Yoghurt Bear Ring Buns

Came across a cute bear bun in Pinterest and since I had the time, I got down to make these cuties. They were not only visibly cute but also taste soft and fluffy! Yes, even when these were done with the straight dough method, oh and it stayed soft even on the 2nd day. I did not have to warm the buns up in the oven and just bite into it with my cuppa coffee. Yummy! :)

Yoghurt Bear Ring Buns (Straight dough method)
(Makes 8 buns or 1 loaf)

300g + 1 tbsp bread flour
4.5 tsp skimmed milk powder
1.5 tbsp castor sugar
3/4 tsp salt
2 tsp [12gm] instant yeast

125ml warm water
70ml mixed berries yoghurt (you can use plain or fruity yoghurt)

15gm butter

1. Put yoghurt, warm water into bread machine, followed by bread flour, skimmed milk powder, castor sugar (1 corner), salt (opp corner of sugar) and yeast (make a small hole in middle of bread flour, put in yeast and cover with bread flour) and put to mix on Option 8 for Kenwood BM250.

2. After 5 to 10 minutes when dough is formed, add in butter and let BM continue to mix till smooth and glossy. I then removed and manually knead it to window pane stage and put it to 1st proof for 30 minutes.

See how stretchy the dough turned out.

After 30 minutes of 1st proof

3. Punch down dough and divide into 8 portions at 70g each. For each portion, I took out 8g, and further divide it into 4 small balls of 2g each, for 2 ears and 2 hands.

4. Assemble the 4 small ball dough onto the bigger dough and place all 8 assembled dough into a greased chiffon tube pan. Cover with a clean and moist cloth and leave to proof for 45 min. After which, I lightly sprayed some water over the proofed buns and decorated the buns with chocolate rice (for the bears' eyes, nose).

2nd proofing stage

Deco-ed and ready to be sent into the oven!

5. I baked the buns in the preheated oven at 160 degrees C for 30 minutes. Remove from tube pan and leave to cool on cooling rack before storing.