My Challah came out a little DRY! Why??????

ValleyMom

Mon, Sep 21 2009, 1:48 pm

I made Devorah Heller's challah but I added too much oil and too much sugar, people told me the challah would be more cake like and I was okay with that, I shaped the challah and froze it.

When I took it out to defrost it lost it's pretty shape so I I kneaded again, reshaped and let it rise. Then I baked it. It didn't rise so beautifully and it was dry.

WHAT WENT WRONG!!!????

Can someone please give me a Challah Recipe For Dummies.

I just cant seem to master the art of challah baking.

My kitchen aid hold 7 - 8 cups flour and I measure in teaspoons and tablespoons not grams.
Heeeeeeeeelp!!!!!!!!!!!!
:-)

su7kids

Mon, Sep 21 2009, 2:21 pm

When freezing Challah, the best thing to do is to freeze it shaped. You probably over handled it.

Mix it, let it rise once, and then shape it and freeze immediately. When you defrost, do the "painting" with egg before it defrosts ,and don't touch it again until after its baked.

Freezing will definitely do something to it.

The recipe I make in my kitchen aid is:

2 tablespoons (or 2 packets) of dry yeast
1/2 cup sugar
2 cups warm water

let sit for a few moments

Add about 3 cups of flour (better for bread or any bread flour) and mix well.

Add 1 egg
1/2 cup oil

Mix well

Add in the rest of the flour until it is "bouncy" but not sticky and not grainy. In total its about 6 - 8 cups of flour, but you must play it by ear. You don't want it dry and you don't want it that it sticks to your fingers if you pull your fingers from it.

I usually finish the kneading on the counter.

Let rise about 1 - 2 hours, shape, rise again maybe an hour, and then let it bake 375 for 1/2 an hour.

For whole wheat flour, use the recipe from the Kosher By Design.

octopus

Mon, Sep 21 2009, 3:37 pm

I make devorah hellers recipe. this is what I do- hope it doesn't sound too crazy.

I find that baking it on 350 dries it out. I bake on 375. When the tops are golden the bottom is still a little raw. That's okay. I cool and freeze it. friday night I pop them into the oven (not wrapped in anything) and put the oven like on 450 and pop em in for like 3-5 minutes. It gets crunchy on top and bottom and soft and yummy on the inside. but not dried out.

Raisin

Mon, Sep 21 2009, 4:05 pm

I use that recipe, bake it straight away and have never messed up. bake it straight away and then freeze. I did that this past rh and no one complained, just the opposite. (no warming needed, in my opinion, it makes the challa too crusty.)

louche

Mon, Sep 21 2009, 7:10 pm

Maybe you left it in too long. I find when I follow instructions and bake till tapping the bottom sounds hollow, it's too dry for most people's taste. When I take it out sooner so that I think it's underdone, everyone loves it (except me.)