Shay's Rich and Eggy Challah

Shay Butasek, a member of our congregation, gave me this recipe.  Unfortunately, she did not mention the recipe makes enough dough for two loaves! The result? Chazillah!



The monster challah was a little dry - I cooked it too long, thinking it would need the extra time. But it was tasty, nonetheless.  The glaze was beautiful.  And this braid is the prettiest - and easiest - I've tried yet!

 

 

So, here's the recipe:

 

2 packages active dry yeast

1 stick (half a cup) of butter

5 cups flour

1 tsp salt

1/4 C sugar

1 1/4 C very warm water

4 eggs

1 egg yolk blended with 1 tsp. milk

 

1. Combine yeast, 1/2 C flour, salt and sugar together in mixing bowl. Stir. Pour in water and beat until smooth.

 

2. Mix in butter and eggs. Gradually add more flour until you have a soft dough. Knead on a floured board until the dough is smooth and elastic (bounces back when you push it.) Place in greased bowl, turning dough to grease it lightly. over with clean towel and let it rise in a warm place until it is double in size - about 1 1/2 hours.

 

3. Punch dough down. Divide in half. Take one half and divide in four strands. Pinch them together at the top. Then take the strand on the far right, bring it over the next one, under the third and over the fourth. Repeat, always starting on the right, until the braid is complete. Tuck ends under and pinch to seal.

 

4. Cut enough dough off the ends to make 3/4 cup. Roll into three strands as long as your loaf, then braid them into a three-stranded braid. (Pinch them together at the top. Put the rightmost over the middle one. Put the leftmost over the new middle one. Repeat until braid is done.) Lay the three-stranded braid over the large four-stranded braid.

 

5. Repeat steps 3 and 4 with a second loaf.

 

6. Cover loaves with a towel and let rise until doubled.

 

7. Brush with egg yolk mixture and bake at 350 degrees for 35 minutes.

 

8. Eat with butter and honey!

 



Rosh Hashanah pomegranate challah

Thanks to Janice Broder for sending me this recipe from The Forward. There are better pictures at http://www.thechallahblog.com/2012/08/rosh-hashanah-challah-shape-pomegranate.html.  I also think six loaves is excessive - I'm cutting this back to 2. We'll try it at the Challah-Day at synagogue Feb. 17!

 

7-Species Pomegranate-Shaped Challah

• February 6, 2017
• by Dahlia Abraham-Klein

Dahlia Abraham Klein

The Secrets of the 7-Species Challah

Dahlia Abraham-KleinFeb 6, 2017(Updated 15 days from now)

Yields 6 loaves
4 tablespoons dry yeast
2 tablespoons organic sugar
4 cups (1 liter) warm water
5 pounds (2.25 kg) organic white flour
One 12-ounce (350 g) container of date honey (silan)
1½ tablespoons sea salt
1 cup (230 ml) olive oil
1 cup (150 g) finely-diced dried figs
1 cup (150 g) raisins
Topping
2 cage-free organic eggs, beaten
2 tablespoons pomegranate syrup, in egg wash
Barley grits
1) In a medium-size bowl, combine the yeast with the 2 tablespoons of sugar and the warm water. Cover the bowl and allow the mixture to start activating. Yeast activation should take about 10 minutes; it will be bubbling and foamy.
2) Set 1 cup (125 g) of flour aside. Sift the remaining flour, and salt into a large bowl. Form a well in the center.

