Teddy Bear Bread

Teddy bear bread turns a simple yeast dough into four adorable bear-shaped loaves that kids go absolutely wild for. The dough is a straightforward white bread recipe, nothing fancy, but the shaping is where the fun happens: dividing the dough into bodies, heads, paws, ears, and little noses, then pressing raisins in for eyes and belly buttons.

This is a fantastic baking project to do with children. The dough is forgiving and the shaping doesn’t need to be precise. Lumpy, lopsided bears have just as much charm as perfect ones.

An egg wash brushed on before baking gives each bear a golden, shiny finish that looks like it came from a bakery window.

Kitchen Tips

• Pinch the seams well where the head meets the body and where paws attach. If they’re loose, the pieces separate during the second rise or in the oven.
• Flatten the bears slightly after shaping. Tall, round balls puff up too much and lose their bear shape.
• Make indentations in the ears before the second rise so they hold their shape during baking.
• Press the raisin eyes in firmly after the second rise but before the egg wash. Raisins placed too early get buried as the dough expands.

Variations

• Use chocolate chips instead of raisins for the eyes and buttons.
• Brush with honey instead of egg wash for a sweeter, stickier finish.
• Shape the dough into other animals: turtles, caterpillars, or snails all work with the same basic dough.