Dough Figures

Making the dough

ingredients
There are different ways and measurements, to make the dough. The most used one is:
4 part unbleached flour ….. 2 part salt ….. 2 part water
for example
500g unbleached flour ….. 250g salt ….. 250ml water

The grams are depending on the amount of dough you want to make. The big amount of salt indicates that the bread is not for eating. The big amount of salt is for preserving and the hardness of the baking.

instructions
Put the flour and the salt together in a bowl and mix it together. After that add the water en knead it into a firm dough. For this you can best use a mixer, but you can also use your hands.
How do you know that the dough is ready? When it sticks to the sides of the bowl (or to your hands) there is too much water in it – keep adding flour until it doesn’t stick anymore. When it’s crumbly or it tears when you roll it out, it’s too dry – put some water in it, 2 spoons at the time until it has the right consistency.
Keep the dough in a plastic bag until you’re going to use it. Take out as much as you need, knead it lightly en roll it out between your hands or with the use of a rolling-pin. When you use a rolling-pin make sure to cover your surface slightly with flour.

baking
The baking should be gradual and not too fierce. You should always keep an eye on the dough figures. If the figure is not hard enough, you should keep it in the oven longer. Depending on the thickness of the dough figures, the baking time will be 1 to 3 hours at 100 degrees Celsius. You can also dry the dough at room temperature, only this will take a couple of days. Check the baking by tapping it with a fork. When you hear a stone-like sound, the figure is ready.

Bathroom Doortile

  • Roll out a chunk of dough as big as a walnut until its 1,5mm thick. Carve out the bath and put it on a round piece of dough. Make the stripes with a modelling stick.
  • For the bear head, roll a pellet of dough the size of a hazelnut and put them above the bath. For the ears, snout and paws use a pellet of dough the size of a bean, mould it in shape en press them tight with a modelling stick. For the nose you take a small pellet dough. Shape the eyes with the use of a tooth-pick.
  • Roll out the green dough very thinly for the leaves. Cut them with a sharp knife. Cut the flowers in the same way from the pink dough. Press a pencil with a blunt point in the heart of the flowers en put them on the leaves. Put a little pellet of dough in the middle.
  • For the soap bubbles you roll a pellet of dough about the size of a pea and put them around the bath and the bears.
  • Bake the dough at least 6 hours in the oven, or till its rock hard. Attach the hook after 1 hour in the oven.

the family teddy bear

  • For every big bear body you take a big handful dough en knead it into two little balls. Roll them out into a thick, oblong shape. Put them next to each other on the foilor paper en press them gently together.
  • Use two small hands of dough for the smaller bears and repeat the first step. Press them alongside the bigger bears en be sure that the four bodies are in a straight line at the bottom. The have to be joined together.
  • Carve 1,5cm from the bottom with a kitchen knife.
  • Make the trenches for the legs of the father and the son with a small knife.
  • Roll a small hand of dough between your hands into a small ball, for the bear heads. Put them on top of the body and press them gently until they stick. Mould small pieces of dough as big as a bean for the ears and push them onto the head with a moulding stick. Use an even smaller bit of dough for the snout en a very tiny piece for the nose. Make the eyes with help of a toothpick.
  • For the father’s sweater, make a small sausage of dough en press is flat between your palms. Cut one strip of about 1cm width for the bottom of the sweater and one for the neck. Use a moulding-stick to put the ribs in the dough.
  • For the arms of the big bears, roll a small hand of dough and cut it on the bias. Put the cutting edge on the outside of the bodies.
  • For the small bear heads, roll two pieces of dough between your palms. Press a small hole at the elbow of the big bears with your thumb, where the smaller heads go. Put them in place end press them together until they stick. Make the face as you did with the bigger bears.
  • Make the small bear arms from a piece of dough the size of a walnut en roll it out into a small sausage of about 6cm. Cut them on the bias and put the cutting edges onto the sides of the smaller bears.
  • Roll out a piece of dough till its 1cm thick, for the hat. Cut out a round shape with a biscuit mould. With a knife, cut a halve moon for the brim and put this on the forehead. For the crown of the hat, use a stretched piece of dough and push it up in the middle with your thumbs. Put this behind the brim. Cut a flower for the dough of about 5mm thick. Put it on the hat en put a small pellet in the middle.
  • Roll out a piece of dough till its 5mm thick, for the bow-tie. Cut out a strip of 1cm width and 4cm long. Push in the middle with a moulding-stick to make the knot and put folds on both sides. Cut two thin strips of dough for the ribbons and put them underneath the bow-tie.
  • Make the two arms from a little piece of dough. Roll it into a little sausage of about 7cm long and cut it at 5cm a bias. Put the longest piece over the breast of the father and after that the other one over it.
  • For the feet, roll little pellets of dough and press them against the bodies.
  • Make the flowers on the dress from small slices of dough, put them in place en press them on with the top of a ballpoint.
  • Bake the dough 15 hours in the oven, or until its rock hard.
  • Let it cool down. Paint the clothes and faces en varnish the family.