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3) Pour the date honey (silan), yeast mixture and oil into the well. Combine all the ingredients, using a spatula. When it begins to form a dough, it is time to knead. At this point, you can remove the dough from the bowl and knead on the kitchen counter if it’s easier for you, or directly in the bowl.
4) To knead the dough: Grab the side of the dough furthest away from you and fold it toward yourself. Fold the dough in half and use your body weight to push the dough into itself. If you find that the dough is sticking too much to the surface and preventing you from kneading properly, dust the dough with flour. Give the dough a quarter turn (90 degrees). Grab the other side and fold it in half. Again, with a lot of weight behind it, push the newly folded half into itself. Repeat this process for 10-15 minutes, or until the dough is smooth, silky, elastic and the dough does not stick to the surface.
5) After the dough is thoroughly prepared, lay it on the counter top while you grease the bowl with a fine layer of oil. Next, turn the dough in the oil several times so that the dough is greased lightly on all sides.
6)Cover the bowl with a large plastic garbage bag or kitchen towel and allow it to rise for 1 hour.
7) Make the blessing on Hafrashat Challah .
8) Knead the dried figs and raisins into the dough again for a few more minutes and then divide dough into 12 equal parts. Use the remaining cup of flour, as needed, to flour the surface area, and hands to prevent sticking.
9 )With a rolling pin, roll out 6 of the balls into nice smooth strands – as long as you can, and then continue to extend the strands with your palms, out really long– about 4 feet (1.2 m). This will form the “frame” of your pomegranate.
10) On a piece of parchment paper that has been placed on a greased baking sheet, shape the long strand into an S-shape.
11) Roll out the rest of your dough (the remaining 6 logs) and cut them into 1-inch (2.5 cm) size pieces. Roll each piece in your palms, into the size of a golf-ball. You will use these as pomegranate “seeds.”
12) Place about eight “seed” dough balls into the lower half of the S. This will form the body of your pomegranate. Then take the upper half of the S and reshape it into the top of the pomegranate, in a zigzag, making sure to pinch the ends closed.
13) Repeat with the other strands and balls to form the other five pomegranate challahs.
14) Don’t let this challah rise as long as you normally would, as it would completely lose its shape. Limit the second rise to just 15 minutes. Pinch the ends again before glazing the challah with egg-wash.
15)If you cannot bake the challahs immediately, then this is the time to wrap the shaped dough in plastic wrap to prevent drying. You can store it in the coldest part of the refrigerator for up to 48 hours. On the day of baking, remove the dough from refrigerator and let stand on kitchen counter until it comes to room temperature, about one hour.
16) Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Mix the beaten eggs with the pomegranate syrup. Brush your challahs with beaten eggs and sprinkle with barley grits.
17) Bake in your preheated oven for about 30-35 minutes, or until loaves turn golden brown and shiny. Bread should have a nice hollow sound when thumped on the bottom.
18) Remove from the oven and cool on a rack. Wait at least one hour before serving. If you are freezing the challah, wrap in waxed paper and foil. It can be stored in the freezer for up to 2 months.

Eggless Challah!

Sephardic Challah With Whole Spices

Julia Moskin

• Time4 to 5 hours
• Yield2 round loaves

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Sabra Krock for The New York Times

Challah is tremendously popular in the United States, among Jews and non-Jews alike.  But it doesn’t say anywhere in Jewish scripture that challah is a braided, sweet, eggy, deliciously squishy bread of the kind familiar to most Americans; that loaf is Ashkenazi, from Eastern European Jews. The Sephardic and Mizrahi Jews from North Africa and the Middle East, have their own distinct traditional loaves. Here, use the raisins, eggs and full amount of honey to make a richer, festive Sephardic loaf that is delicious by itself; leave them out for a lean, savory Mizrahi bread that goes beautifully with Moroccan tagines and Middle Eastern mezes, salads and dips.

Featured in: A Twist On The Traditional Challah. 

Anise, Caraway Seed, Sesame Seed, Jewish

32 ratings

Ingredients

• ½ cup/75 grams raisins, dark or golden or a combination (optional)
• 4 tablespoons/40 grams sesame seeds
• 1 tablespoon/10 grams caraway or coriander seeds
• 1 tablespoon/10 grams anise, cumin or poppy seeds
• 1 envelope/7 grams active dry yeast
• 5 cups/600 grams bread flour, more for dusting work surface
• 2 ½ tablespoons/30milliliters/30 grams extra-virgin olive oil, more for oiling bowl and pans
• 2 to 4 tablespoons/30 to 60 grams honey (depending on how sweet you like your challah)
• 2 eggs, at room temperature (optional)
• 1 tablespoon/16 grams kosher salt
• Cornmeal, for dusting
• 2 egg yolks

