Frog Bread Rolls

There was a phase in my daughter’s young life when she adored frogs. Her room was embellished with these amphibians. If  you could just imagine: frog figurines on shelves, frog posters on the wall, frog on T-shirts, calendar, her school notebooks, a mug, bed sheets, pajamas and one frog pillow with buggy eyes sticking out.

I inherited that pillow and I’m still holding on to it even though my daughter, a free range young adult, is long out of the house. It evokes so many memories and it might be just the last proof that once my only purpose and definition in life was being a mom. In honor of that, and for sentimental reasons of course, I made these sweet and soft frog bread rolls. My inspiration came from here.

My daughter’s room withstood other trends as well, like the old Egypt and pop-culture but alas, I won’t be making any food in memory of that (I promise).

Ingredients:
Makes 4 frog rolls

2 cups All-Purpose Flour (or any kind you prefer)
½ package instant dry Yeast (about half a tablespoon)
1 small Egg, beaten
1 tablespoon Sugar
Pinch of Salt
2 tablespoons Butter, melted
⅔ cup warm Milk

Glaze:

1 Egg Yolk
1 tablespoon Water
Edible Marker (found in any baking isle)

Directions:

In a large bowl, stir together flour, yeast, sugar and salt. To the mixture, add the egg, butter and warm milk. Mix well, then roll out to the floured surface and knead dough until smooth and elastic, about 5 minutes. Place dough in greased bowl, cover with clear plastic and towel (it creates a better environment for the yeast than when covering with only the towel, plus the top doesn’t dry out), and set in a warm place to rise until double in bulk, about 1 hour.

Deflate the dough, and turn it onto a lightly floured surface. Remove enough dough (about 2 2 ½ inches in diameter) to form eyes. Divide this ball into a half, then each half into a half and so on until you get 8 equal-size balls.

Divide remaining dough into four equal pieces (using the same technique) and form into round balls. Place on a parchment paper lined baking sheet at least two inches apart. With the scissors, cut two small “nests” into each ball to create the room for eyes. Pinch the “eye” dough on one side and place it into the “nest”. Use your fingers to widen the nest hole as necessary and then to squeeze it around the eye to secure it. If the eyes come out during this process, you can put them back in, but if they do so during the baking process there is no help. Cover the rolls lightly with a damp paper towel and let rise until doubled in volume, about 30-40 minutes.

Beat the egg yolk with water and brush the mixture onto fully risen rolls with a pastry brush. Bake in the preheated oven on 355 degrees Fahrenheit on the middle rack for about 15 minutes or until the rolls are golden brown and shiny-looking.

Let the rolls cool completely before adding finishing touches with the edible marker. Cut the rolls in half, but not all the way through. For filling, use your favorite sandwich combination: butter, mayo, lettuce, tomato, salad dressing, mustard, cheese and meat.

I think they are super cute. Ribbit, ribbit.

Do you go extra mile to create a simple yet appealing meal for your picky eaters or just for fun? I would love to hear your ideas!

My daughter's love for frogs lingers in my backyard. This is George, one of our 4 frogs living in the pond.

I haven't seen any birds taking a bath here but Baylie, the dog, loves refreshing herself from it in hot summer days.