Challah in Heavy Duty Kitchen-Aid?

debsey

Sun, Oct 12 2014, 8:46 pm

Long story short, I've decided (after two decades of marriage) that I'd like to bake challah. Early attempts were disasters, but I have some time over Chol Hamoed, so I think I'll try.
DH bought me yeast (dry) and high-gluten flour.
Does anyone have a good challah recipe that is no-fail for a novice (who is a pretty experienced cook with everything except yeast dough?)
I don't have a Bosch, I have a heavy duty KitchenAid.
Any recipes? Any tips?
Or do I resign myself to my black thumb when it comes to yeast???????..............................

ROFL

Sun, Oct 12 2014, 8:57 pm

Yes I do.

Challah
Use a very big mixing bowl. Or a basin for washing dishes

5 lbs bread flour minus two cups
2 tsp salt
2 tsp baking powder

---------

3 tablespoons yeast
1 1/2 cup warm water (not hot)
2 tabelspoons suger

let proof

-------------------------------

1) 1 cup sugar
2) 1 cup oil
3) yeast mix
4) 3 cups water plus 2 tablespoon honey

make a hole in the flour mixture, mix in sugar oil yeast mixture and water.
knead by pulling it out. Divide dough into thirds
Take each third and put into the kitchen aid with a dough hook and knead for a few minutes. Till the dough is off the side of the sides of the bowl. Dough is not a very sticky dough.

let rise 1 hour. Knead down again

Make Bracha -- Hafrashat Challah

Braid challahs let rise half hour to one hour.

bake at 350 for half hour or till challah sounds hollow.

I put in 3 teaspoons baking powder. Makes challah more fluffy. And I don't always put in honey

Please ask me questions

debsey

Sun, Oct 12 2014, 9:10 pm

ROFL wrote:

Thanks, ROFL!
Lots of questions.

1) bread flour? Is that like Kemach high-gluten?
2) yeast - fresh? instant dry?
3) What does "let proof" mean?
4) What does "knead by pulling it out?" mean?
5) Knead down again - with the dough hook?

So like you see, I'm an entire novice at this!
Thanks for any and all help!
debsey

ROFL

Sun, Oct 12 2014, 10:17 pm

See my answers next to your questions. I was also a novice just a few short years ago!

debsey wrote:

Thanks, ROFL!
Lots of questions.

1) bread flour? Is that like Kemach high-gluten? I use a five pound bag of high gluten flour In the brown paper wrapping from frum store
2) yeast - fresh? instant dry? Dry yeast I buy a large package and keep it in my freezer. You can buy in the little packages till you feel confident you will use it.
3) What does "let proof" mean? Proof means let it bubble. Put sugar yeast and warm water in a glass dish or a large measuring cup with enough room to let liquid double. and place on top of warm oven. It will begin to bubble and double in size in about five ten minutes.
4) What does "knead by pulling it out?" mean? This someone taught me. When you start mixing the dough instead of just kneading it like you have heard everyone do. Start pulling the dough apart. Sort of like taffy This will make the gluten stretch out and make challah lighter.
5) Knead down again - with the dough hook? At this point I use my hands the just punch the air out of the dough and turn it around several times times to check that the dough is soft and all the flour is incorporate into the dough.

So like you see, I'm an entire novice at this!
Thanks for any and all help!
debsey

Ask more questions. I never realized how easy it is till I hit this receipe.

ROFL

Sun, Oct 12 2014, 11:07 pm

nylon wrote:

You can't do 5 lbs of flour in a KitchenAid. Even a Pro 6 has an official capacity of 14 cups and it's really less than that. Keep to 10 cups or less.

If you read my post I said divide the dough into thirds and put a third into the kitchen aid at a time. Not to put the whole dough in at onetime.

debsey

Sun, Oct 12 2014, 11:15 pm

ROFL wrote:

If you read my post I said divide the dough into thirds and put a third into the kitchen aid at a time. Not to put the whole dough in at onetime.

Thanks, ROFL!
Does this mean that you can "take" challah? Like, is this enough flour for that?

Complete newbie here!
I can't believe that after 20 years of marriage, dh decided that he wants me to make challah (after 20 years of saying he doesn't! What

but since I'm off chol HaMoed, I'll give it a whirl......)

debsey

Sun, Oct 12 2014, 11:16 pm

kb wrote:

I have a recipe for half of five pounds that I make in the kitchen aid, but I don't have it with me. If you want it let me know, I can post it tomorrow evening.

please do. I have all day tomorrow. Planning on trying 2 recipes at least. Once I'm doing it, let me figure out which recipe dh likes, and stick with it.
Can't believe I'm going to become a challah baker after all these years of staunch "I don't bake challah"-ness......