Preparation

1. If using, cover raisins in 2 cups/500 milliliters warm water and let plump for 30 minutes. Drain well and set aside.
2. In a skillet, toast 1 tablespoon sesame, the caraway and the anise or other seeds over moderate heat until fragrant, 2 minutes. Transfer to a plate and let cool.
3. In a small bowl, combine yeast with 2 tablespoons warm water (you can use the soaking water from the raisins if handy). Let stand until thoroughly moistened, about 5 minutes.
4. In the bowl of a standing electric mixer fitted with the dough hook, combine flour with olive oil, honey, eggs (if using) and warm water (3/4 cup/180 milliliters if using eggs; 1 1/2 cups/360 milliliters if not).
5. Mix at low speed until a very soft dough forms. If it is stiff, add warm water a tablespoon at a time. Add salt, yeast mixture and toasted seeds and mix at medium-low speed until the dough is supple and smooth, 10 minutes. Mix in raisins. Using oiled hands, transfer the dough to a large oiled bowl. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let stand in a draft-free spot until the dough is doubled in size, 1 1/2 to 2 hours.
6. Lightly oil 2 small cookie sheets and dust them with cornmeal. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and press to deflate. Cut the dough in half and let rest for 5 minutes. Roll each piece into an 18-inch-long rope and let rest for 5 minutes longer, then roll each rope into a 32-inch rope. Take 1 of the ropes and, starting from 1 end, form the dough into a coil; tuck the ends under the completed coil. Repeat with the remaining rope.
7. Transfer each coil to a baking sheet and cover each loaf with a large inverted bowl. Let stand for 1 hour, until the loaves have nearly doubled in bulk. (The risen loaves can be frozen, wrapped, for up to 2 weeks; top and bake just before serving.)
8. Heat oven to 400 degrees. In a bowl, whisk egg yolks with 1 tablespoon water. Brush the egg wash over the loaves and let stand uncovered for 30 minutes. Brush with the egg wash once more and sprinkle with the reserved sesame seeds. Bake the loaves side-by-side in the center of the oven for 30 minutes, until they're golden and sound hollow when tapped on the bottom. Transfer the loaves to racks and let cool before serving or slicing.

Lebanese Talame bi Zaatar (Lisa Mael's bread)

Zaatar is a wonderful Moroccan spice mixture that I literally sought at the ends of the world, only to find it in my backyard.

I had a Joan Nathan recipe for red snapper requiring this particular mixture, which includes sumac, sesame, and various other tasty items.  It was nowhere to be found at conventional grocery stores or health food stores here in tiny Bloomsburg.  I tried making the recipe skipping this ingredient, and it was both expensive (red snapper, it turns out, doesn't come cheap) and awful. This was particularly disappointing since I had to drive all the way to Wilkes-Barre with a cooler to buy the fish.

A couple years later, I went on a family cruise on a tall ship around the Iberian peninsula. We sailed through the Straits of Gibraltar into the Mediterranean Sea; back in the days of ancient Greeks, those straits were thought to be the end of the world, one of the guides told me.  One of the stops was Tangiers, Morocco.  Aha! I thought.  Here, I'll surely find zaatar.  But again, no luck.  The merchants looked at me blankly when I named the spice in my American accent.  In the end, we took a wild guess and bought a bag of yellow powder that we thought might be some exotic spice, but that turned out to taste like dish soap.

But within a year after that trip, Spices Inc. opened up in Bloomsburg, about one block from my house.  It's designed to be mail order, but local folks can walk in to pick up their spices and save on delivery charges.  And, you guessed it, they sell zaatar.  Along with lots of wonderful exotic stuff!

This particular recipe comes from my friend Lisa Mael, who got it from King Arthur Flour.  It's delicious, especially with the hummus and baba ghanoush recipes that I'm also posting on this blog.

