Our neighbor down the road, Wally, celebrates the Jewish holidays and Sweetie and I knew that this year was going to be hard for him since he is a new widower of only a few months. That first holiday season is really tough. I also wasn't sure if his dear departed wife had baked for him at holiday time. It seemed like a good gift for him would be a home baked challah loaf...plus it gave me a reason to bake bread. That might sound strange, but Sweetie has been losing weight and has asked that I not bake bread very often if at all because the fragrance is so tantalizing! This way the bread was going out of the house untasted and so we were not tempted...or so I thought!
I brought the loaf, wrapped in plastic wrap and tied with a blue ribbon, to a neighborhood bar that also serves great breakfast. We were joined for brunch by Wally and another couple who are also neighbors. We didn't get to see each other over Christmas because of some illnesses and visiting families, so the brunch was a gift exchange, too. I had made the bread the day before and shaped it, then put it in the fridge overnight. That way I could bake it early in the morning and still have a warm loaf by brunch time.
Wally was delighted with the loaf, but was concerned because he is the only one at home and it was a big loaf. His solution was to use his pocketknife to cut pieces, which he handed around to each of us! We had coffee but our orders were being prepared, so this was a treat to have something to nibble on while we waited for our meals. We had just started to taste the bread when the owner arrived. Sweetie gave him a piece of bread and he, in turn, brought out some homemade butter to enjoy with the bread. Made our treat even better! Sweetie and I have eaten breakfast and some other meals there for many years and have gotten to know the owner, so we figured that he wouldn't mind the outsourced bread, but adding butter was such a charming gesture.
It was really good bread! I used a King Arthur Baking recipe, which I'm giving below. The only change I made was to add a decent amount (about 1/2 cup) additional flour. I think that my eggs were extra large, so that increased the moisture, which meant more flour.
Wishing you a magical year...and lots of good bread!
Classic Challah
from King Arthur Baking Company
makes 1 braided loaf
Ingredients
Dough
- 4 to 4 1/4 cups (480g to 510g) King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
- 3/4 cup (170g) water, lukewarm
- 6 tablespoons (74g) vegetable oil
- 3 tablespoons (63g) honey
- 2 large eggs
- 1 large egg yolk (white reserved for topping)
- 1 1/2 teaspoons (9g) table salt
- 4 teaspoons (12g) instant yeast
Topping
- 1 large egg white (reserved from above), beaten with 1 tablespoon cold water
- poppy seeds or sesame seeds, for sprinkling; optional
·
To make the
dough: Weigh
480g of flour; or measure 4 cups by gently spooning it into a cup, then
sweeping off any excess.
·
Combine the flour with
the rest of the dough ingredients. Mix and knead them by hand, mixer, or bread
machine, until you have a soft, smooth dough. If the dough is very sticky, add
an additional 1/4 cup (30g) of flour.
·
Allow the dough to
rise in a plastic wrap-covered bowl for about 2 hours, or until it's puffy; it
won't necessarily double in bulk.
·
Gently deflate the
dough, and transfer it to a lightly greased work surface.
·
Divide the dough into
pieces, the number depending on what kind of braid you want to make. You may
braid the challah the traditional way, into a three-strand braid. For a fancier presentation, make a
six-strand braid.
·
Once you've decided
which braid you're doing, divide the dough into the appropriate number of
pieces. Roll each piece into a rope about 20" long. If the dough starts to
shrink back as you roll, cover it and let it rest for about 10 minutes, then
resume rolling. The short rest gives the gluten a chance to relax.
· Braid the loaf. I made a three strand braid, which is easy, but you can go for four - or six-strand braids. King Arthur Baking has videos on each type of braiding.
·
Gently pick up the
braided loaf, and place it on a lightly greased or parchment-lined baking
sheet.
·
Cover the loaf with
lightly greased plastic wrap and let it rise at room temperature until it's
very puffy, 60 to 90 minutes. Toward the end of the rising time,
place a rack in the upper third of your oven and preheat the oven to
375°F.
·
To make the topping: Whisk together the reserved egg white and water. Brush the
mixture over the risen loaf. Sprinkle generously with poppy seeds or
sesame seeds, if desired.
·
Bake the challah on
the oven's upper rack for 25 to 30 minutes, or until it's a deep golden brown
and a digital thermometer inserted into the center reads 190°F.
·
Remove the challah
from the oven and transfer it to a rack to cool.
·
Storage information: Store any leftover challah, well wrapped, at room
temperature for several days; freeze for longer storage. While challah does
tend to dry out after a day or so, it's always good toasted, or made into
grilled sandwiches or French toast.
