Easter Yeast Pastry

Ingredients

• 400 g flour
• 15 g fresh yeast
• 60 g sugar
• 200 ml lukewarm milk
• 40 g soft butter
• 1 egg
• 1 egg yolk
• 18 raisins
• 20 g almond sticks
• 100 g dark chocolate couverture

Instructions

1. 1.

   Step 1: Sift the flour into a bowl and press a well in the center. Crumble the yeast and dissolve it with 1 tbsp sugar in a little lukewarm milk. Pour into the well and stir with a bit of flour to make a pre‑starter. Cover and let rise in a warm place for about 30 minutes. Then add the remaining milk (leave 2 tbsp), the rest of the sugar, butter, and egg, kneading until smooth. The dough should lift from the bowl edges; adjust flour or milk slightly if needed. Cover and let rise another hour.

2. 2.

   Preheat the oven to 200 °C with fan and top heat.

3. 3.

   Knead the dough again and divide into 12 roughly equal pieces. Roll each piece into a ball, placing half on a parchment‑lined tray. Beat the egg yolk with the remaining milk and brush over the balls. Bake for about 20 minutes until golden brown. While those bake, shape the remaining balls into pointed, slightly oval shapes. Place them on another parchment tray, pressing raisins as noses and eyes into the thicker end, and almond sticks as whiskers beside the nose. Cut a slit in each pointy ball to form ears. Brush with the yolk‑milk mixture and bake for another 20 minutes until golden.

4. 4.

   Remove all pieces from the trays, let cool on wire racks.

5. 5.

   Step 2: Line six small flower pots with parchment paper (cut into circles that reach the center and fold over).

6. 6.

   Step 3: Place the balls as bodies in the pots. Melt chocolate in a metal bowl over simmering water, then remove from heat, let cool slightly, dip bunny heads into it, and set on the bodies. Press lightly to secure until the head stays. Assemble all bunnies this way and allow them to firm up. Decorate with colorful collars as desired.