Easy Challah Bread

Can you actually have an excess of bread? I don't think thus, particularly when it's fragrant natively constructed challah bread. I love the radiantly glossy outside layer and delicate, marginally sweet inside! The chewy surface of this very much enhanced bread makes it so enticing straight from the stove.

 

Challah is an enhanced Jewish bread that is generally twisted and served on the Sabbath. Numerous things about the portion are emblematic; for instance, the twists speak to adore and solidarity. Its careful birthplaces are muddled, yet the vast majority concur that cutting edge rendition began in Eastern Europe during the fifteenth century.

 

Challah is made with olive oil rather than spread, and contains eggs, which increment the protein. You can make it more beneficial by subbing some portion of the bread flour for entire wheat flour; simply understand that it will make the bread denser and more gritty tasting. Look down to the lower part of the formula to peruse the sustenance realities.

 

 

 

Ingredients

• 2 teaspoons fine salt (10g)
• ⅔ cup water (150 ml)
• 5 tablespoons liquid honey (106g)
• ⅓ cup light-tasting olive oil (70g)
• 2 large eggs + 2 large egg yolks
• 3 teaspoons fast-action yeast (10g)
• 4 cups bread flour (500g)
• 1 large egg yolk, for glazing

 

Instructions

Making the Dough (25 minutes + 2 hours proving)

1. Warm the water to 115 F.
2. Place the bread flour in a large mixing bowl and add the salt and yeast on opposite sides of the bowl, stirring in each one with your finger.  Pour in the honey, olive oil, eggs, and yolks.
3. Gradually add the warm water as you mix on low speed with the paddle attachment of a stand mixer (or by hand), trickling in a little at a time to create soft, slightly sticky dough.  You may not need all the water.
4. Knead on medium-low speed with the hook for 5-7 minutes, until the dough is smooth, no longer sticky, and has a glossy sheen on its surface.  You may need to add a spoonful or two of flour to get the right consistency.  (Alternatively, it turn out onto a floured surface and knead for 10 to 15 minutes.)  Use the windowpane test to see if it's kneaded enough by pulling off a lump of dough and stretching it between the thumb and forefinger of each hand.  If it can stretch until it's translucent without breaking, it's kneaded enough.  If not, knead for a minute longer and check again.
5. Shape the dough into a ball, place in an oiled bowl, and cover tightly with plastic wrap.  Set aside in a warm place until about doubled size, approximately 1 ½ to 2 hours.

 

Shaping the Challah (20 minutes + 1 hour proving)

 

1. Turn out the dough onto a lightly floured surface and punch it down all over to knock out excess gas.  Divide into 5 equal pieces using a bench scraper, weighing the pieces with a kitchen scale to make sure they are equal in weight.
2. Roll each piece into a rope about 20 inches long.  If you're having trouble rolling out the strands, let them rest for a couple minutes while you work on another strand.  This will relax the gluten, allowing them to roll out more easily.
3. Line up the 5 ropes side by side, then squeeze them together at the top to join.  Split the strands into two groups: a group of two on the left, and a group of three on the right.
4. Begin the braiding by crossing over the third strand from the second group and placing it beside the second strand in the first group.  Then, cross over the first strand from the first group and place it beside the first strand in the second group.  Repeat this process until the whole challah is braided, then pinch the ends to seal and tuck the ends underneath.  Gently pick up the loaf and place it on a lightly floured 11 by 17-inch cookie sheet.
5. Cover with plastic wrap and let it prove in a warm place until doubled in size, about 1 hour.
6. About 10 minutes before the bread is done proving, preheat the oven to 375 F.

 

Baking the Challah (30 minutes + cooling)

 

1. Beat the egg yolk with a little water to thin it, then brush it on the risen loaf.
2. Stack the tray of challah on top of another cookie sheet to help prevent the base from cooking too quickly, then bake at 375 F for 10 minutes.  Check the bread without opening the door, and if it's getting too dark, cover it with aluminum foil.
3. Lower the temperature to 325 F and bake for another 15-20 minutes.  The bread should be a rich golden brown and have an internal temperature of 190 degrees.
4. Let the loaf cool completely on a wire rack before slicing and serving to allow the crumb structure to set, about 1 hour.  Serve with salt or butter.

 

 

 

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