FoolProof Challah??!

daamom

Wed, Oct 29 2008, 3:34 am

My recipe is pretty simple, but small. Double if you want to make a bracha:

1 T. dry yeast + 1/2 c. sugar, dissolved in 1 c. warm water. Be careful to make sure the water isn't hot, you don't want to kill the yeast. Let sit about 10 min. until frothy on top.

Mix 8 c. flour with 1/2 T. salt. Add 1 egg, 1/3 c. oil.

Add yeast mixture, together with 1 more c. warm water.

Knead the dough, either by hand or with a mixer fitted with a dough hook, until feels smooth and elasticy. I knead it by hand, usually for about 10 minutes.

Cover the bowl and let the dough rise until it's doubled in size. Braid the loaves, cover them let them sit for about 20 min - 1/2 hour. You can preheat your oven during this time. Brush them with beaten egg yolk, sprinkle with any topping of your choice (I usually use sesame seeds), and bake.
Now, I don't actually time my challahs in the oven. I usually check on them, and when they are browned (on top AND on bottom - or at the very least, when you tap the bottom, it should have a hollow sound), take them out.

These challahs are very good. I had been searching for a good challah recipe for ages, and when I tasted these at a friend's house, I knew I found it Smile

. One thing I did change, though, was the amount of sugar. I double it! I love sweet challah. If you want to do that, make sure you double the salt as well.

Good luck!

Miry613

Wed, Nov 19 2008, 10:10 am

daamom wrote:

. One thing I did change, though, was the amount of sugar. I double it! I love sweet challah. If you want to do that, make sure you double the salt as well.

Good luck!

Daamom, Thanks for you Challah recipe!!! 2 weeks ago, on a fridaymorning, it was pouring and it was impossibile to walk to the bakkery to buy Challot for Shabbat, I've try your recipe and it's 100 % foolproof, even for a bake-disaster like me Tongue Out

And it taste YUMMY!!!!!

dillie

Fri, Nov 28 2008, 5:52 am

daamom wrote:

. One thing I did change, though, was the amount of sugar. I double it! I love sweet challah. If you want to do that, make sure you double the salt as well.

Good luck!

I think I'll try this recipe, but I have a few questions-
1. Between the first rise and the braiding, should I punch down the dough?
2. What temp/ approximate time? My challos tend to be hard as rocks, and I have a feeling I'm doing something wrong- but I hat raw doughy challos!
Can somebody help me?

daamom

Sat, Nov 29 2008, 11:28 am

dillie wrote:

Yes, definitely punch down the dough between the first rising and the braiding.
And I bake it at about 350 (180 celcius), but I really don't know for how long. I just keep an eye out, and when they're browned (top and bottom, like I mentioned), I take them out. I make sure they're browned nicely - when the spaces between the braids still look white and doughy I would leave them in there, even if the tops were already browned.
Good luck.

ShakleeMom

Sat, Nov 29 2008, 5:31 pm

ValleyMom, I find that the success is not in the recipe as much as technique. I’ll try to share some pointers with you.

I find that dry yeast is easier to work with, it’s much more predictable. When you make the warm water + sugar + yeast mixture, do NOT start adding the rest of the stuff until it’s really foamy. Sometimes it takes 5 minutes, sometimes 2 hours. its worth the wait.

I put my dough into a garbage bag (clean!) to rise. I put it on a bed under a warm blanket and close the shades, light, and door. 6 lbs. will grow to fill the entire garbage bag! Do not use before it has risen to that huge amount. Again, sometimes it takes 45 minutes, sometimes all day!

At this point, you can refrigerate the dough and braid it the next day, or you can start right away. Do not play around too much, just do the work. This is not play dough and you don’t want to de-fluff it.

When you place the braided challahs into the pans, you need to cover them with a towel and allow them to rise. Recently I’ve started putting them in my oven where it incubates nicely. (and away from curious hands). Make sure your challah has risen to fill the pan completely, no spaces on the sides, and more of the braided part sticks out of the pan, than is inside. Meaning, ¾ of the dough is above the rim of the pan. Then you are ready for the baking.

Hope this helps!

strawberry cola

Sat, Oct 18 2014, 6:58 pm

Dear DAA Mom,
I would like to thank you SO much for posting this recipe! When I used to make challahs, they generally flopped or were disappointing in some way. I made yours before Rosh Hashanah and they came out just WONDERFUL! Just delicious, light and fluffy. And the dough is incredibly easy to work with. I reduced the sugar a little and it was excellent!
Thank you so much!