(^0^)/ ♪ Happy as can be… My Neighbour Totoro is a favourite movie in our house, so it has inevitably made its way onto our plates.  I discovered this wonderful recipe on Bento Monsters as super cute pandas. My method does not use a bread machine but a bench mixer. Also I found the dough needed to use more flour (which I’ve indicated in the recipe). I have lots of fun making these Totoros, but I will admit these do take a bit of time, but are well worth the effort. My son’s eyes light up when he sees this on his plate and asks for it often. My husband loves eating them with Bonbon’s hazelnut chocolate spread and my son loves them with a bit of jam. I like to put them in a bento box as a special treat for my lunch.

The milk in the bread dough adds a delicious flavour and creates a soft white roll. The texture is different from normal white bread but is very enjoyable. It reminds me of the bread you might get at a place like Bread Top.  The black sesame paste has a similar savoury sweet flavour to peanut butter but sesame. It is a wonderful addition to use as a spread or, used as I have, to flavour bread dough and give it its lovely black colour.

Often I make it them in the morning and have them ready for morning tea or an addition to lunch. The dough can be placed in the fridge after first rising to be used the next day, or if you do not want to use all the dough. However, you will have to put it out on the bench to warm up it up to room temperature before using.  If you think the characters are a bit daunting; I recommend learning how to master the bread recipe first by making the bread rolls or the soot sprites (since they are the easiest character). Also if you do not want to make characters out of the dough for time reasons, it does make quick nice round rolls in: plain, matcha or black sesame.  The amount of rolls you get depends on what characters and how big or little you make them. I often vary the shapes to make it more interesting; however, I get different amount because of it.

Ingredients

• 275g Strong baker’s flour + extra for dusting
• 200ml Milk
• 10g Sugar
• 5g Salt
• 10g Butter
• 3g Dried yeast

Extras

• Food colouring gel Liquid colourings can work for small amounts of dough but if colouring larger amounts the gel works better.
• Black Sesame Paste This is found at Asian grocery stores. At one point I did see it at Woolworths however not lately.
• Sultanas if making large Totoro
• Matcha Powder This can be used instead of green food dye for the leaf on Totoro’s head.
• Poppy Seeds This is used for the soot sprites but is optional. I like the texture and additional flavour it adds to the roll.

Method

1. Attach a dough hook onto your mixer. Combine all ingredients into the mixer, except the butter. Knead on lowest speed to combine and then bring up to med low speed for 10 minutes. If you do not have a mixer this can be combined by hand. It is a sticky dough so more flour will be required to knead, try not to use too much flour to keep the dough light.
2. Let it set in the bowl covered for 1 hour.
3. After an hour it will be doubled in size. It’s ready at this point to start shaping the dough.
4. Punch down the dough.  
5. Take about half the dough to mix with the black sesame paste. Start with one tablespoon and knead into the dough. Knead until universally black in colour.
6. It will be light grey in colour but it will get darker as it rests and when it cooks. If it is still lighter than pictured add a teaspoon more.
7. Start separating the dough into approximate sizes needed for each part of Totoro. Head and body are balls about the size of a 50 cent piece. Then arms and ears around 10 cent size pieces. You will need more for the whiskers, tummy arches and eyes. At this point start dividing the white portions as well. The tummy will be about a 20 cent piece of dough. You will also need a little bit for the eyes too. Let them rise for 10 minutes.
8. I have assembled Totoro on the bench in the pictures however it is easier to assemble it on the wax paper, on a baking tray. This is because the dough is slightly sticky, so it makes it difficult to move it after the shape is created. Start with the head and body. Make two balls one slightly larger for the bottom. Place the smaller one next to the larger one and make a snowman shape pinching the seam together of the two pieces.
9. Next the ears are rolled into a raindrop shape and placed under the head. Then the tops are pinched.
10. To make the arches, create a small sausage shape using on your palm and fingers. Less is more with these details because they puff up, so make them as thin as possible before they break when stretching the dough. Place the tip of the arch where you want it to finish. Then arch it into place and pull slightly to stretch the dough into place.
11. Use your other finger to keep in place and break off the dough.
12. Continue this to make all the arches on his tummy.
13. For the face I place a small sultana on the upper part of the round. If need be you can cut the sultana in half.
14. Next take very small pieces of white dough and make two little ovals and place on the face near sultana. Next make micro black balls for the pupils. Place them on the white ovals.
15. Then make a crescent shape with a small amount of dough and stretch it into place for the mouth.
16. For the whiskers use the same technique as the tummy arches. Place the tip near the mouth on the cheek and slightly stretch it trying not to break the dough.
17. Finally make the leaf by adding some either matcha powder (¼ teaspoon) or a bit of green food colouring to a small ball of white dough. Make enough green dough for each Totoro. Knead until all green. For the leaf make a raindrop shape.
18. Pinch it to make a point and round body.
19. Place a toothpick into the leaf to make the line.
20. Pinch the other side so that it is a sharp point. Then place this on Totoro’s head.
21. Once all the Totoros are made rest for 40 minutes for a second rise you may need to press the eyes or mouth down a little bit, due to rising too much, before placing into the oven.  Heat the oven to 140 deg C. 
22. Bake for 5 minutes then cover with foil to keep the white dough from turning brown. Place back into the oven for a further 8-10 minutes.
23. The arms are similar to the ears but larger slightly longer raindrop shapes. Again add to body slightly underneath. If placed directly on the sides they can come off. It is pinched at the neckline underneath the body.

Soot Sprite: Make a ball out of the black dough. For the eyes: add white ovals and then the black pupils.  Next pinch the ball all around to make the points. If using, press into poppy seeds and re pull the points all over the face. Let it rise for 40 minutes. You may need to re-pinch a bit before placing into the oven.

Blue Totoro: Add blue dye to the dough being used. Continue to follow the instructions for the grey totoro up to 15. For the face just make little balls of black dough for the nose and mouth. Make arches for the eyes. Prove and bake the dough as instructed for the other characters.