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It’s the second day of the New Year (yeah, we love it so much, we celebrate it twice!), and I had some free time this afternoon. After attending morning services, I came home and decided to try my hand at challah. I have somewhat of a fear of baking bread because it takes forever and there are numerous instances in which I could screw the whole thing up.
But people everywhere I go have been making it lately. At the dentist, at temple, so it seemed like I should put on my big-girl pants and just go for it. And, look! I made challah!
Turns out, I got it right. I successfully activated the yeast, let it rise three whole times, and used the recommended double egg wash. The only part I messed up was not greasing the cookie sheet well enough (or at all) that it baked on. So listen here, and grease your cookie sheet!
Challah
adapted from smitten kitchen
- 1 1/2 packages of active dry yeast (3/8 oz)
- 1 Tbsp plus 1/2 cup white sugar
- 1 3/4 cup lukewarm water
- 1/2 cup olive oil plus more for greasing the bowl
- 5 eggs
- 1 Tbsp salt
- 8 cups of all purpose flour
In a large bowl, dissolve the yeast and sugar in the lukewarm water.
Wisk in the oil and then the eggs, adding one at a time and making sure each one is fully mixed before adding the next. Add the remaining sugar and salt. Finally, gradually add the flour until it holds together. I used 6 qt. KitchenAide stand mixer with the dough hook. It might be a little much for the standard sized KitchenAide.
When the flour is fully incorporated, turn out onto a floured surface and knead until smooth. Clean out the bowl, grease it, and return the dough to the bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise for an hour in a warm place until it has doubled in size. After an hour, punch it down, recover, and let it rise for another half hour.
After the second rising, form the loaves. Since it’s Rosh Hashanah, I made a braided round loaf. I can do a terrible job explaining it here, or just link you to the YouTube video I used to show you how to do it. Place each loaf on a greased cookie sheet with at least two or three inches between the loaves. I used two separate cookie sheets. Beat the remaining egg and brush it on the loaves.
Let the loaves rise for another hour.
Bake in a 375° oven for 30 minutes until the crust is a dark, golden brown. Makes two loaves.