Breaded Cornucopia
This Thanksgiving Breaded Cornucopia is a stunning, edible centerpiece that combines artistry with flavor! Crafted from golden-brown bread dough, this cornucopia is shaped to resemble the classic “horn of plenty,” ready to be filled with your choice of fresh fruits, vegetables, nuts, or festive treats. It’s a show-stopping addition to your holiday table, bringing rustic charm and delicious warmth to your feast. Not only is it beautiful, but it’s also surprisingly easy to make with basic ingredients and no special equipment required. Perfect for impressing guests, this breaded cornucopia is a must-have for a memorable Thanksgiving spread.
Ingredients
For the Yeast
- ½ cup warm water
- 2 tbsp white sugar
- 2 ¼ tsp dry active yeast
Bread Dough
- Proofed yeast mixture as above
- 4 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 2 tbsp white sugar
- 2 tbsp melted butter
Instructions
Proofing Yeast
- Place the water in a warm mixer bowl.
- Stir in the sugar to dissolve, and sprinkle the yeast over the water. Gently stir to mix.
- Allow the yeast to sit in a warm place for about 15 minutes, until it’s activated and becomes bubbly and frothy.
Bread Dough
- Add the remaining dough ingredients and mix well.
- Knead the dough for approximately 10 minutes. You can use your stand mixer if you desire. Knead until dough is smooth and slightly sticky consistency.
- Place the dough in a lightly oiled bowl, and cover with plastic wrap. Let the dough proof for about 1 hour until it has doubled in size.
Forming the Cornucopia
- Grab your aluminum foil and start tearing off large square pieces and begin rolling them from one corner to another to form a horn. You will repeat this process over and over again until you have the shape and size of the cornucopia that you want.
- Brush your foil cornucopia with oil BEFORE wrapping your rolled-out dough onto it. So prepare it now before you forget and set it aside.
- Next, roll out the dough into a large circle or rectangle that will fit over your oiled foil cornucopia like a blanket. Place the dough over the top of the foil cornucopia leaving the entrance hole and tuck the dough under. Carefully pinch the dough together underneath the cornucopia to hold its shape together.
- This part is optional, but fun. Roll out any remaining dough you may have and divide it into three equal parts. Make the three equal parts of dough into dough ropes by rolling them on the table. Remember you did this in kindergarten and Preschool, it is basically the same concept.
- These three dough ropes will be the main braid for your cornucopia.
- Take the three dough ropes and pinch them together at the top and carefully begin braiding them together to form one long braided dough.
- To attach the braid to your cornucopia, wet the dough around the horn opening of the cornucopia as well as wet the side of the braided dough you will be setting it on. Carefully pinch the braided dough onto the cornucopia.
- You can add dough dots to your cornucopia by pasting them on with water and pinching them on where you want them placed.
- It is now time to do an egg wash all over your cornucopia. This will help with the browning process and give your breaded cornucopia a gorgeous golden glow.
- You can also sprinkle some dried herbs or sesame seeds since the egg wash will bind them to the cornucopia during the baking process.
- Depending on the size you have made your cornucopia, you may need to remove a couple of racks from your oven to make it fit.
- Carefully transfer your cornucopia onto a parchment-lined baking sheet to prepare it for baking.
Baking the Cornucopia
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees and bake for 30 minutes or until golden brown. Do not let the size of your cornucopia fool you into thinking you need to bake it for a long time because remember it is hollow. The dough is thinly rolled out and will not take long to bake.
- Remove your cornucopia from the oven and allow it to completely cool down BEFORE removing the foil inside. If you try to remove the foil inside before it is cooled down, your cornucopia will sadly collapse. Once cooled, it will hold its shape.