Challah is an AMAZING soft sweet bread that is perfect for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. It tastes like Hawaiian sweet bread and requires a few cheap ingredients to make. Challah is a free form braided bread traditionally baked for Jewish sabbath. Here I show how to make it without a mixer.
To see how to make 2 loaves (double this recipe) with a mixer click here: https://brock280.wixsite.com/rachelsfoodblog/blog/challah
The recipe is here and pictures of the process are below:
Ingredients:
Bread:
2 1/4 tsp. instant or active dry yeast (7.5 g)
1 cup warm water (100°F) (244 g)
1/2 Tbsp. salt (7 g)
3 Tbsp. + 1/2 tsp. white sugar (39 g)
1/4 cup (4 tbsp.) margarine, melted and cooled for 5 minutes, OR a neutral oil (55 g)
1 large egg at room temperature (55 g)
1 egg yolk at room temperature (15 g)
3 to 3 1/2 cups bread flour or all purpose flour (445 to 518 g)
Egg Wash:
1 egg at room temperature
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Directions:
Grease baking sheets/bread pan with margarine or butter.
To make egg wash, whisk together egg and vanilla. Set aside or refrigerate.
In a medium sized bowl, stir together water, 1/2 tsp. sugar, and yeast.
If using active dry yeast let this mixture rest for 5 minutes to rise. If using instant yeast skip this rest.
In a separate bowl whisk together the remaining 3 Tbsp. sugar, melted margarine, salt, 1/2 a large egg and the egg yolk until well combined. Note: To use 1/2 an egg whisk the egg and add half to the dough mixture.
Then mix the margarine mixture into the yeast mixture.
Mix in the flour with your hands, 1 cup at a time, until a firm and shaggy dough forms. Turn the dough out onto a floured surface, and knead until smooth and elastic, 8 to 10 minutes. Add a little more flour during kneading if the dough is sticking to your hands.
Grease dough and place in a greased bowl. Cover and let rise 45 minutes-1 hour in a warm place.
Cut the dough into 3 equal sized pieces or more. Roll flat with a rolling pin and then roll up length-wise, pinching the seam closed. Then cover and rest 10 minutes. Roll into 12-14 inch long strands and braid into a loaf. Place the loaf onto the prepared baking sheets/pan, brush with egg wash, cover well with greased plastic wrap, and let rise in a warm place at 75-95°F until doubled in size, 1 to 1 1/2 hours.
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Brush the loaf with the egg wash (optionally you can sprinkle with sesame seeds) again before placing on the middle rack in the oven.
Bake about 30-45 minutes, or until the internal temperature registers at 200°F. In the last 10 minutes of baking you can brush on the remaining egg wash. Remove loaf from pan and let cool on a wire rack for 2 hours before slicing.
Store at room temperature up to 4 days, in the refrigerator up to 2 weeks, or in the freezer up to 3 months.
Yields 1 regular sized loaf.
Stir together the water, 1/2 tsp. sugar, and yeast.
The margarine, rest of the sugar, egg, and salt mixed together in a second bowl. Once mixed we'll add it to the yeast mixture.
After mixing the margarine mixture into the yeast mixture. Now time to start adding the flour!
After mixing in the first cup of flour.
After mixing in the second cup of flour.
After mixing in the third cup of flour. It'll be shaggy and messy but don't worry! We're about to dump it on the table and start kneading.
Before kneading.
After kneading!
Note: Not pictured, but lightly grease the dough and let rise covered in a greased bowl for 1 hour or until doubled.
Cut the dough into 3 equal sized pieces. Then roll into long strips.
Pinch the ends of the long dough strips together and start braiding. Then pinch the other ends together when finished.
After braiding. Now into the pan!
Place the loaf in a greased pan and brush with egg wash. Cover and let rise 1 to 1 1/2 hours in a warm place.
After rising and brushing again with egg wash. Ready to bake!
After baking! So glorious and delicious!
The original recipe is from: https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/152915/most-amazing-challah/print/?recipeType=Recipe&servings=32&isMetric=false
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