Baby bear with balloon

  • For the body, take a handful of dough en roll it into a ball. Then roll it into a thick, oblong shape. Put this on the foil or paper.
  • Roll a handful of dough into a ball for the head. Put it on top of the body and press gently.
  • For the paws, roll some dough between your hands into a sausage of 10cm long and 4cm thick, and cut it a bias. Put one paw straight under the body and the other one pointing to the side, with the cutting edges against the body.
  • make the eras from two pieces of dough as big as a bean and press them on the head with the moulding stick, use a small piece of dough for the snout and an even smaller piece for the nose. Make the eyes with a toothpick.
  • For the bow-tie, roll out a piece of dough until its 5mm thick. Cut a strip of 12cm width and 4cm long, and cut in in shape. Press the knot in the dough with the moulding stick en draw the folds on both sides. Put it in the neck of the bear.
  • Make a balloon from some dough. Roll it into a ball en press it flat somewhat. Attach a small piece of dough as big as a pea en press it flat with the moulding stick. Draw some lines underneath the bow-tie with the moulding stick.
  • Bake the dough for 10 hours, or until its rock hard. Attach the hook on the back of the bear after about 2 hours and press the paperclip into the balloon.
  • Let it cool down. Paint the face, bow-tie and balloon and varnish the figure. Stick goldthread on the back of the balloon and the other end on the paw.

The Three Bears

  • FATHER BEAR
    The head: make a small ball for the head and pull out a little nose. Make small balls for the ears en press them flat. Cut off the bottom. Place the ears on the head. Stick the ears and the nose to the head. You carve the mouth with a small knife.
    The body: cut off a piece with an oval shape. Stick the head onto the body. Stick the hands (small balls) on the arm (small rolls). Stick the arms in their place.
    The legs: the rolls for the legs mustn’t be wider than the body. Cut the roll in two. Roll them till they are round. Flatten the feet (small balls) and stick them at the bottom of the legs.
    The finishing: a thin strip around the neck, acts as shawl. Two small balls are the pompons, three tiny balls are the buttons.
  • MOTHER BEAR
    The head: make the head in the same way as you did with Father Bear.
    The body and the dress: flatten a ball and cut the bottom off. Do the same for the dress. Flatten a ball and cut the bottom off. Stick the body to the dress and the head to the body. Make the arms just like you did with Father Bear.
    The collar: cut a small strip of dough for the collar and cut the side round. Stick the collar around the neck. A tiny ball is the brooch.
    The apron: cut a slice of dough and round the edges. Stick it to the skirt. Carve some diamonds in the apron. Make a small band and stick it to the waist line.
  • SMALL BEAR
    The body: flatten the cylinder. Hollow out the cylinder with your fingers. Stick the head on the collar and all of that to the cylinder shape. Stick the arms and feet on. Thin strips of dough are the braces and tiny balls are the buttons.