Challah Traditional Braided Egg Bread |
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Prep Time: 0 Minutes Cook Time: 55 Minutes |
Ready In: 55 Minutes Servings: 12 |
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This recipe makes the traditional enormous bountiful braided egg bread that means New Year to so many of us. I made two for my wedding, and for many other special events since then. It is somewhat time-consuming, but not difficult if you pay attention to how the dough looks and if you do not stop before it looks right. Ingredients:
1t dry yeast (or one cake moist yeast) |
1 c warm water, mildly warm not hot |
2t honey |
2 eggs |
4 t butter to start, and about 4-6 t more as the recipe progresses |
1/4 c honey, more if you like a sweeter bread |
roughly 6 c bread flour, probably a bit more |
2 t salt |
i have tasted this with raisins! use both dark and golden, increase the honey by 2 t, and make two smaller loaves |
glaze: 1 egg yolk |
1-2 t milk |
Directions:
1. Warm a large bowl with hot water, empty it out.
2. Dissolve the yeast in the warm water into which you have stirred the initial honey, and proof the yeast, about 5 minutes.
3. When it has risen to the top, stir in 1 c of the flour, and let it rise for about 10 minutes.
4. It will look somewhat smoother and lighter, but not smooth and puffy.
5. Stir in the eggs, butter, honey, salt, and the rest of the flour, or enough to make a very soft dough, more like a stiff batter.
6. Let the dough rise until just short of doubled. It will have stiffened somewhat as the flour expands and gets absorbed. Add some more water if necessary, a few spoonsful at a time.
7. Knead it until smooth, at least 5 minutes. Eight to ten minutes is better. You will likely need to add some flour, but remember that you do not want a stiff dough. If you feel that it is too sticky but that you have already used enough flour, butter your kneading surface and your hands and continue. It must be kneaded by hand. The dough hook will not do it. A bread machine will not do it. Trust me on this.
8. When the dough is beautifully satiny and elastic, i.e. sufficiently kneaded, turn it into a buttered bowl, cover with a damp towel, and let it rest for about 10 minutes.
9. Punch it down and begin shaping.
10. You will divide the dough into four equal portions.
11. Make thick ropes of three of them and form a tight braid on a buttered baking sheet. You will not be able to pick it up and transfer it, so work on the baking sheet itself.
12. Crimp the ends firmly and turn them under so the braid doesn't unravel.
13. Take the remaining quarter, divide it into three portions, and make thinner ropes of them.
14. Braid them, on any surface of your choosing (this is much lighter, so you can transfer it safely), and place the resulting braid on top of the larger braid.
15. If you are baking this for Rosh Hashonah, join the two ends of the braid together into a circle, then adorn with the smaller braid, and bake in a buttered circular pan.
16. Mix the egg yolk and milk thoroughly to make an egg-wash glaze.
17. Dip your fingers into it and cover the challah thoroughly with it, stroking the lobes. Ooooh!
18. Place the challah in a warm place (like an oven pre-heated to 150 ° F, then turned off) and let rise until doubled. When you poke it lightly with a finger, the impression of your finger should remain, rather than the dough springing back.
19. Glaze it again, and bake for 45 minutes at 350° F, or until the crust is dark golden-brown and the bottom sounds hollow when thumped. Go by the signs rather than by the time.
20. This is time-consuming, but well worth it. I like to serve it on special ceremonial occasions and have people pull off hunks, preferably all all at the same time. Serve with honey, of course.
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