large oval for the body, a round ball for the head, two long ropes braided or twisted for the beard, and smaller pieces for arms and a hat. Arrange the pieces on a parchment-lined baking sheet, pressing gently to adhere them together. Press raisins in for eyes if desired.
Second rise. Cover loosely and let rise 25–30 minutes, until puffy.
Preheat oven. Heat oven to 350°F (175°C).
Apply egg wash. Brush the entire surface gently but thoroughly with the egg yolk wash. Sprinkle with sesame or poppy seeds if using. The egg wash gives the finished loaf its deep golden color.
Bake. Bake 25–30 minutes until deep golden brown and the loaf sounds hollow when tapped on the bottom. If the thinner decorative pieces brown too quickly, tent them loosely with foil.
Cool. Transfer to a wire rack and cool at least 15 minutes before serving. The bread is best the day it is baked, but wrapped tightly it keeps well for one additional day.

Nutrition (per serving)

Golden Santa Bread — The Braiding Is the Promise