The model

I will try to explain hereafter the modelling process of a 3 dimensional item as an example of how to manufacture salt dough figures. The hamburger is a quite easy piece to manufacture, because it's very stable.

Characteristics
Modelling : 1 hour Baking : 4 hours Painting : 1 hour 30 Size : 10 cm diameter

Tools
1 sharp knife 1 rolling pin 1x 11cm diameter bowl 1x 8cm diameter cup 1 small flat brush. 1 sheet of aluminium foil. A 40cl glass to measure ingredients.

-1

Dough preparation

Ingredients
40 cl soft flour. 40 cl fine salt. 3/4 of a glass of water. Sesame seeds Acrylic paint lots of patience

Kneading
Mix flour and salt into a mixing bowl, until you have a homogeneous mixture, and then add water slowly until you obtain a soft dough. You have to obtain a compact dough ball, sweet and soft, no too wet. Spread the dough with the rolling pin into a layer of 1 cm thick.

-2
Cutting parts

Modelling of the hamburger

Use the bowl and the cup as gauges to cut out the steaks and the breads for the hamburger. There must be a small difference in diameter between the bowl and the cup, as for the breads and the steaks in the reality. The breads must be bigger than the steaks.

I use the bowl as a guide/gauge to pre-cut the breads with the knife . First step : do not cut out the top bread, only the bottom and central parts, because it will be built in a different way later.

Cut-out
The steaks and the breads are cut out in a 1 cm thick dough sheet. Steaks are gauged by means of the cup. Cheese slices are cutted out from a 3 cm thick dough sheet. Use the cup as a guide to obtain all the cheese slices the same size.

Fashioni ng
The salad leaves sticking out of the hamburger are made by means of very fine

dough strips, the outside edges of which will be intentionall y irregular. Stack all the parts as follows: 1 bread / cheese slice / salad leaf / steak 1 bread / cheese slice / salad leaf / steak Crumple the salad leaves and stick them with some water on the slice of cheese. Pictures Credit : Paul

Stacking

All the burger parts are stacked as follows: 1 bread / cheese slice / salad leaf / steak. 1 bread / cheese slice / salad leaf / steak. All the elements are glued together by a few drops of water .

Hollowing out
Small tip: to relieve the subject and especially obtain a homogeneous and complete baking, I hollow out the hamburger using a knife down to the level of the lower bread. Smooth the inside, with a finger dipped into the water to ensure perfect sticking of the internal elements.

Filling
To allow a good rigidity to this dough shell, it is imperative to fill it with a ball of tightly crumpled aluminium foil. The body of the burger is now ready to be covered with the top bread.

The top

To get a rounded shape to the top bread , I chose to proceed as for the body of the hamburger: in two parts, with a ball of aluminium foil. It is thus necessary to roll both sheets of dough to a thickness of approximately 5 to 6 millimeters, then to draw the circumference of the bread by using the bowl to measure out the area for sticking and assembly.

When both parts are very opposite, stick them by touching them with a wet paintbrush , cut out the surplus of dough following the line and smooth the outside edge with a wet finger.

Finishing touches
The hamburger is assembled. It's now time to decorate it with 3 mice. Before starting on the mice do not forget to decorate sur upper bread with some sesame seeds, glued by means of a wet brush.

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Preparation
The hamburger contains 3 mice: one sat on the top, and two others, in down floors. A mouse consists of various balls of dough: a ball for the head, rolled in the shape of cone, two smaller balls, crushed between the thumb and the index finger to form ears, and a small ball for the snout.

Mice modelling

I apply the ears and snout to the head using a light pressure, with just some water to stick the parts together.

It's the same for the body and the paws, made in the same way with a base of balls and sausages of dough. Arms are constit of a big sausage cut in two and flattened at the ends to form hands. Mustaches are hairs from a toothbrush, pricked into the snout.

Pictures credit : Paul

Sticking
To assemble the mouse in the hamburger, I choose a stable place. The slice of cheese will insure a maid sat for the head of the mouse Do not to forget to wet the parts before assembly. Apply a small amount pressure to insure the sticking.

Sticking
To give the impression that my mouse is in the hamburger, before to stick it, I make an imprint where the mouse will be with my finger.

Baking
I prick a half-toothpick between the body of the mouse and the bread to ensure a good assembly. The burger is now ready to be baked at 100C for 4 hours, as a minimum baking time. After 2 hours, about half way through cooking, I remove the aluminium foil, and tip over the bread on its side to ensure that the bottom is also well baked. To make sure the baking is perfect, I tap in various places with a metal knife.If this makes a dull sound, there is still humidity, therefore I prolong the baking.

Final decoration

When the baking is finished and when the hamburger is cool, I then colour the steak. The choice of basic colours is free but I try to match the real colours as much as possible. Thus I use mainly brown, very diluted for breads, mixed with some yellow. I have used acrylic paint and applied 2 polyurethane varnish coats. Pictures credit : Paul

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