English Imamothers - what do you use to make challah?

chocolate fondue

Tue, Dec 03 2013, 5:11 pm

I have been making my own challah since after Pesach, but it has killed my Kenwood Major.
The Bosch (Universal?) that people use in America doesn't seem to be available here. I could get a Assistent (aka Magic Mill) but it will cost about £575.
What do you use to make challa? Is it good? What would you recommend?
TIA!

Raisin

Tue, Dec 03 2013, 6:13 pm

I'm not in the UK but in europe. I bought a magic mill in the states on a trip there. You can ask for european voltage, at least in the shop I bought it in. Luckily this was back in the day when airlines let you bring 2 large suitcases on an economy ticket.

I am very happy with my magic mill.

If you can't find a bosch in the UK check european amazon sites like amazon.fr and the german amazon. We got a braun food processor like that. Shipping was about €10 or something, not a crazy amount.

Raisin

Tue, Dec 03 2013, 6:24 pm

the kenwood I have used is tiny compared to my magic mill. I would not want one.

chocolate fondue

Tue, Dec 03 2013, 6:38 pm

oliveoil wrote:

I do it by hand. I find it easier.

Thanks, but I'm in my third tremester with my 7th baby, and I really don't have the time or koach to do it all by hand. And I won't have the koach after the baby comes either.

Mrs Bissli

Tue, Dec 03 2013, 7:38 pm

In very very rare occasions I bake my own challot, I just use the dough only function on my Panasonic bread machine. A rebetzen I know who makes the most amazing challah also knead by hand.

Dolly Welsh

Tue, Dec 03 2013, 9:27 pm

There is no need to knead bread, if you give the whole thing more time. The time does the kneading.

https://www.google.com/#q=no+k.....ecipe

Disclaimer: I have never done this myself. But it sounds believable.

So you may not need a machine at all.

You put the ingredients in a loosely closed box in the fridge and come back tomorrow. It's called a cold rise. Just don't close the box tightly, it can explode.

frummy613

Tue, Dec 03 2013, 10:25 pm

Can you use a Bosch from the USA in Europe or Israel?
I just bought one in the US and I am moving to EY and I'm wondering if it was a mistake

chocolate fondue

Wed, Dec 04 2013, 6:20 am

I want to get whatever machine I do choose pretty quickly, without having to worry about changing voltage and plugs or whatever it is you need to do, so I don't really want to get someone to shlep it from the US.

Does noone else in England use a machine to knead their challah? I guess I'm the only lazy one... Sad

Mrs Bissli, how much dough can a bread machine make in one go?

iluvfood

Wed, Dec 04 2013, 6:40 am

I know alot of people in england with a bosch mixer. I think you can get them in jewish shops

mummy-bh

Wed, Dec 04 2013, 6:42 am

I use my kenwood chef. I have to make the dough in three different parts though, as I find it can't take more than five cups of flour at once. I dream of buying a Major!

chocolate fondue

Wed, Dec 04 2013, 9:36 am

Mummy-BH, so now you know that you'd have to do it in shifts in a Kenwood Major too - the motor overheats when you try to do a full batch. (My challah uses 11-12 cups of flour and the Major still can't can't cope with the whole lot.)

chocolate fondue

Wed, Dec 04 2013, 9:37 am

iluvfood wrote:

I know alot of people in england with a bosch mixer. I think you can get them in jewish shops

Which Jewish shops? TIA!

Mrs Bissli

Wed, Dec 04 2013, 9:45 am

Choccie, my Panasonic breadmachine is the standard size one, I think the maximum is 4-5 cups of flour (which is sufficient for our use). I think the Jewish store that would sell kitchen equipment is Shuttlers, the one on Bridge Lane in Temple Fortune .

frummy613, US uses 100-110V whist Israel and most EU countries use 220-230V. You'll probably need a separate plug adapter (2 round pins for Israel, 3 pins for UK vs 2 flat blades for US) which is not difficult. For something that uses much electricity like food processors, it's costly and inefficient to use a transformer.

Raisin

Wed, Dec 04 2013, 11:05 am

if its the same voltage, you can cut off the plug and change it. One of my teachers showed us how to do this in class 5 and I've never forgotten.

choc fondue, call around the Jewish shops. btw I used to do what mrs bissli does, I have the same bread machine. But I need a lot of challa so needed to make 3 batches. I used 6 cups of lfour per batch and got 2-3 medium challos out of a batch. So enough for a small family, but not if you have guests. The challa was absolutely delicious though!