Ingredients:
2 1/4 Cup (9 oz) unbleached all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tablespoons (.6 oz) sugar
1 teaspoon instant yeast
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup, plus 2 tablespoons warm water
Extra virgin olive oil
Zaatar

Directions:

1. Preheat oven with a baking stone to 500 degrees

2. Oil a piece of parchment paper well with olive oil.

3. In a medium bowl, combine the flour, sugar, yeast and salt.

4. Add all of the water and using your dough scraper, mix and fold the dough until just combined.

5. Cover and let rise 30  minutes.

6. Using a dough scraper, turn the dough out onto the oiled parchment paper and flip dough to cover both sides with oil. Using your fingertips, dimple the top of the dough and pour more olive oil in the depressions. Top dough with zaatar.

7. Bake on hot pizza stone for about 15-20 minutes or until golden brown.

No-Knead Walnut-Rosemary Bread

From Press Enterprise, AP

Start to finish: 14 hours (20 minutes active)

Makes 1 loaf (10 servings)

1/2 cup (50 grams) coarsely chopped walnuts

2 cups (266 grams) bread flour

1 cup (133 grams) whole-wheat flour

11/4 teaspoons (8 grams) table salt

3/4 teaspoon (2 grams) instant or rapid-rise yeast

2 tablespoons (6 grams) chopped rosemary

11/3 cups (350 grams) cool water (55 degrees to 65 degrees)

Additional flour, wheat bran or cornmeal, for dusting

Heat the oven to 350 degrees.

Place the walnuts in a shallow baking dish, then place in the oven on the middle shelf to toast 10 to 12 minutes.

Set aside to cool.

Once the nuts are cooled, in a medium bowl stir them together with both flours, the salt, yeast and rosemary.

Add the water and stir briefly with a wooden spoon or your hands, just until the dough is barely mixed, about 30 seconds.

The dough should be quite wet and tacky.

If it is not, add 1 to 2 tablespoons more water.

Cover the bowl and let it rise at room temperature for 12 to 18 hours, or until it is more than double in bulk.

After the dough has risen, generously sprinkle a work surface with flour and gently, with the help of a plastic bench scraper, scoop out the dough onto the counter.

Working very quickly, with floured hands, fold the dough inward to the center on all sides to form a seam.

Turn the dough over to form a round with the seam on the bottom.

Generously sprinkle a clean kitchen towel with flour.

Lay the towel flat on the counter and set the dough on top, seam down.

Sprinkle the top of the dough lightly with flour and loosely fold the ends of towel over the dough.

Let the dough rise in a warm place for 1 to 2 hours, or until almost doubled in bulk.

You will know it is ready when you poke the dough and it holds your imprint.

If the dough bounces back, it is not ready.

About 30 minutes before you think the dough is ready, heat the oven to 475 degrees.

Put a rack in the lower third of the oven, and place a covered 41/2- to 51/2-quart casserole dish in the oven to heat.

When the dough has risen, carefully remove the casserole dish from the oven and remove the lid.

With the aid of the tea towel, flip the dough gently, seam side up, into the casserole, put the lid on the casserole and return it to the oven.

Bake for 30 minutes.

Carefully remove the lid and bake until the bread has browned nicely, another 15 to 30 minutes.

Remove the casserole dish from the oven and use a spatula or dish towel to carefully transfer the bread to a rack to cool completely before slicing.

Nutritional information per serving: 180 calories; 40 calories from fat (22 percent of total calories); 5 g fat (0 g saturated; 0 g trans fats); 0 mg cholesterol; 30 g carbohydrate; 3 g fiber; 0 g sugar; 6 g protein; and 290 mg sodium.

Baked Challah French Toast

From MyJewishLearning

Leftover Challah Recipes

Beyond french toast.

