Whenever I see the judges on the Great British Bake-Off criticize the contestants’ breadsticks for not having that “snap,” I just shake my head. You see, in my head, breadsticks are fluffy and chewy. They are also shaped like turkeys and Christmas trees.
Growing up, we used our bread machine to make lots of different breads, but our favorite by far were the breadsticks. I remember the feel of the dough just as it finished proving, and the lovely plop as it landed on the floured countertop. I would sink my fingers into it and revel in the warm, pillowy goodness. Then we’d start hacking off chunks of dough and letting our imaginations take charge.
You see, bread dough is a really fun sculpture medium. It makes for a fabulous activity at any time of year. It’s especially fun at holidays because you can create seasonally-themed sculptures; for instance, a turkey for Thanksgiving, a tree for Christmas, a ghost for Halloween, and so on.
Here is a recent bread sculpture, based on the cover of my favorite Halloween book from when I was a kid, Big Pumpkin*.
Do you have foods you like to play with? Share about it @tastequesthq!
*Fun Fact: this book was illustrated by my Uncle Steve!