Yay! I did it! Made Challah! Kneaded by hand!

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Forum -> Recipe Collection -> Challah and Breads

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jflower

Sat, Sep 04 2010, 9:03 pm

Thanks to all the amothers out there who gave me chizuk about kneading dough by hand. I actually went ahead and did it.

I baked the challah before Rosh Hashana so that I would taste the challah this week and know how they came out before yomtov.

The verdict: not bad. Consistency was very good and even, but the challah shapes were slightly weird. I think the dough may have been a bit too sticky so the braiding didn't hold its shape too well. I'll try adding some more flour next time.

Hand kneading was a bit messy (plus I had no idea what I was doing) but it worked out in the end. Next time I'll do a better job of preparing the flour in advance and (maybe) wearing plastic gloves while kneading. I got dough all over the place when I needed more flour.

What a great feeling.

Thank you to all the amothers who responded a few weeks ago when I had questions about kneading by hand. I hope to improve with more practice, but I never would have taken the first step without encouragement.

watergirl

Sat, Sep 04 2010, 11:45 pm

good for you!

enneamom

Sun, Sep 05 2010, 12:04 am

Wow! Now you can tell your family "I baked this challah for you with my own hands!" Very Happy

bubbyc

Sun, Sep 05 2010, 12:42 am

Hi ! I can't find this in the postings. Are this tips written on someplace? I am going to try Seraph's challah recipe and want to know the trick to hand kneading.

ra_mom

Sun, Sep 05 2010, 1:06 am

I'm so happy for you! What an accomplishment!
(Btw, did you use fresh yeast? When I did, my challah shapes also came out slightly weird.)

jflower

Sun, Sep 05 2010, 10:01 am

OP here. Thanks for all responses.

ra_mom, I used dry yeast rather than fresh, so I can't blame the yeast. I think I just should have added a bit more flour.

In the beginning, I kneaded the dough using my fingers. This was very tiring. Then I took a break and ran to the computer and found this video which showed how to fold the dough in half and then use the palm of my hands (not my fingers) to knead. This worked great.

I hope this link works so that you all can see the demo:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=FHCwba.....lated Knead Challah by Hand

chocolate moose

Sun, Sep 05 2010, 11:12 am

I'm also hand kneading this morning IYH. The taste is the best that way.

shalhevet

Sun, Sep 05 2010, 11:28 am

Don't add more flour - I started doing this because the dough was sticky and it makes the challa come out dry. It took me a while to work out what I was doing wrong - some recipes are just meant to be sticky.

mamommommy

Sun, Sep 05 2010, 11:41 am

Yeah, don't add more flour to the dough if you can avoid it, but you can dip your hands in flour and dust your work surface when you are shaping your challah to prevent the dough from sticking and coming out in a messy shape.

If you knead inside of a large bowl (and wear an apron) the mess should be very minimal. The right way to knead is by folding and pressing with your hands (not fingers, but palms) so if you continue to do it that way, you should be fine.

It's really very simple once you get used to it and soon enough you'll be able to tweak your method to what works best for you. Good for you for trying it and I hope you continue to enjoy it!

jflower

Mon, Sep 06 2010, 7:14 am

Oh. I thought adding flour will do the trick. I definitely don't want the challah to be more dense, as they are quite heavy enough. We're used to bakery challah which is light as air.

I recall a thread on how to make challah light and fluffy and will check it out.

The problem here is that the strands of challah didn't hold their shape. The braids sort of mushed into each other and am not sure what to do about that.

Any ideas?

kalsee

Mon, Sep 06 2010, 7:39 am

If you oil your hands and the surface instead of flour it, it won't make the dough dense and won't be too sticky.

ra_mom

Mon, Sep 06 2010, 2:10 pm

jflower wrote:

Pull the strands tighter. Braid it tighter.

PinkFridge

Mon, Sep 06 2010, 4:03 pm

jflower wrote:

OP here. Thanks for all responses.

I hope this link works so that you all can see the demo:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=FHCwba.....lated Knead Challah by Hand

I can't access the link but from your description that's what I do too.
After doing this a few more times you'll get a feel for how long you need to knead and how much flour to use. I bake 5 lbs. at a time. What I do is pour almost a whole bag into the bowl, pour in all the other ingredients (mixed together) and start kneading. My best challos use up the rest of the bag and about an extra cup or two of flour. You don't want it too dry, but too sticky isn't great either. (At least for my recipe.)

Congrats and enjoy. Soon you'll be an advice giving pro yourself.

OOTBubby

Mon, Sep 06 2010, 4:27 pm

I agree with oiling your hands (I actually use cooking spray on the counter and on my hands while braiding).

I also find it impossible to knead and braid while wearing plastic gloves -- I need to be barehanded.

Mommy F.

Mon, Sep 06 2010, 4:41 pm

Good for you! Tizku le'mitzvos!

jflower

Mon, Sep 06 2010, 5:23 pm

OP here.

Thanks for all your responses. I'll try using oil and/or cooking spray on my hands and surface the next time I bake and hope my challah comes out looking a bit more professional.

They might have looked a bit strange, but I must say they were very good. I heated them before Shabbos and left one on the hot plate wrapped in foil (in a pan.) The kitchen smelled great and it was very special eating challah that I made myself.

Kesiva V'Chassima Tova, everyone.

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