Crocodile Bread from Nonna Maria

Every special occasion during my childhood had a crocodile.  My Nonna Maria would make homemade bread and shape it into the most amazing crocodile.  She had an artistic flare that was so evident in her baking.  Each loaf was a work of art.  I can still smell the yeasty dough rising....the simple pleasures of childhood. 

After her death, I realized that I had never learned this fine art.........so I called my Uncle Ray to see if he had learned the secret tradition of the crocodile............of course he was an authority. 

Bread

2 cups water
1 envelop yeast
1/4 cup sugar
5 cups flour
1/2 cup oil
1 teaspoon salt

You will need long pointed scissors, and a tall glass filled with oil to dip the scissors into.  You will also need a few pieces of foil

in small bowl, put sugar and water (water should be a bit warm) - add yeast and let proof for about 15 min. 
put 4 cups of flour in a bowl, add proofed yeast, salt and oil.......mix...then pour out onto a well floured board and knead the dough........keep adding flour (about a cup) until it feels elastic and smooth...... put dough in a warm place to rise for about an hour.

punch down bread
divide the dough into 3 pieces, 2 small cylinders (8" long, shape like a pepperone) and 1 larger piece to form the body.

place the 2 cylinders about 5" apart in the middle of a cookie sheet.  with the oil dipped scissors, make 4 cuts into the end of each cylinder to form 'fingers' (long thin cuts about 3/4" long)

Over the cylinders you will place a long tapered shape.  the head end should be about the width of a waterglass, the other end should taper into a thin tail about the width of your finger - lay across the leg pieces, curl tail section around like a comma.  At the big end cut horizontally 1/2 way to form jaws 94 or 5 incles deep).  Oil thoroughly - form a wedge with some crumbled foil to hold the mouth open.  cover bottom jaw with smooth foil, insert the wedge to keep mouth open.  Bottom jaw sill be larger than the top because of the baking.......

make 2 small slits for eyes - with scissors pointed toward the tail, make V cuts - insert raisins if you want, or just small balls of dough- to form eye balls.  Also make small slits at end of snout to form nostrils.

with scissors facing nose, make rows of V cuts.  ring around the neck, below the eyes, keep going to the end of the tail to form 'scales'.  make smaller cuts on each of the legs  to also give them texture. 

make teeth - 1-1/2" long bits of dough - you can insert these in after baking with toothpicks.

Brush all over with an egg yolk glaze (egg yolk with a little water).  Bake in 350 oven  for about 40 minutes. 

Crocodile will rise again as it is baking, but it should just fill in and really look like a crocodile when you are finished. 

This has become a Christmas tradition.  I will make this with my niece..........