Weckmänner (dough men)

If the butter is too cold, add it to the milk and microwave or heat gently on the hob until the mixture is lukewarm

Put all the dry ingredients into a bowl and whisk to combine. Add the butter, milk and egg and mix well. Using your hands or an electric mixer fitted with a dough hook, knead the dough until it loses its stickiness and forms a smooth ball

Cover with clingfilm and set aside in a warm place for at least 1 hour, until the dough is well risen and puffy, with lots of air bubbles. Many baking recipes mention that the dough should ‘double in size’ – this is a somewhat unclear instruction, as the doubling could refer to the volume, or simply to the appearance of the dough, and those criteria are hard to measure

Line 2 baking trays with baking paper and set them aside

Divide the dough into 150g pieces. Set aside one piece, then roll the others into balls

On a lightly floured surface (just enough to avoid sticking), use your hands to roll each ball into a plump log

The next step is to create the head and body shape. With palms down, turn one hand at right angles to the other hand, with the little finger being near the work surface

Place the edge of your rotated hand near one end of a log and the other hand near the other end. Continue the rolling movement with both hands so that you end up with a skittle shape – a small head on a tapered body. Make 4 more bodies in the same way, then cover with a tea towel or plastic bag and leave to rest for a few minutes

Flatten each body using a rolling pin or your hands, making sure the shoulders are the widest part, about 4cm wide, and that the lower end remains quite pointy. The length of the whole piece should by now be around 20cm

Use a sharp knife or dough cutter to cut the arms, from the imagined hip up towards the shoulder, parallel to the spine. To form the legs, cut the lower body apart, from the pointed end to about halfway up the figure, where the arms start. Transfer to a prepared sheet and shape the arms and legs as you wish

To form the feet, cut halfway through the inside end of each dough leg, then turn the tips sideways

To decorate, roll out the reserved dough ball thinly, about 1mm thick. Use a knife to cut about 10 strips of dough about 2mm wide and 10cm long, and 5 triangles with 4cm sides

Take a triangle and wrap it around the top half of the head to create a pointed hat. Use the strips to create a belt, and a scarf that you wrap around the neck and twist at the front. You can also use shorter strips to wrap around the legs, about 3cm above the feet; this creates the effect of boots

Finally, push some raisins into the dough for eyes and buttons

Cover the figures and set aside to rest in a warm place for about 40 minutes

To prepare the egg wash, break the egg into a bowl and mix in a pinch of salt, the water and the milk

Preheat the oven to 170°C fan/gas mark 5

Check the raisins on your figures – if they have risen to the top, push them back into the dough. Brush the egg wash onto your figures, then bake for about 15 minutes, until deep golden

These are best eaten fresh, but can also be toasted for a great addition to the breakfast table. If stored in an airtight container, they will keep for 3 days