ROFL

Sun, Oct 12 2014, 11:19 pm

debsey wrote:

but since I'm off chol HaMoed, I'll give it a whirl......)

Yep you can have to take challah. But with a bracha. That is why I make this recipe If I am already making challah. I want that bracha to go along with my hard work. I make about six medium challahs and freeze them for future weeks.

I also started making challah after twenty five years of marriage and Love doing it now. Enjoy.

debsey

Sun, Oct 12 2014, 11:23 pm

ROFL wrote:

Can you please take me through exactly what you do for hafrashas challah?

ROFL

Sun, Oct 12 2014, 11:31 pm

Look at secretofchallah.com

Or chabad or any other website.

I basically take an olive to eggs size piece of dough and say the bracha and then say my own private davening for people.
I put it in a foil and stick that in the oven to burn while I finish making the challahs.

perquacky

Sun, Oct 12 2014, 11:31 pm

ROFL's recipe sounds delicious! But if you're looking for something a bit smaller, I've been using this recipe with my Kitchen-Aid for several years and it comes out great. Only 7 cups of flour, and it all fits in at once. Of course, it only makes 2-3 medium-size challahs, but that's enough for us.

http://www.food.com/recipe/fam.....90765

debsey

Sun, Oct 12 2014, 11:37 pm

perquacky wrote:

can you "take" challah with this recipe? It also sounds good!

debsey

Mon, Oct 13 2014, 9:32 pm

ROFL wrote:

So debsey, did you bake it or not? I made challah today and I needed one a bit larger for guests, my big challah looks like it is on steroids! Really big. About 15 inches across! Wow! I can't wait to taste it!

I used perquacky's recipe today. Yours will be on Wednesday. We're trying a whole bunch of recipes out. Will give some interest to the second days!
Thanks, ROFL.

Tue, Oct 14 2014, 2:47 pm

I think this is Rebbitzen Heller's recipe (though I'm not sure which Rebbitzen Smile

) that I modified to fit my mixer.

1.5 Tbsp dry yeast mixed in 1/2 cup warm water. Pour into mixer with a sprinkle of sugar, and let sit until it grows somewhat.) Then add an additional 2 cups warm water, 1/2 cup sugar, 2 eggs, and 1/4 cup oil. Mix.

Add in 4 cups flour, mix. Then add 1 Tablespoon salt, and another 4 cups of flour. (Depending on the weather, dough will be more or less sticky, so for example today, I had to add another 1/2 cup of flour after that, but basically you just want the dough to be workable with!)

Let rise 45 minutes or so, then take challah, shape and back (350 for however long it takes, depending on your oven and the size of your loaves. About 45 minutes, usually, in my oven - I think)

Re taking challah: I was told this recipe is not enough to make a bracha but that I should still take a piece off with the intention of being 'mafrish'. I don't burn mine because I live in an apartment building and the first time I made challah here I received complaints about the burning smell. So now I just double wrap it and throw it out. I'm not a rabbi, just made a decision based on my circumstances in life - can't tell you if it's for sure allowed.

Last edited by kb on Tue, Oct 14 2014, 3:15 pm; edited 1 time in total

Barbara

Tue, Oct 14 2014, 3:04 pm

Easiest challah ever

Warm water to about body temperature.

Proof yeast by pouring 1/2 cup warm water into a large glass or metal bowl; add 2 envelopes yeast and 1 T sugar. Wait 5 minutes, or until yeast bubbles.

Add 1/2 cup warm water, 1/2 cup canola or other neutral oil, 2 eggs, 1 tsp salt, 1 cup sugar (GACK, I think its a cup). Mix with wooden spoon.

Add 5 cups flour (I usually use 3-1/2 cups bread flour and 1-1/2 cups all purpose flour, but any combination, or even all of either one, is fine). Knead with hands for a few minutes until all ingredients are incorporated, and dough is no longer sticky. Remove dough from bowl and wipe out and oil bowl. I just spray it with oil. Place dough in bowl. Spray top of dough as well. Cover and allow to rise in arm kitchen until about double in size. One to two hours.

Punch down dough, shape into 3 small challahs, or rolls, on parchment-lined cookie sheets, and allow to rise again, an hour to overnight.

Do an egg wash, then bake at 325 for 25 minutes.