What is the secret to fluffy challos

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Forum -> Recipe Collection -> Challah and Breads

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Winterb

Sun, Sep 15 2019, 10:18 pm

Is it the way you add the ingredients? Is it the mixing time? Is it seltzer over water? Fresh yeast over dry? Help! I can get the taste right, but I am still hunting the elusive texture!

Chana Miriam S

Sun, Sep 15 2019, 10:26 pm

Moisture in the dough. Dry dough makes tough challah.

Plonis

Sun, Sep 15 2019, 10:30 pm

For me it's the second rise. If I let it rise properly after shaping, I get fluffy challos. If not - not.

ddmom

Sun, Sep 15 2019, 10:36 pm

If you know your recipe is good...
Handling very gently while braiding it into challos!

Winterb

Sun, Sep 15 2019, 10:37 pm

But if I let it rise too long the challah deflates when I put it in the oven. FYI It is very sad to watch your beautiful loaves droop like wax. Also, they are definitely not fluffy Sad

Frummommy138

Sun, Sep 15 2019, 11:55 pm

Lots of factors make it fluffy.
But if they deflate when u put then in the oven try this - it helped mine.
Preheat oven to 350, as soon as you finish braiding the challah I put it into the oven and turn it off. Let it sit there 20-25 minutes then turn it back on and bake.

Jewishfoodie

Sun, Sep 15 2019, 11:58 pm

(a Bakery?) 😉

EishesYo

Mon, Sep 16 2019, 3:00 am

I was told to bake for longer on lower

I dont want to derail this thread...
last week my challos were taken out to early
if I rebake will they be un-doughy?

Raisin

Mon, Sep 16 2019, 5:36 am

I never know exactly what fluffy means as regards to challah.

However, I make great challah with a fantastic texture and taste.

After trying many recipes, this is the recipe I use. I use dry yeast. (its devorah Heller's challah recipe) It comes out great pretty much 99.9% of the time I make it. Once or twice it hasn't worked well, I don't know why.

I use a magic mill mixture. When I used to make challah by hand, it often came out too dense since I added too much flour. If you are doing it by hand be very careful not to add too much flour. Use bread flour for best results. (I don't know if this recipe works well by hand, never tried it)

5 lbs high gluten flour (sifted)
5 cups lukewarm water
1 cup sugar
3 tbsp dry yeast or 2 oz fresh yeast
3 whole eggs
1/2 cup oil
2 tbsp salt (or 3 tbsp kosher salt)

Directions:

Combine water sugar and yeast
While these 3 ingredients sit together, sift flour and then tranfer 6 cups of flour on top of forst 3 ingredients. Add eggs, oil, and salt. Start your machine on high speed. After a few minutes you should have a sticky paste. Lower speed and add the rest of the flour over a span of 6-8 minutes. Let the dough rest for 15 minutes then give one final spin for 1 minute, then pour an additional 2 tbsp oil on top of dough. Transfer to a large bowl and cover. After 45 minutes to an hour braid challahs and allow to rise one more hour. Egg challah then bake in preheated oven for 45 minutes or until done.

Raisin

Mon, Sep 16 2019, 5:37 am

Jewishfoodie wrote:

(a Bakery?) 😉

Are you really a foodie and suggesting this?

Even the best bakeries make mediocre challah, compared to home made.

Winterb

Mon, Sep 16 2019, 6:55 am

Jewishfoodie wrote:

(a Bakery?) 😉

I have tried this method and found it to be generally foolproof!

Frumwithallergies

Mon, Sep 16 2019, 6:59 am

I find that using bread flour / high gluten flour gives the consistency my family loves.

Winterb

Mon, Sep 16 2019, 6:59 am

Raisin wrote:

I used to use this recipe all the time, but I still couldn’t get it quite right.
To me fluffy is when a challah is large and feels light for its size. When you cut it it should not require sawing. Also, if you break a piece it should not split like a piece of cake, but should be sort of wispy and layer-y. (I hope that last sentence makes sense...)

cbg

Mon, Sep 16 2019, 7:00 am

Raisin wrote:

Can this be done with 1/2 the sugar. We don’t eat sweet challah, for hamotzi

monseymom25

Mon, Sep 16 2019, 7:02 am

I have very little understanding of the science of challah, but I started using Rebbitzin Kanievsky's recipe from the front of the bais yaakov cookbook. It's perfect every time.

lkwdlady

Mon, Sep 16 2019, 7:05 am

Here is a method for high rise challah:

First proof the yeast in 1/2 cup warm water with a little sugar
Leave in bowl until most of the water disappears. (Around 15 minutes)

When mixing in the in the other ingredients add salt last (salt prevents the yeast from rising so add last)

Let dough rise (covered) for a few hours

Braid challah and let dough rise again.

Then egg and seed challah

Place in cold oven and turn oven on to 225 for another 12 minutes rise

Then higher oven temperature to 350 and bake for 30-40 minutes depending on oven and how big your challahs are

Raisin

Mon, Sep 16 2019, 7:35 am

cbg wrote:

Can this be done with 1/2 the sugar. We don’t eat sweet challah, for hamotzi

I don't think the sugar effects the consistancy. It will just be less sweet.

Raisin

Mon, Sep 16 2019, 7:37 am

Also I bake for way less then 45 minutes, but obviously it depends on size of challah. 20-35 minutes depending on size.

Hashem_Yaazor

Mon, Sep 16 2019, 9:00 am

Winterb wrote:

So you like stretchy gluten strands. Using a high gluten flour or adding vital wheat gluten should help as well as long kneading time that helps form the gluten strands. I do an initial mix in the mixer till combined, wait 10 minutes, then turn on the mixer again and let knead for several minutes.

Chana Miriam S

Mon, Sep 16 2019, 10:06 am

EishesYo wrote:

I was told to bake for longer on lower

I dont want to derail this thread...
last week my challos were taken out to early
if I rebake will they be un-doughy?

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