Create the most tasty dinosaur bread in a snap! It’s as easy as mixing, shaping, and baking. Perfect for a quick, fun twist on traditional bread.
How to Make Dinosaur Bread
- Make the dough: Combine the water, dry yeast, and sugar and stir together. Let stand for five minutes. Add the flour and mix using a stand mixer and a dough hook until it’s sticky and well mixed. Add the butter and egg. Mix until the dough sticks together and comes clean from the sides of the bowl.
- Let it rise: Transfer the dough to a large, lightly greased bowl. Cover tightly with plastic wrap. Place in a warm spot and allow to rest until it doubles in size.
- Shape the dough: Knead the dough and transfer it to a lightly floured surface. To make dinosaur bread, you can use a dinosaur cookie cutter or form it, as shown in the photos.
- Bake: Place dinosaurs on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Whisk the egg with a bit of water. Use the egg wash to brush the bread evenly for that perfect golden finish. Use black sesame seeds to make eyes. Bake the dinosaurs for 20 minutes or until golden.
Make Ahead and Freezing Instructions
To Make Ahead: Homemade bread can be made a day or two in advance. It’s recommended to consume the bread within three days to enjoy it at its freshest, but it will generally last up to a week or more before mold starts to form.
To Freeze: You can freeze your homemade dinosaur bread for longer storage. Just wrap each dinosaur tightly, put it in a ziplock bag, and freeze. To defrost, leave the bread on the counter overnight. If the defrosted bread is a bit stale, heat in the oven for five minutes or until warm and crispy.
Recipe Variations for Dinosaur Bread
Cinnamon bread: Add one tablespoon of cinnamon to the dough mixture. Dust with another serving of cinnamon on top, and add a bit of sugar for glazing.
Cheesy dinosaur bread: Mix one cup of shredded cheddar cheese into the dinosaur bread dough for a savory twist. Sprinkle cheese on top for an extra cheesy version.
Herb-infused bread: Add two tablespoons of chopped fresh herbs, such as fennel, basil, rosemary, or thyme, to the dough for a fragrant and flavorful bread.
Dinosaur nut bread: Mix in half a cup of chopped nuts like pecans or walnuts into the dough. Sprinkle a few nuts on top and glaze with maple syrup for extra appeal.
Chocolate Dip: Serve with a side of melted chocolate for dipping. Simply melt one cup of your favorite chocolate chips along with a quarter cup of coconut oil in the microwave and serve alongside the baked dinosaur bread. Remember to stir between each 30-second interval to prevent burning.
Honey drizzle: For a sweet finish, drizzle honey over the baked dinosaur bread. Use about a quarter cup of honey for drizzling.
Savory seed bread: Sprinkle a mixture of pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, and flaxseeds over the bread for added crunch and nutrition.
Fruity fossil bread: To make the jam, mix one cup of mixed berries with two tablespoons of honey and cook until thickened. Cut the dinosaur bread in half and spread the jam on both slices.
Spicy saurian bread: Add a pinch of chili powder or paprika to the dough for a spicy twist.
Garlic herb dinosaur bread: For a savory garlic herb flavor, mix two cloves of minced garlic and one tablespoon of dried Italian seasoning into the dough.
Dinosaur Bread
Equipment
Ingredients
For the dough:
- 2/3 cup water
- 1 ½ tsp active dry yeast
- 1 ½ tbsp sugar
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- ½ tsp salt
- 2 tbsp butter
- 1 egg
For the egg wash:
- 1 egg
- 1 tbsp water
Instructions
- Add the water, dry yeast and sugar to the bowl of a stand mixer.
- Stir to combine.
- Let stand for 5 minutes.
- Add the flour and mix using the dough hook of your mixer, until it’s all well incorporated.
- Add the egg and butter and mix until the dough comes clean from the sides of the bowl.
- Transfer the dough to a large lightly greased bowl.
- Cover tightly with plastic wrap.
- Allow to rest until double in size, about 1 ½ hours.
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- Punch the dough.
- Transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface.
- To make dinosaur bread, you can use dinosaur cookie cutter or you can form dinosaur bread as shown on the photos.
- Place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
- To make the egg wash, in a small bowl whisk the egg with water.
- Brush the bread with egg wash.
- Use black sesame seeds to make eyes.
- Bake in preheated oven for 20 minutes or until golden.
Notes
- Yeast activation: Ensure the water temperature is lukewarm (around 110 degrees Fahrenheit) to activate the yeast effectively.
- Proper kneading: Knead dough until smooth and elastic. You’ll need to spend about eight to ten minutes on this to develop the gluten.
- Rising time: Allow the dough to double in size during proofing. Cover it tightly to prevent the exposed surface from drying out and affecting the final texture of your bread.
- Cookie cutter tip: Grease the dinosaur cookie cutter to prevent it from sticking when cutting dough. You can use a bit of butter, cooking oil, or cooking spray to grease the cutter.
- Eye placement: Use tweezers to make placing the eyes easier. Using your fingers can cause the eyes to be off-center.
- Cooling tip: Allow the dinosaur bread to cool on a wire rack before serving to avoid a soggy bottom.
