Try this Niffler Bread recipe, or contribute your own.
- Carbohydrate 70.9058638789859 g
- Cholesterol 0 mg
- Fat 20.4407600087711 g
- Fiber 0.198444308147134 g
- Protein 0.268866458319016 g
- Saturated Fat 1.50620187564749 g
- Serving Size 1 1 recipe (403g)
- Sodium 15.3328861107133 mg
- Sugar 70.7074195708388 g
- Trans Fat 0.248864375106944 g
- Calories 442 calories
Step-by-step
- In your mixer bowl, pour in the warm water and sprinkle on the yeast.
- Mix in the honey, oil, eggs and salt.
- With the mixer going, add the flour, bit by bit.
- When the dough thickens, switch to the dough hook.
- Turn out onto a floured board and finish the kneading by hand for 1-2 minutes, so the dough is smooth and elastic.
- Place back in bowl and cover with a clean damp cotton tea towel.
- Leave until the dough has doubled in size, typically, 1 to 1½ hours.
- Once risen, punch down the dough. Separate the dough into 4-6 equal sized balls.
- Shape into an oval, and tear off a portion to use for the head.
- Shape the body, into an egg shape, and cut 3 lines. Two for the arms, one to create legs (see image).
- Shape into arms and legs, curling the legs up, and arms inwards.
- Make four cuts in each hand and legs to make the five claws.
- Use a wooden skewer to better shape the hands and feet to have a sharper claw look. Alternatively, the feet can be made separately.
- Sit the body shape up, curving it into place, and use bottles to keep him propped up.
- To shape the head then stretch out some of the dough to form the bill, curving the end upwards.
- Press the head onto the body, pressing the dough together.
- Using a wooden skewer, poke in two eyes.
- Place onto a baking paper lined baking tray.
- Butter the outside of some small baking containers (small ramekins, etc) and use them to prop up the niffler.
- Beat the last egg in a small bowl, and brush all over the niffler.
- Preheat oven to 190 degrees C, place in and bake for ~30 minutes, until golden brown. If you feel he's browning too much, cover with aluminium foil.
Substituting whole wheat flour for up to thirty percent of the plain flour changes the dough structure by adding heavier fiber, which requires an extra tablespoon of warm water to maintain proper hydration. Yeast doughs of this density benefit from careful temperature control during the initial proofing stage, typically requiring an ambient environment around 24 degrees Celsius to achieve a doubled volume within the standard 90-minute window. Shaping intricate figures demands attention to gluten development, since over-kneading makes the dough too elastic to hold distinct appendages during baking.
Freezing shaped yeast dough requires specific timing to prevent structural collapse. Unbaked sculpted loaves can be frozen solid on parchment-lined trays immediately after assembly, then wrapped tightly in plastic film for storage up to four weeks. Thawing requires a slow transition in the refrigerator overnight before allowing a final secondary rise at room temperature, ensuring the internal yeast activity resumes evenly without forming dense pockets.
Reheating baked bread restores crispness when performed at 160 degrees Celsius for 10 minutes, provided the surface is shielded with foil to prevent excessive browning of the egg wash glaze.
