Holiday Bread Cornucopia

Directions

1. 1
   Dissolve sugar in 2 cups warm water.
2. 2
   Stir yeast into sugar-water mixture, and let stand 5 minutes.
3. 3
   Pulse flour and 1 Tbs.
4. 4
   salt in bowl of food processor, or combine in stand mixer fitted with dough hook.
5. 5
   Add yeast mixture and oil, and process 1 minute, or beat with mixer 3 to 5 minutes, or until dough forms smooth, sticky ball that hits against sides of food processor or mixing bowl.
6. 6
   Rub large bowl with oil, place dough in bowl, cover, and let rise 1 hour in warm place.
7. 7
   Punch down dough, cover bowl with plastic wrap, and refrigerate 4 hours, or overnight.
8. 8
   Preheat oven to 350F.
9. 9
   Line baking sheet with parchment paper, and have small glass of water ready.
10. 10
    Halve poster board so you have one 20- x 15-inch piece; shape poster board into cone, and tape to hold.
11. 11
    Trim open edge of cone so it stands flat on baking sheet.
12. 12
    (Trimmed cone should be 7 inches wide at mouth and 15 inches long.)
13. 13
    Smoothly cover outside of cone with foil, turning edges in, as necessary.
14. 14
    Fill cone with crumpled parchment paper or foil to keep cone from collapsing.
15. 15
    Stand cone on prepared baking sheet, and coat foil with cooking spray.
16. 16
    Roll out one-third of dough to 20- x 6-inch rectangle.
17. 17
    (Keep remaining dough in refrigerator so it wont get too soft.)
18. 18
    Cut dough into four 20- x 11/2-inch strips.
19. 19
    Wrap 1 dough strip around wide base of cone on baking sheet, wetting ends, and pressing ends together to seal so you have a ring of dough.
20. 20
    Wet end of second dough strip, press end onto first strip, and wrap around cone, overlapping first dough strip by one-third to one-half of strip width.
21. 21
    Wet end, and press to hold in place.
22. 22
    Continue wrapping third and fourth dough strips around cone, working your way up to narrow end.
23. 23
    Repeat with remaining dough until cone is completely wrapped in overlapping strips of dough.
24. 24
    When finished, braid three strips of dough, and wrap around base (wide end of cone).
25. 25
    Lay cone on its side on prepared baking sheet, best-looking side up.
26. 26
    Beat egg with 1 Tbs.
27. 27
    water and remaining pinch of salt in small bowl.
28. 28
    Brush egg wash all over cornucopia.
29. 29
    Bake cornucopia 20 to 25 minutes, or until light golden brown.
30. 30
    Remove cornucopia from oven.
31. 31
    Carefully remove crumpled parchment paper from inside of cone, then gently pull cone away from sides of cornucopia with tongs, and remove.
32. 32
    Return cornucopia to oven,
33. 33
    and bake 20 minutes more, or until inside of cornucopia is dry and beginning to brown.
34. 34
    Brush hot cornucopia with melted butter, if using.
35. 35
    Cool.