PETITS BONHOMMES

Petits Bonhommes image

One of the many treats my brother and I looked forward to during the Christmas holidays was having a freshly baked _petit bonhomme_ for breakfast or for an afternoon snack. The breads seemed to have a best friend, too: hot chocolate. Still today shop windows display the _petits bonhommes_ in sizes ranging from seven or eight inches to several feet high. Some families buy a large bread to put in the middle of the holiday breakfast table. My father made his _petits bonhommes_ from brioche but tells me they can also be made from the kugelhopf dough.

Provided by Hubert Keller

Yield Makes about 10 individual petits bonhommes

Number Of Ingredients 4

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Ingredients

1 recipe Brioche Bretzel dough, through first rise
2 egg yolks
Raisins, nuts, dragées, or other such decorations
1/2 cup (2 ounces) powdered sugar (optional)

Steps:

Punch the dough down and turn it out onto a lightly floured work surface. Cut the dough into 10 evenly sized pieces (about 3 ounces each) and roll each into a ball. Cover with a kitchen towel and let them rest for about 15 minutes.
Line 2 baking sheets with nonstick baking mats or parchment paper. Preheat the oven to 400°.
Make sure your figures are very distinct; otherwise the shape will be lost in the oven as the breads rise. Use very little to no flour on the work surface. You need the dough to stick slightly to the countertop. Roll each ball into a log about 6 inches long. To form the head, about 1 to 1 1/2-inches in from one end, press down with the edge of your hand. Roll your hand back and forth. A neck will form and the head above it. Taper the body so it's wider at the shoulders and narrower toward the feet. Pat the body down to flatten it. With a sharp knife or with sharp scissors, make a single cut to form the legs and pull them apart. (Dipping the blades in water helps them cut more cleanly.) Make 2 diagonal cuts beginning at about the waist and angling in and up to below the shoulders. Pull the arms out. After that you can play, perhaps making a hat or muffler from scraps. Transfer the breads to the baking sheets, cover with kitchen towels, and let them rise for about 30 minutes.
In a small bowl, whisk the egg yolks with 1 teaspoon of water. With a pastry brush, brush the breads with the egg wash. Press the raisins or other decorations firmly into the breads to make eyes, noses, buttons, and other details as your imagination prompts. Bake the breads for about 20 minutes or until dark golden brown. Let them cool on a rack.
You can leave the breads glossy from the egg-yolk glaze or give them a sugar glaze. In a small bowl, mix the powdered sugar with just enough water to make a brushable paste, about 1 tablespoon. Brush the glaze all over the breads while they are still warm. Serve them the same day you bake them.