With eyes peeled on my 2 ½ year old grandson as he tore down the driveway on his scooter, I basked in the sunshine, enjoying the unseasonably warm weather and savored the intoxicating, yeasty scent of freshly baked challahs perfuming the air. I smiled at my neighbor, the calm, organized mother of a large brood, who was taking a well-deserved break before tending to the next batch of braided, golden loaves in the oven. Nothing beats the smell or taste of freshly baked home-made challah.
Challah
Making challah is a multi-step process that requires time for the dough to proof, or rise, twice before baking. Typically, the dough is often shaped into loaves before the second proof, and then it is baked. Retarding dough is the process of slowing down the final rising in the bread-making process. This is easily done by proofing bread overnight in the refrigerator since the cold slows down the rise. Retarding the dough has benefits, which include, dividing up the labor involved in making bread and allowing you to enjoy a fresh loaf at a chosen time. It is also done to increase the flavor of the bread and to give the crust a darker color when baked.
To retard the dough, allow the challah to rise at room temperature until doubled in size. Lightly punch down the dough and shape it into loaves. Cover them lightly before placing them into the refrigerator to rest overnight. The following morning, place the shaped loaves on the counter, allow them to come to room temperature and complete their rise before baking. This won’t take long. This recipe for sweet and fluffy challah is by talented recipe developer and cookbook author Bonnie Stern, based on her grandmother Jenny Soltz’s award-winning recipe, published in Bonnie Stern’s Essentials of Home Cooking. Golden brown with a soft tender crumb, this loaf is a soul-satisfying treat that we look forward to every week.
Assemble your ingredients. Premeasuring is a good idea. Line up the ingredients in the order in which you add them to the mixture. That way you can be certain that nothing will be left out.
This recipe is written for 8 cups of flour. To use 16 cups or 5 pounds of flour, double the recipe. The challah is easily made in a stand mixer but can also be made by hand. Using a stand mixer, add 1/2 cup of lukewarm water, 2 tablespoons of instant yeast and 1 teaspoon of sugar to the mixer bowl. Pulse the mixer 2 or 3 times to combine. Allow the yeast mixture to stand until it bubbles. Once the yeast bubbles, add the remaining water, oil and sugar to the bowl. Crack the eggs into a medium bowl and beat them lightly. Add the eggs to the mixing bowl. On low speed, using the dough hook, add half the flour, 1 cup at a time to the mixer bowl. Add the salt to the thin dough. Once the salt is mixed in, add the remaining flour, 1 cup at a time. Continue to beat the dough for 10 minutes until it is smooth and glossy. Scrape the dough into a greased bowl, cover it lightly with plastic wrap and allow it to rise at room temperature until it has doubled in size. This should take about an hour.
A single recipe of this dough will make 4 medium challahs or 2 large ones. Gently punch down the dough and divide it according to the number of loaves you would like to make. I like to braid the challah into a 6 strand loaf. You can also braid it using 3 or 4 strands of dough. (Be sure to check out the links associated with each number for great challah braiding demonstrations.)
Place the braided loaves on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or place them in oval challah pans if that’s your preference. Cover lightly with plastic wrap that has been sprayed with cooking spray. Place the covered challahs in the refrigerator overnight.
If desired, you can make a streusel topping to sprinkle on the challahs before baking. In the bowl of your food processor combine 1/2 cup of flour and 1/2 cup of confectioners sugar. Pulse 2 or 3 times to combine. Add 4 tablespoons of margarine cut into chunks. Pulse 10 times until clumps start to form. Don’t over process the crumbs. Place the streusel into a resealable container and squeeze the crumbs with your hands to make larger clumps and smaller ones. Refrigerate the streusel until ready to use. You can also skip the streusel and top the challah with everything bagel topping, sesame seeds or poppy seeds.
The next morning, remove the challahs from the refrigerator and place them on the counter. Allow the challahs to come to room temperature and complete their rise. This should take about 2 hours.
When you are ready to bake the challahs, place a rack in the middle position of the oven. Preheat the oven to 350 F. Gently beat an egg with a tablespoon of water. Before baking, gently brush the challah with the beaten egg. Sprinkle with the topping of your choice. Bake the challah for 30 minutes, for a medium-sized loaf. A larger challah will take 40 minutes. (Note that the internal temperature of the challah is 190 F. when done.) Cool the challahs on a cooling rack.
Challah
Golden brown with a soft tender crumb, this sweet and fluffy challah is a soul-satisfying treat.
Ingredients
- 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
- 2 cups warm water, divided
- 2 tablespoons instant dry yeast
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil
- 2/3 cup granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon table salt
- 4 eggs, lightly beaten
- 8 cups bread flour
- 1 egg beaten with 1 tablespoon of water for glazing the challah before baking
- 2 tablespoons sesame seeds OR poppy seeds OR everything bagel mix OR streusel
- Streusel
- 1/2 cup flour
- 1/2 cup confectioner's sugar
- 4 tablespoons margarine, cut in chunks
Instructions
Using a stand mixer, add 1/2 cup of lukewarm water, 2 tablespoons of instant yeast and 1 teaspoon of sugar to the mixer bowl. Pulse the mixer 2 or 3 times to combine. Allow the yeast mixture to stand until it bubbles, about 10 minutes.
Once the yeast bubbles, add the remaining water, oil and sugar to the bowl. Crack the eggs into a medium bowl and beat lightly. Add the eggs to the mixing bowl.
On low speed, using the dough hook, add half the flour, 1 cup at a time to the mixer bowl. Add the salt to the thin dough. Once the salt is mixed in, add the remaining flour, 1 cup at a time. Continue to beat the dough for 10 minutes until it is smooth and glossy. Scrape the dough into a greased bowl, cover it lightly with plastic wrap and allow it to rise at room temperature until it has doubled in size. This should take about an hour.
A single recipe of this dough will make 4 medium challahs or 2 large ones. Gently punch down the dough and divide it according to the number of loaves you would like to make. Divide each piece of dough into balls depending on how many strands you are braiding. Roll out the balls into medium length tapered strands. Braid the strands of dough, using a 3, 4 or 6 braiding pattern.
Place the braided loaves on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or place them in an oval challah pan if desired. Cover lightly with plastic wrap that has been sprayed with cooking spray. Place the covered challahs in the refrigerator overnight.
The next morning, remove the challahs from the refrigerator and place them on the counter. Allow the challahs to come to room temperature and complete their rise. This should take about 2 hours.
When you are ready to bake the challahs, place a rack in the middle position of the oven. Preheat the oven to 350 F. Gently beat an egg with a tablespoon of water. Before baking, gently brush the challah with the beaten egg. Sprinkle with the topping of your choice. Place the challah(s) on the middle rack and bake for 30 minutes, for a medium challah. A larger challah will take 40 minutes. Cool the challahs on a cooling rack.
Streusel topping
In the bowl of a food processor combine 1/2 cup of flour and 1/2 cup of confectioners sugar. Pulse 2 or 3 times to combine. Add 4 tablespoons of margarine cut into chunks. Pulse 10 times until clumps start to form. Don't over process the crumbs. Place the streusel into a resealable container and squeeze the crumbs with your hands to make larger clumps and smaller ones. Refrigerate the streusel until ready to use.
Notes
This recipe can easily be doubled to use 16 cups or 5 lbs. of flour. The challahs freeze very well, wrapped completely in plastic wrap when cool and stored in a resealable plastic bag.
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