Hi, I need to make a very large round loaf with about 1250 grams bread flour at the end of next month to take to my Church. For this bread it is necessary to make a plait around the bread and to also cut out some religious decorations and spread them out across the bread. If I make the decorations with half cornflour and half flour and salt they turn out great (this is how most recipes recommended it) but the issue I have with this type of method makes the decorations turn out white once the bread is baked which I do not want. However if I make the decorations with the same dough as the bread then they brown too much or even turn out burnt. In order to ensure the decorations stick onto the dough it is necessary to brush the back of them with a little water but then the bread dips a little once it is baked where the decorations were stuck onto it. I am not sure when to place the plait and the decorations onto the bread dough i.e. a bunch of grapes, a bible, bunch of wheat a cross, all small pieces. Once the dough is rising for the second time it takes me half an hour to cut out the decorations and the plait but when I place it onto the dough it dips. I am really struggling how to make this successfully. How do I stop the decorations from browning too much, when do I place them onto the dough before the first or second rise bearing in mind I don't want the plait and decorations to rise as much as the bread.. Do I use a light brush with water in order for them to stick. Shall I cover the decorations with a bit of foil and take it off for the last 10 minutes of baking. Why does the bread dip in places where the decorations were placed. I need to use 1250 kg of bread flour but I cannot find a recipe anywhere for that amount of flour so I know how much fast action bread yeast to use, salt and water. Is it advisable to use a tablespoon of olive oil - does that make the bread better in some way? This bread cannot be too fluffy but it has to rise and hopefully have no cracks on it. So many questions but I would really appreciate your advice. I have emailed five different local bakeries and they all replied telling me they cannot help as this is too specialised for them. I hope my comment makes sense. Thank you.

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