Bread basket

I was completely amazed by these bread baskets when I first saw them at Homebakers guild.  Later, I went through an elaborate online search, and found  this  youtube video.  With my own dough recipe, I, finally made these gorgeous basket.  

When I placed them on my dinner table, they were quite deceiving and imitated a real basket carrying fruits.  You can surprise your guests at parties and your family too.  

If you love to try something different, simple yet guarentee loads of praise,  then I would say that 'bread basket' is your ideal ticket!!

Preparation time: 15 minutes

Assembly time: 60 minutes

Baking time: 15 to 20 minutes

Ingredients required:

For dough (You can half the recipe as well)

• 3 cups of  all purpose flour (+1/2 cup flour, for dusting)
• 2 tbspn Butter 
• 1/2 tsp salt

For yeast mixture

• 1 tbspn sugar
• 11/2 tbspn active dry yeast
• 1/2 cup of Lukewarm water 
• 1 tbspn flour

For egg glaze

• 1 egg
• 1 tbspn water

Method

Making dough:

In the lukewarm water, stir in yeast, sugar and flour.  Wait till they dissolve, alternatively you can sieve flour as well.  

To the sieved flour, rub through salt,  add half the amount of butter.  Mix them with flour till flour resembles crumbly textured.

Make a well and pour your yeast mixture.  Mix them well.  

Sprinkling water as needed, knead them into soft, sticky dough.  Add the remaining butter and knead till they look shiny.  Transfer this to clean, greased bowl.  

Cover with wet cloth and keep covered for an hour till they double in size.  

Look at below, how they poofed :)  Wonderful, they are :)

Assembly

Now, select any bowl whose size fits into your oven.

Cover them with aluminium foil.  Keep them over the table inverted.  

Dust your work surface with excess of flour.

Punch and knead your poofed dough, divide into four to five balls.   Dust each ball with flour and roll into thin circle.  

Cut them into lines with equal width or thickness.  

Carefully, place each line overlapping over the base of lined bowl.  The pattern should resemble as below.  

Press your finger into centre, to form neat, uniform base.  

With another strip, we are going to knit horizontally on an concentric pattern.  

Take an strip and insert over an strip near the base.  If they are inserted under an strip, then the thread should pass over the adjacent strip,just like you weave an basket.  

See, like below pic.  One inserted under the strip (For inserting under, you should lift the strip over, and let the thread pass through)  and next one over the strip.  Make these patterns on an alternative way till entire thread completes one concentric circle.  

Now attach them over their starting point.  

Continue this with another concentric circle.  Insert another thread, point to note here is that if one concentric thread is inserted under the thread, another concentric cirle must pass over them.  For example, look where knife end points, first concentric line inserts under thread and second concentric line is assembled over the thread.  This results in criss-cross pattern ending up like an authentic basket-weaving look.  

Second circle done.  Similarly follow and finish all concentric circles.  

I must admit, these are taking a lot of time and tests your patience ;)  ;)  Make sure, you practice them on an ideal day :D  :D  

Almost done....

You can also place an twisted thread below at end, to give an neat rim-like  look.  

Leave them covered for twenty minutes for second rise. Alternatively, pre-heat oven to 180 degree celsius.   Beat egg with water, brush them over finished basket.  

This goes into oven for fifteen to twenty minutes or till done.  

After baking, you can easily peel off the aluminium foil and remove your bowl.  

This is how I got mine, dont they look fantastic :)

Also to note, with above-mentioned ingredients, I got one basket and about seven buns.  Measurement may vary depending upon vessel you choose, and oven model you use.  Still, it is always precautious to prepare the dough in excess, because remaining, if any, can be easily shaped into rolls/buns and can be consumed.  

I loaded some gingerbread cookies, which I prepared for Christmas.

Happy Baking!!  :D  :D  :D