Anyone make challah by hand?

red_velvet

Wed, Feb 01 2012, 5:45 pm

My mixer is getting repaired, but I want to make challah this week anyway. Anyone makes challos by hand entirely? Is there a special technique to mixing the dough? I don't want to mess it up.

ra_mom

Wed, Feb 01 2012, 5:49 pm

Making half a recipe is easier.
I've done a full 5 lbs. it's just a lot of work. But totally do-able.
I use this recipe when making it by hand. The original recipe is small and really easy to make by hand.
http://imamother.com/forum/vie.....eslov

happyone

Wed, Feb 01 2012, 6:06 pm

Whatever you do, don't knead on a glass table top. I smashed my glass table top by kneading dough on it several years ago. Wasnt a pretty sight!

tiredmommy

Wed, Feb 01 2012, 6:10 pm

I always make challah by hand. I was afraid to kill my Kitchen Aid motor so I just put all the ingredients in a very large bowl and mix. Doesn't take long at all! Try it-I also found it easier to wash the bowl than clean up the mess with the mixer Smile

I've been doing it for years like this, and I use 5 lbs of flour at a time. Good luck!

chocolate chips

Wed, Feb 01 2012, 6:13 pm

I do I just put everything in a bowl and knead until its a dough.
I let it rise a bit, knead some more, rise fully, knead again and then shape.
comes out great.

good luck

Pandabeer

Wed, Feb 01 2012, 6:24 pm

When My mixer broke 8 years ago I started kneading by hand and even though a bought a new one in the meantime I kept on kneading by hand. It makes less mess and less bowl and thing to wash.
I dissolve the yeast in warm water with a little sugar and when I pour it into the bowl I'm careful it shouldn't touch the salt or sugar.
Depending on the weather outside I adjust the water and oil (another plus when making by hand you can feel the texture and adjust)
I do 2.500 kilo at a time
In the beginning it took me at least 30 minutes to knead, alternating between hands - now it goes in 8 min.

anon for this

Wed, Feb 01 2012, 8:17 pm

I make challah by hand. I find that it's easier if I don't add all of the flour (I use a 5 lb bag) at once.

imala

Wed, Feb 01 2012, 8:17 pm

I'm not a major challah maker, but occasionally I make 5 lbs by hand. (I did it just this past week). I follow the recipe I use from a cookbook. I just keep adding in the flour bit by bit at at time. I don't knead it for that long. Just until the flour is all 'absorbed'. (Eventhough the 2 recipes I use say things like "let the dough mix for 10 minutes on high....). After I knead the flour in I take about 1-2 capfuls of oil and spread it all around the dough. I let it rise in a garbage bag (less mess and it doesn't dry it.) My dough has b'h always come out good like that. Hatzlacha! I hope it comes out great!

red_velvet

Wed, Feb 01 2012, 9:21 pm

Thanks for the tips. I think I'll take ra_mom's advice and and start off with 1/2 a recipe in case my hands get too tired... Wink

Who knows I might end up continuing this way!

spring13

Wed, Feb 01 2012, 9:21 pm

I'm short, so I put the bowl on the floor, kneel, and knead that way. the counter and table are awkward heights for that kind of motion, for me at least.

black sheep

Wed, Feb 01 2012, 9:54 pm

happyone wrote:

Whatever you do, don't knead on a glass table top. I smashed my glass table top by kneading dough on it several years ago. Wasnt a pretty sight!

isn't breaking glass accidentally a segulah for a simcha? that must have been followed by a big simcha Smile

black sheep

Wed, Feb 01 2012, 9:56 pm

I always make my challah dough by hand, I don't have any special advice or tips to offer but I did want to say it makes me think that this is one thing I do that is probably exactly like sarah imeinu used to do... its a nice feeling. nerdy, but nice.

Honesty

Wed, Feb 01 2012, 10:58 pm

red_velvet wrote:

My mixer is getting repaired, but I want to make challah this week anyway. Anyone makes challos by hand entirely? Is there a special technique to mixing the dough? I don't want to mess it up.

I always do my Challahs by hand. My mother never used her Bosch machine for Challahs either. So I grew up kneading the dough. I add the flour and mix in salt first, then add the sugar, oil, yeast dissolved in warm water and the eggs. I mix the wet ingredients first, and then mix with the flour.

It's really delicious!

Pandabeer

Wed, Feb 01 2012, 11:17 pm

spring13 wrote:

I'm short, so I put the bowl on the floor, kneel, and knead that way. the counter and table are awkward heights for that kind of motion, for me at least.

I do it in the sink - its lower and less of a mess

Rubber Ducky

Thu, Feb 02 2012, 1:04 pm

I've made challah by buy hand for many years -- ever since the Bosch broke. I use 5 lbs of flour at a time. I knead directly on my wooden counter and clean up afterward with a dough scraper. Handmade challah has a better texture than Bosch-kneaded challah.

A tip: You need leverage and the ability to fully extend your arms to knead challah by hand easily. Unless you are very, very tall, consider either kneading at a table (rather than a kitchen counter) or standing on a stool (I use a little kids' stool).