Challah

It's the time of the year when I love to bake lots of goodies. Challah is one them and I've been baking it for years during Christmas time mostly. It tastes as great as store bought. It's so exciting to see golden crusted braided Challah comes out from the oven that looks stunning but easy to do. The Challah is a traditional 4-12 strand braided bread. My 4, 5 and 6 strand braided Challah look fabulous and I just feel like a pro; but I am not, because I haven't mastered to braid more than 6 strand Challah yet. 

Challah is traditional Jewish eggy bread served for Shabbat and holiday meals. Challah must be parve meaning without dairy or meat. It is pronounced kh-laa, a deep guttural sound "kh" in Hebrew language. It is difficult to pronounce. So, non Hebrew speaker may pronounce "Hala".which is fine but never say "Challah with ch sound". 

This bread is fool proof. I made several Challah breads 3 days in a row for different purposes. It tastes amazingly good when served lightly toasted with slightly slathered jam or butter along side a cup of coffee or tea. I will make French toast and Bread Pudding with these fresh Challah pretty soon. They taste amazingly delicious. 

Challah can be shaped in variety ways, braided, knot, braided round, wave and just bun or plain loaf shapes. I can comfortably braid up to 6 strand so far. It takes little times and patience. Sometimes I make loaf or bun in a hurry. Challah tastes so good if dough is right, no matter what shape it is. I use the sponge or poolish method for overnight to 18 hours to ferment for best flavor and texture. An egg wash is a must that makes a beautifully glossy finish to the Challah bread.

4 and 5 strand Challah

6 and 3 strand round Challah

Note~ Use 2 layers of heavy aluminium sheet pans so Challah won't brown quickly on the bottom. This recipe makes two good sized braided Challah breads.  

Ingredients~  

5 cups bread flour, plus more for kneading

1 cup warm water (105-110 F degrees) 
1 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast
2 tsp. salt 
1/2 cup honey
6 tbsp. oil, plus more for coating and brushing the dough

3 eggs at room temperature, beaten

1 beaten whole egg or egg yolk for egg wash

1/2 tsp black poppy seeds or sesame seeds

1/4 cup warm water if needed

Method~

Make the sponge: Whisk one cup of the flour with the yeast and stir in the lukewarm water until the sponge is smooth. Cover with plastic wrap or a dish towel and let rise 16-18 hours or at least few hours until puffy and bubbly.

Add the eggs, butter, oil, sugar, salt and one cup flour at a time in the sponge. Stir with a wooden spoon until the mixture comes together to form a shaggy dough and most of the flour is incorporated. It will be pretty messy at this stage. Then knead on a floured board, sprinkle with more flour as needed for 5 minutes to make a semi-firm dough. Put the dough in a oiled bowl covering with a damp cloth or a plastic wrap for two hours or until doubled in  size. 

Punch dough down. Knead for a few minutes. Lightly flour the work surface so it won't difficult to roll. Punch down dough and lightly knead the dough. Divide the dough into 2 equal portions then cut each portion into 4 equal pieces. Use your palms to roll the pieces into 4 ropes at least 14-16 inches long. Line up the 4, 5 or 6 strand vertically and pinch the top ends together. Make a braid. See pictures below.

Line a  parchment paper on the light baking sheet. Transfer the Challah, then place in a warm, draft-free area and allow to rise until almost doubled in size, about 45 minutes.

Preheat  the oven to 350°F and arrange a rack in the middle. Combine the beaten egg. Brush loaf with the egg wash and sprinkle with poppy seeds or sesame seeds. Bake it rotating the sheet halfway through the baking time about 35 -40 minutes or until nice golden brown. Let cool on a wire rack. Enjoy fresh Challah and keep leftovers in a sealed plastic bag for a few days on the kitchen counter. Happy baking and happy holidays!