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Croatian love bird buns baked for Valentines Day
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4 from 1 vote

Croatian bird shaped bread rolls

These tiny buns shaped as birds are baked for St. Valentines Day. We say that the birds are getting married and believe that this is the first herald of spring.
Course Snack
Cuisine Croatian
Keyword finger-food
Prep Time 45 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Proof Time 45 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 50 minutes
Servings 6 people
Calories 235 kcal

Ingredients 

For the dough:

  • 500 g bread (strong) flour, plus more for shaping (4 cups )
  • 7 g dry yeast (2 ¼ tsp)
  • 50 g sugar (¼ cup)
  • 7 g salt (1 tsp)
  • 280 ml milk, lukewarm (1 cup + 1 tbsp)
  • 60 g butter, melted (¼ cup)
  • 25 ml yoghurt (1 ¾ tbsp)
  • 25 ml vegetable oil (1 ½ tbsp)

For the decoration:

  • 24 peppercorns
  • 1 egg yolk, whisked
  • 10 ml milk (2 tsp)

Instructions

Mixing the dough

  • Sift the flour into a mixing bowl. Add the yeast, sugar and salt, and whisk to blend evenly.
    love bird buns dry ingredients
  • In a separate bowl, combine lukewarm milk, melted butter, yoghurt and oil and stir to get a smooth mixture. Pour it into the flour mix.
  • Bring the dough together with a spoon, then switch to the stand/hand mixer fitted with a dough hook(s). Work the dough for 2-3 minutes until smooth and velvety.
    mixing dry and wet ingredients
  • Transfer the dough ball to a clean bowl, dust it lightly, cover with a kitchen towel and leave to proof in a warm place for 45 minutes.
    love bird buns final dough

Shaping the dough

  • Turn the dough onto the lightly dusted work surface. Divide it into 12 equal pieces. Be precise and use the kitchen scale for aesthetics: each piece should weigh 78 g.
    love bird buns portioning the dough with precision
  • Shape each piece into a small dough ball by folding the edges into the centre. Then flip the dough so it sits the seam-side down. Cup it loosely with your hand and push it against the work surface in a circular motion. Cover the dough balls with cling film.
    love bird buns pre-shaping the dough
  • Without further resting, shape the first dough piece into a 25-cm- (9-in-) long rope that is narrower in the middle with bulkier ends.
    love bird buns rolling the dough correctly
  • To shape the love bird, fold the left end over the right one to make a loop. Next, run the left end underneath and then through the loop. The end that surfaces is the bird's head. The right end that sits underneath the knot is the tail.
    love bird buns twisting the dough the right way

Deecorating the dough

  • Continue the shaping by pinching the head to create a tiny bulge: this is the bird's beak. Make a tiny cut into the beak with the scissors: now you have a singing bird. Using a toothpick, press peppercorns into the bird's face to give it eyes. Finally, stamp the tail with a fork.
    love bird buns shaping the head
  • Continue shaping the birds, then place them on a baking tray lined with baking paper.
    love bird buns shaping the tail
  • Preheat the oven to 200 °C (400 °F).
  • Whisk together the egg yolk and milk and brush each bird bun with this egg wash. Make sure to reach the eyes, too, as they tend to fall out. In fact, I always push them in with the toothpick once again so they don't pop out while baking.
    love bird buns eggwash
  • Bake the buns for 20 minutes until they turn golden brown, especially their heads.
  • Eat them warm on the same day or for breakfast the following morning.

Nutrition

Calories: 235kcal