How to make a salt dough Easter bread basket
Bake an overnight bag for the Easter bunny, and something to put in it: An adorable retro-style salt dough Easter bread basket!
How to make the dough: It’s as easy as 1 cup Morton salt, 2 cups flour, and 1 cup water.
Combine flour and salt in bowl, and mix well. Add water — a little at a time — mixing as you pour to form a ball. Knead 7-10 minutes til dough is smooth and firm. (Get more salt dough recipes & methods here!)
Making the basket: Start with a 1-quart oven-proof casserole dish. (Pictured dish is 7″). Grease inside and rim of dish with cooking oil.
Roll out dough about 3/8-inch thick. Cut into 1-inch wide strips. Lay strips into dish.
Take 2 dough pieces, roll with palms, to form long breadstick shapes. Twist together to form rim of basket. (Moisten connecting surfaces to bond).
The handle: Place piece of cardboard that’s bendable, about 10-inches long and 2-inches wide, into dish as shown. Form two more breadstick shapes of dough, twist together.
Sprinkle cardboard arch with flour. Place twisted dough over cardboard. Again moisten all connecting surfaces to bond. Bake completed basket at 325 (F) for 1 hour 30 minutes or until hard. Let cool. Coat with varnish.
Egg decorating: Start with hard-boiled eggs. Apply small pieces of dough to form designs.
Note: When applying small pieces moister with water to bond. You can decorate eggs with flowers, rabbits, or whatevers. Bake decorated eggs at 325 (F) for 15-20 minutes. Don’t overbake, eggs might crack. Now paint with food color dye.
MORE: How to make three cute old-fashioned Easter basket cakes
