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Forum -> Recipe Collection -> Challah and Breads

Challa

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mother of 2 princess's

Sat, May 21 2005, 6:22 pm

thinking of baking challah
has anyone got a good recipe for me!!

Sunshine

Sun, May 22 2005, 3:32 pm

I have a really easy recipe.

Challah

5 cups "Better For Bread" flour (you can use regular flour but it comes out more crumbly so I try to use the kind for bread)
3/8 cup sugar
1 tsp. salt
1 1/2 tsp. yeast
2 eggs plus oil to equal 3/4 of a cup
1 cup water
1/4 cup hot water

1 egg, lightly beatten
sesame/ poppy seeds

Combine dry ingredients. Gradually add liquid ingredients and knead to form a smooth dough. Place in a bowl spraid with pam and turn dough to coat with spray. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and allow to rise 1 1/2 hours or untill doubled in bulk. Punch down. Form loaves. Place loaves on a cookie sheet sprayed with pam. Cover with plastic wrap sprayed with pam. Rise for 1 more hour or untill doubled in bulk. Paint with beatten egg and sprinkle with sesame/ poppy seeds. Bake in a oven on 350 for 25-35 minutes or until golden.

hisorerus

Mon, May 23 2005, 11:01 am

Wow, first recipe I ever saw that doesn't require doing the yeast separately. It really works?!?

Sunshine

Mon, May 23 2005, 3:22 pm

Yup. That is one of the things that I love so much about it. It is really easy. I can even measure all the dry ingredients the night b4 then the next day just add the oil water and eggs and it is done in a second! I don't like to have to let the yeast rise first in sugar water it takes more time and is another step to patchke with. I like quick easy and good recipes! Tongue Out

Since making this one I never tried another because they all are more complicated and take a lot more time. Only problem is that I want to start making whole wheat and need a recipe as easy as this one!

Yael

Mon, May 23 2005, 3:22 pm

the point of letting the yeast bubble first is simply to test it to be sure its active. if it doesnt bubble you know its dead then you dont waste your time and ingredients making challah that wont rise.

sarahd

Mon, May 23 2005, 3:25 pm

But Sunshine seems to be using dry yeast in her recipe. AFAIK, you don't "proof" dry yeast anyhow.

Yael

Mon, May 23 2005, 3:26 pm

does anyone have a recipe that doesnt need to rise for so long or rises only once? I dont like to make challah b/c I have to set aside a whole day for it. first to make the dough then be sure to come back to it exactly an hr later to shape it then come back exactly however much later to put in oven then take out of oven exactly x min. later. and it has to work around naptime for kids, so I do the more complicated parts when they sleep. and its just ends up being to complicated to schedule!

Yael

Mon, May 23 2005, 3:27 pm

yes you do proof dry yeast. at least I do. esp. important when you are using yeast that's been sitting around for a while. I didnt know you needed to proof fresh yeast, isnt it fresh so its gotta work?

gryp

Mon, May 23 2005, 3:50 pm

Yael, my recipe for challah only rises once. I put up the dough late Thursday night and then Friday morning its all risen and ready to shape.
it does rise beautifully again in the oven while baking.

its a simple recipe and tastes delicious.
this is half of the original recipe which is what I make because thats all we need for now. you probably want to double it.

1 pkg yeast
2 cups warm water
(combine and set aside)

1 egg
less than 1/2 cup oil
less than 1 cup sugar
1 tsp salt
8+ cups flour

ii found its easy to knead and form into a dough if you first put in half the amount of flour with the rest of the ingredients, and then add the rest of the flour as you knead it into a dough.

it bakes for exactly one hour on 350.

(and everyone who eats over loves it Very Happy

)

Tefila

Mon, May 23 2005, 3:53 pm

I use the rcipe from spice and spirit the sweet challah recipe and yes only one rising before shaping and after one more rising it's yum not my opinion mind u Very Happy

especially w/h sesame seeds on top Wink

Sunshine

Mon, May 23 2005, 4:18 pm

Yael wrote:

If it has an experation date on it why do you need to test it to make sure it is still good?

Sunshine

Mon, May 23 2005, 4:21 pm

Yael wrote:

That is the only thing that is hard about making challah. So I usually only make it once a month. I make the recipe a bunch of times and make the challah and freeze it. That way I have home made challah every week without having to make it all the time.

Sunshine

Mon, May 23 2005, 5:58 pm

I have heard that the reason why a recipe will tell you to let the dough rise twice as apposed to once because it makes the dough lighter and more fluffy.

lucky

Mon, May 23 2005, 10:16 pm

Anyone heard of Devora Heller? she is a self proclaimed "challa lady". She does group instruction all over the u.s. and abroad too! She also talks about the mitzva of challa. She has developed her recipe over the years by trial & error. she sells freshly prepared dough so you can actually "bake" your own challa.She also takes challa to all ladies in the maternity ward of miamonidies hospital every friday. She takes a fresh dough to the house of a kallah on the day of the wedding so the kallah can do the mitzvoh of taking challah on her holiest day. she then braids and bakes it into a big challah for the wedding.. I could go on and on about the things she said but her challah recipe is the issue here.

Challah has 7 ing. to signify the 7 days of the week.

6 lbs flour - sifted
6 cups warm water
4 tbs. dry yeast OR 3 oz. fresh yeast
3 eggs
1 cup sugar- or as much/little as you like
1/2 cup canola oil
3 1/2 tbs. kosher salt OR 2 1/2 tbs. table salt

You can always call her with questions at 718-436-0927.

She adds the yeast to the rest of the ing. BTW, watching her work is fascinating. she's got the whole thing down pat. she talks while working.
In an average week she does about 30 times this recipe so she really knowws her stuff.

Sunshine

Mon, May 23 2005, 11:12 pm

How many cups is 6 lbs. flour sifted? Why do you need to sift it?

lucky

Tue, May 24 2005, 9:31 am

sifting flour makes the dough lighter,as for converting to cups, 4 cups sifted flour is 1 pound. Where I live, they sell the flour in 5-6-or 7 lb. bags.

1stimer

Tue, May 24 2005, 12:50 pm

Yael, u can use any recipe and just let it rise once, if u preheat oven to 400 and bake challas for 10-15min and then lower temp to 350 for 20-30 min (from spice and spirit)

also I make dough one day, refigerate it and shape and bake the next day. I also freeze some dough so it is not so much work all in 1 day.

1stimer

Tue, May 24 2005, 12:50 pm

You sift flour to check it for bugs.

chavamom

Tue, May 24 2005, 2:27 pm

How many loaves does that recipe make?

I have found the 'always successful' challah recipe from the 'Taste of Shabbos' cookbook to be, well, always successful. I'll try to post it later.

Sunshine

Tue, May 24 2005, 2:51 pm

Lucky, what I meant to say was how many cups of unsifted flour equals 6 lbs. sifted flour. In other words, if I don't want to sift the flour how many cups would I use?

I heard about her classes that she gives and always wanted her recipe. Thanks for posting it. I heard that she also gives tips on Challah making/baking. Did you go to her class. If so, can you share any interesting tips from her?

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