FILLING AND ASSEMBLY: 1 pound sausage without casing, divided into 12 equal parts. (The original recipe calls for sausage with casing, cooked and cut into 12 pieces of 2-inch lengths.)
Azuki beans, cloves, or peppercorn (for eyes)
1 egg
Toothpicks
Instructions
Place milk, sugar, and butter over medium heat. Heat mixture until almost boiling. Let cool until lukewarm.
Sprinkle the yeast over the liquid, mix briefly, and let it sit for a minute.
Stir in 2 cups of bread flour. The mixture will be very sticky and wet. Cover with towel and allow to rise in a warm place for 1 hour.
Meanwhile, prepare the sausage. Mold each piece into a short log shape. I browned and pan-steamed the pieces to fully cooked. Allow to cool completely before using.
After rise, stir in the remaining ¼ cup flour, the baking powder, baking soda, and salt. The dough be stiff enough to handle. If still too sticky, add in a little more flour.
Divide the dough evenly into 13 pieces. Wrap one of the pieces in plastic wrap and set aside (this will become the snouts, ears, and tails).
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
GETTING THE PIGS "PREGNANT": Flatten one of the dough balls into a circle about 4 inches in diameter.
Place a piece of sausage at the center of the circle and gather edges. Pinch edges and seam together. It should be the shape of an oval. Place on a parchment-lined baking sheet, with the seam facing down. Repeat this process 11 more times.
Cover the dough balls with a damp towel or plastic wrap, and let rise in a warm place for 20 to 30 minutes. They will puff a little.
"FACE" TIME: Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Beat the egg and brush 3 of the dough balls with the egg wash. Allow to sit and dry slightly while you make the snouts, ears, and tails for the three.
Unwrap the dough ball you set aside. FOR EACH PIG: Break away a piece of dough about the size of a large pea and flatten it. Place the it on one end of the dough ball. Stick two toothpicks into the oval to make the two nostrils. These will stay in the dough while baking to keep the holes from closing up in the oven.
Place two peppercorns (or beans or cloves) above the snout for eyes.
Form two pea-sized pieces of dough into triangles. Place above the eyes for the pig’s ears. Pinch the appendages on fairly well; they can fall off while baking.
Place a pea-sized piece of dough on the back of the pig for a tail.
Repeat this process for the other 11 dough balls, working on 3 at a time.
If you still have egg wash left over, you can gently paint the snouts, ears, and tails. (I don't do this and everything still looks cute.)
Place in the oven and bake for 15 to 18 minutes, until golden brown, checking at 12 minutes to observe the amount of browning. Cool, and carefully remove the toothpicks from the pigs’ snouts.
These reheat well in a warm oven for a few minutes. Advise your guests to remove the pigs' eyes before eating the bread.
Recipe by story of a kitchen at https://www.storyofakitchen.com/bread-recipes/pregnant-pig-bread-recipe/