Fluffy WW Challa | Imamother

coconutbutter

Wed, Feb 18 2015, 3:40 pm

My Challa is always extremely dense and does not rise even when I've proofed the yeast and all looks OK.

I use 70 percent white whole wheat flour but it still comes out very heavy and sad looking.

Tried and true recipes? Preferably a small batch as I've got no freezer space and it's just me and DH.

tigerwife

Wed, Feb 18 2015, 4:19 pm

This worked great for me (but I only made challah once so far...) I used Rubinfelds' whole wheat flour (the purple bag).

In a bowl: Mix:
1/4 cup dry yeast
1 cup lukewarm water
1 tsp sugar
Wait until it gets foamy (around ten minutes?)

Meanwhile, in your Basch or other bowl mix:
6 eggs
2 cups sugar
1 cup oil
5.6 tsp salt
Slowly add yeast mixture.

Next, slowly alternate between flour and water:
2 bags + 2 cups Rubinfelds flour
Up to four cups water.

Mix on 2 for 10 minutes.

Let dough rise for 2 hours.
Braid, then let it sit for 30 minutes.
Bake on 400 for 7 minutes then 375 for half an hour.

It's a delicious and sweet challah.

cbsp

Wed, Feb 18 2015, 9:19 pm

Have you tried adding vital wheat gluten? The instructions are on the package (it varies slightly by brand)

Also, I found a big difference in the texture if I omit the salt and only add it after I knead the dough thoroughly (15 mins with a mixer) and let it rest after that 18 minutes. After I add the salt I knead it another 4 minutes, then let it do the long rise. I also let it rise at least an hour after braiding.

Hatzlachah!

Dolly1

Thu, Feb 19 2015, 2:53 am

I had the same problem. Recently I started making sure that the room is warm enough for the dough to rise. I even boiled up the peculator, and then took it off the base and placed it next to the towel covered dough. Within a short amount of time my whole counter top was covered in dough. try it! challah came out SO fluffy!! good luck! Smile

coconutbutter

Thu, Feb 19 2015, 3:32 am

tigerwife wrote:

Thank you so much for taking the time to type this up for me! Unfortunately, we don't like sweet Challa and this recipe seems too big for me. I don't have a mixer, so I gotta knead by hand, and my biggest bowl can only fit a smaller recipe (if/when it rises).

Anyone else have smaller, no fail recipe?

be good

Thu, Jul 02 2015, 10:46 am

I use this recipe, with mishpacha white whole wheat flour. (which is 100% whole wheat).
http://www.imamother.com/forum.....47972
Fluffy every time.
It makes 3 medium challahs, or three small and a bunch of rolls. We usually eat it all in one shabbos + melava malka)

suzyq

Thu, Jul 02 2015, 11:05 am

I make a large batch, but I'm sure you could half it. I have found the key is kneading it as long as you can - the more I knead the dough, the fluffier it comes out.

4 cups water
1 tablespoon honey
6 packages yeast

I put the above ingredients together and let the yeast proof for about 7 minutes.

I then add:

1 cup oil (I use coconut oil)
5 eggs
1 cup honey
3 tablespoons salt
around 5 lbs of white whole wheat flour (I use a little less)
3 cups of quick oats (I like the texture it gives, but this is optional)

Mix everything together and knead for several minutes. Let rise around 2 hours. Then shape and bake at 350 for about 20-25 minutes (whenever the top gets brown).

israelgirl

Thu, Jul 02 2015, 11:17 am

My Challa gets loads of compliments. Have had many people tell me they've never tried better, and no one knows its whole wheat! Wink

I like to make a small batch as well, every Friday so its delicious, easy and fresh. My husband also very much prefers not sweet cakey challah.

I use the 70% Rubenfeld bag of flour (When I add vital wheat gluten its even better!)

