The Joy of This

Here’s a delicious challah recipe!

Hanukkah is approaching us:  Friday night!   Here is a great challah recipe for all your celebrations.

Challah Bread

Makes two delicious loaves.

Step one:

Dry Ingredients:

1 cup of wheat flour

2 cups of white flour

2 packs of dry yeast

1 teaspoon salt

Mix dry ingredients in a large bowl.  Create a “well” in the middle of the dry ingredients to pour wet ingredients into.

Step two:

Wet Ingredients:

3 eggs

½ cup of olive oil

1 cup honey

1 cup cold water

1 cup hot water

(or two cups of warm water)

Mix wet ingredients together with blender and pour into the bowl with the dry ingredients.

Step three:

Add up to seven more cups of flower to bowl.  Knead dough  on a lightly floured clean surface until it is no longer sticky, i.e. stick to your hands or to your kneading surface.  *Do not over knead.  It will cause the bread to be hard.*

Step four:

Lightly coat a bowl with olive oil.  Place dough in the bowl.  Flip the dough over in the bowl to ensure the entire ball of dough is lightly covered in olive oil.  Cover the bowl with a tea towel and let the dough rise.  Dough should double in size.  (find a nice warm place out of harms way.)  Don’t touch while the dough is rising.

Step five:

After bread has doubled in size, punch down the dough and let rise again.  This should be approximately 20 – 30 minutes.

Step six:

Take dough out and cut into two even pieces with a knife (do not tear apart).

Step seven:

Cut each individual piece into to four separate pieces and roll into long round pieces (i.e. like a pipe).  Braid the four pieces together.  Over-under-over – under.

Step Eight:

Place each challah on a baking pan and lightly coat the challah with an egg wash (mix one egg with water) and add sesame seed if you like.

Step nine:

Let the challah rise until nice and big and beautiful.

Step ten:

Place in the oven.  Bake at 350 degrees for 25-35 minutes or until golden brown on top.  Feel free to take the bread out and check if it is done by turning it over (gently) and seeing if it’s still doughy underneath.

Enjoy your challah!  It’s best served hot with butter.

Tags: Bread Recipe, Challah Recipe, Shabbat Bread, Shabbat Recipe