The countdown is officially on! In just a few weeks, we’ll be setting sail – literally – on our long-awaited vacation, and I couldn’t be more ready. After what felt like 100 freezing, gray days in January and with February shaping up to be just as snowy, I’m craving sunshine, warm breezes, lots of rum, and the kind of relaxation that only comes with endless ocean views and a catamaran hammock. A little escape to soak up the sun and shake off the winter blues sounds absolutely perfect right now.

If you need a little sunshine too, this bread is golden, fluffy, and shaped like a whimsical sun making it the perfect treat to brighten up even the dreariest of days. Whether you enjoy it with a drizzle of honey, a knob of butter, or just as it is, this bread is a little taste of sunshine in every bite. The texture is like a very buttery brioche. Isn’t it just the sweetest looking loaf?

(Yes, I am in my PJ’s. They’re from jaye’s studio)

Sun Bread

Ingredients:
310g all-purpose flour
113g/1 stick of unsalted butter, melted and allowed to cool a bit
7g/1 packet of instant yeast (I use SAF Gold instant yeast)
3 large eggs
1T sugar
10g kosher or sea salt
50ml/scant ¼C milk
1 egg, for egg wash before baking

Directions:
As with all baking projects, have ingredients come to room temperature before beginning.

In a small bowl, whisk the eggs, sugar, sea salt, and milk. Slowly add the slightly cooled, melted butter and whisk thoroughly. If the butter is too hot you’ll end up cooking the eggs.

In the bowl of an electric mixer, whisk together the flour, salt, and yeast. Add the liquid ingredients to the flour mixture and knead the dough on low for about 7 minutes. The dough will be smooth and tacky but not sticky; it is a buttery loaf. Form into a ball, place back in the bowl, and cover with a sheet of plastic wrap. Let the dough rest and rise in a warm place until doubled in size. In the winter that may take up to 2 hours, in the summer it may take 40 minutes. You want it doubled in size.

Punch down the dough. Remove it from the bowl and place it on a kitchen scale to get the weight. Divide the dough in half. Form one half into a ball and place it in the center of your baking sheet. This is your sun.

Evenly divide the other half of the dough into 10 equal portions. These will be the rays. Roll the pieces of dough into logs about 6” long and then coil them. Place the coils around the sun, seam side in.

Let your sun rest and rise until doubled. In the winter that may take up to 2 hours, in the summer it may take 40 minutes. You want it doubled in size.

Preheat oven to 375°.

Brush the top of the bread with an egg wash and then bake for 20 minutes until golden.
If you can, let the bread sit for half an hour before slicing into it.

Note: I brushed the top with olive oil, herbs, and sprinkled on some Maldon sea salt before serving.