By Leah Koenig

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Last spring, I received quite the shock upon opening my freezer for its annual pre-Passover cleaning. Inside, bag upon bag of forgotten scraps and ends of challahs-past sat shivering and waiting for redemption. I hadn't meant to let my leftover challah situation grow so ugly, but there it was, staring me in the face. With only a few days before I needed to be hametz-free, I decided to feed some of the challah to my compost worms, and dump the rest of it (guiltily) into the garbage. But I promised myself that next Passover I would Of course, there is little I can do about the weekly surplus of challah that builds up after Shabbat. The real conundrum is what to do with all those odds and ends that accumulate into a freezer full of old challah. Conventional Jewish wisdom seems to suggest one acceptable option: French toast. More >>>

Ingredients 1 stick butter (1/2 cup) 1 cup brown sugar 1 loaf challah (maybe a little more), cut into thick slices 6 eggs 1 1/2 cups milk cinnamon & vanilla extract to your liking Yield: 6-8 servings Categories: Appetizer, breakfast, brunch, chametz, Hanukkah, Purim, Shabbat

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Milky Way Challah

Pumpkin Challah

Directions

The Night Before: Melt butter in a pan. Crumble brown sugar into butter and stir until combined. Spread mixture to cover the bottom of a glass baking dish. Double layer the challah into the dish.

Whisk eggs and milk together in a bowl. Add cinnamon and vanilla and stir to combine. Pour mixture over the bread, soaking it all the way through. (The wet mixture should almost cover the bread...if there's not enough mixture, make a little bit more.) Cover baking dish and let set over night in fridge.

In the Morning: Uncover dish and bake in 350 degree oven for 40 minutes-1 hour. Serve warm with maple syrup.

Lisa Mael's Challah

We made this challah recipe, perfected by Lisa Mael, at Congregation Beth Israel, for a challah-day in January, 2014.  It was a huge hit!  Lisa says it also won a prize at the Bloomsburg Fair

It's a good thing the challah was popular.  We also tried to hold a Saturday service, complete with an English translation Torah reading, while the bread was rising.  That's when we learned why the Torah is often not read in English - a lot of the section was on how to treat your slaves, and your enslaved daughter! It didn't help that we had several guests and newcomers in the audience. What an introduction to Judaism!

Notes from the recipe:
The tradition of serving twisted loaves on the Sabbath has its origin in the manna the Israelites received in the desert. They would collect a double portion of manna on Friday for the Sabbath, as manna did not fall on the Sabbath. Therefore the use of two loaves. The manna fell on a cover of dew and was covered with dew. We duplicate these two covers with the tablecloth below the loaves and a special cover which is removed only after the Kiddush (blessing over wine) and the appropriate blessing for the loaves. The twisted shape of the loaves duplicates the loaves in the Temple. So says Bonnie Kupinsky, who is quoted on the recipe.

Ingredients:
• 2 T yeast
• 2 C warm water
• 2-3 eggs
•1/4 to 1/2 C honey or sugar
• 2 tsp salt
• 2 T to 1/3 C butter or oil
• 7-8 C whole wheat flour (actually, this makes for a heavy bread. I'd recommend using 1 cup, maybe 2, of whole wheat, but not more.)
• Sesame or poppy seeds (optional)
• Add 1/2 C each soy flour and wheat germ for high-protien Challah.

Dissolve yeast in water. Add eggs, honey, salt, butter and about 3 1/2 C flour. Beat well.

Add remaining flour to make soft dough. Knead 5-10 minutes, adding more flour if necessary.  Use as little flour as possible for a delicate Challah. It should be velvety soft.

Let rise until doubled, 1 1/2 hours to 2 hours in a warm room or overnight in the refrigerator.

Punch down and either let rise again or braid immediately into two loaves.  (A 3-strand braid is fine.  But feel free to look up variations - you could write a good-sized article on braids alone.) 

Brush with egg wash (one egg beaten with a pinch of salt.) Sprinkle with seeds if you like.

Bake 350 to 375 degrees for 30-45 minutes, until golden brown.

Variations: Use scalded milk instead of water, or add 1/2C dry milk powder. Use 1/2 to 1 C butter and up to 2/3 C honey or sugar. Salt may be reduced to 1 tsp or less. 4 egg yolks may be used instead of 2 eggs for a richer bread. 1 tsp vanilla or rum may be added. Crust may be brushed with melted butter after baking for a soft crust. But with these additions and variation, the recipe becomes egg bread instead of Challah.