1/2 c. sugar (or less if you want)
1 Tbsp. salt
2 1/4-1/2 c. warm water
(mix together with a spoon)
Add: 1/2 c oil (mix)

In the kilo bag of flour itself (it's about 6 1/2 c flour I think) I put 1 1/2 TBSP yeast and mix it with the flour. (I know I was also shocked that you don't BUBBLE the yeast first. Trick is to mix it into the flour!)
Then add the flour and yeast mixture (its dry yeast btw) into the warm liquid mixture. Knead until soft and form into a big ball.

Spread a bit of oil on top to keep it smooth and soft and cover and put in a warm place. (I usually leave on my counter, but in the winter I put it near the stove)

Rise for 2 1/2 hours (or more if you want!) Shape and rise an additional 20-30 min. Egg and sesame seeds, bakes about 15-20 minutes in the oven (small loaves)

Good luck!!!

amother

Rose

Thu, Jul 02 2015, 2:16 pm

Really fantastic recipe!!!

5 lbs. whole wheat flour
6 packages of yeast (2.25 tsp per package)
1 tsp. sugar
4 tsp. salt
2 c. oil
1.5 c. honey
6 c. lukewarm water

1. Proof yeast with 1 tsp. sugar and 1 c. of the warm water in a small bowl.
2. In a small pot, slowly warm up the oil and honey on the stovetop on low flame. Do not boil.
3. Mix dry ingredients in the mixer, slowly add the warmed oil and honey a small amount at a time, and then proofed yeast.
4. Next, add the rest of the warm water a cup at a time. let the mixer go for about 8 minutes.
5. Turn dough out into a lightly greased bowl and cover with parchment and a towel to let rise for about an hour. Do not allow to rise again.
6. Punch down, take challah with brocha, then shape. You can put some rolled oats on top as a garnish.
7. Bake at 350. Check after about 20 minutes for roll, up to 40 minutes for larger challahs. Make sure to rotate trays so they bake evenly. Best a bit undercooked but golden on the outside.

I have a Kitchenaid that can't handle it all. I mix dry ingredients in my large stainless bowl, then keep kneading. It makes a dough that's not horribly heavy and is easy to work with after rising.

zaq

Thu, Jul 02 2015, 8:17 pm

Go to aish.com and search for Chef Hirshel's whole wheat challah. It uses 8-10 cups whole wheat flour but you can sub part white flour.

1. make sure your water is not too hot so you don't kill the yeast. when in doubt, use cooler water and let rise longer.
2. make sure you knead long enough. If kneading by hand, it is virtually impossible to overdo it. The longer you knead, the more developed the gluten becomes. The more developed the gluten, the more the dough will stretch without breaking. The more the dough can stretch, the more it can rise without collapsing.
3. Make sure you let it rise long enough. The longer it rises, the more gas builds up in the dough. The more gas in the dough, the fluffier the finished product. Rising is ideally done in a warm spot like an oven with a pilot light or oven light going, or a nice big enclosed box with a pitcher of hot water in it to keep things toasty, or a heating pad set on the lowest possible setting, or wrapped in towels with a hot water bottle, or your average un-airconditioned North American kitchen in July and August. If your kitchen is cool, either kick it up a notch as listed above, or simply give the dough more time to rise. Rising times are only suggestions; what matters is the volume and texture of the dough. So long as you haven't killed the yeast with water that's too hot, it WILL rise.

PinkFridge

Thu, Jul 02 2015, 9:08 pm

SorGold wrote:

I use Devorah Hellers recipe with white whole wheat. I also replace half the water with lukewarm seltzer. I proof the yeast in the water.

Just as a note: white whole wheat is a sub for white flour, not whole wheat. At least that's my experience. I'm the Rose amother. (I did have a reason for going amother but it doesn't seem so compelling now.) I had a bag of white whole wheat and tried making my recipe with it and it was nowhere near as good as 100% whole wheat.

SorGold

Thu, Jul 02 2015, 10:01 pm

PinkFridge wrote:

white whole wheat is 100% whole wheat
The difference is that is white wheat as opposed to red wheat or spring wheat vs winter wheat. I grind my own flour and it is whole wheat as I do not sift out the bran and the color is different because it is a different variety.