a taste of challah by tamar ansh

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A taste of challah by tamar ansh

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greenfire

Sun, Dec 09 2007, 1:40 pm

wow ... I got this as a "hot potatoe" gift from a chinese auction ... was ready to give it away cause I am so not into cookbooks in general ... this is so much more that ... the pictures the details lol ... wow

su7kids

Sun, Dec 09 2007, 1:51 pm

I have it also, and want to spend some time making some of the recipes. Its awesome.

The pictures make it all look so do-able.

TzenaRena

Sun, Dec 09 2007, 2:05 pm

I have a similar book, but it's called the Secret of Challah by Shira Weiner and Ayelet Yifrach. In Hebrew (the one I have) it's called "Likrat Challah", Reishit publications, chalot@gmail.com.

it's a gorgeous book, with many recipes and photographs. And there are such beautiful and original shapes!

It also has Tefilos for before and after Hafrashas Challah, halachic measurements and information according to several minhagim, (including chabad) and overview and explanation of the mitzvah of Challah and various minhagim associated with it.

Mama Bear

Sun, Dec 09 2007, 2:28 pm

I saw excerpts of her book in one of the weekly magazines, her method & recipe are so complicated! I've been baking challah for 2 years now and it's so simple, Icouldnt understand whyyou need an entire book for this. All I did was follow a recipe and a diagram.

chocolate moose

Sun, Dec 09 2007, 3:20 pm

I really like bought challah !!!!

mummy-bh

Sun, Dec 09 2007, 3:35 pm

I agree with you mamabear about her complicating everything. I use her recipe and everyone in my family loves it, but her method I find to be a bit complicating so I just use my old method. Also her way of braiding is a bit.... confusing (but then I find that to be the case with all books I've ever seen). My MIL taught me a very very simple method of making 6 strands which is easy and takes me no time at all.

chocolate moose

Sun, Dec 09 2007, 3:50 pm

To potche with something, it's either got to be a long Friday, an otherwise simple menu, or something else.

I think that's why we like bakery challah so much - it's hard (for me) to get homemade challah exactly right!

I baked for 10 long years... then we moved to an apt with a really warm k itchen and I only baked from tishrei - purim ..... then I went back to full time work with a commute and started buying challah altogether .....

now with dd's cholesterol problem, I bake, but it's hard to "nurture" the dough as much as necessary, and this week's challah was so doughey, we ate every scrap of other bread in the house, to equal a kezayis for each of us !!!!

su7kids

Sun, Dec 09 2007, 4:05 pm

chocolate moose wrote:

I came up with an idea. actually it came from my cousin.

I make the challah on thursday night, and then after the first rising, when I've shaped it, I put it immediately in the freezer overnight.

I take it out of the freezer in the morning, and as it defrosts and rises, its ready for me to bake as soon as I get home from work.

A great idea. I've also been able to make like 6 loaves, and freeze one or two every week, depending on how many guests I know are coming, and then one week I won't have to bake! Yay!

chocolate moose

Sun, Dec 09 2007, 4:23 pm

I have tried every trick in the book. I've killed the yeast by freezing it too ........

Sad

bashinda

Sun, Dec 09 2007, 10:45 pm

I've never done well with freezing dough so now I only freeze challahs.

I thought I would not like Tamar Ansh's book but I found that her method has worked the best for me and after doing it a few times I've gotten really fast at using my rolling pan and knife. I didn't like her no egg recipe though. I've done well taking Devorah Heller's recipe but using Ansh's rising and braiding methods.

If I was satisfied with how my challahs had been I wouldn't have tried her Ansh's method as it is patchke especially at the beginning and I'm so not into patchke. But it really made a big difference. My challahs were much more fluffy and light and after I got the hang of it it doesn't take much extra work over all.

I even emailed her about her recipes. It turns out that she put in the no egg challah recipe because she's gotten so much good feedback on it it's a winner. So I'm the first person who had to tell her no it didn't do well for me. (and with such a big recipe I'm not running to try it again)

Now if I could only make the challah to look nice and high without having to use loaf pans I'd really feel good. (but for now I'll use the loaf pans. My challah wants to spread out into new frontiers and I keep on saying "go up! up!" oh well.

greenfire

Sun, Dec 09 2007, 11:01 pm

I'm pretty picky with recipes ... and I change them around to suit my likes ... that is why I'm not so into cookbooks ... but ds dd and I are gonna try the sufganiot recipe ... and I wanna try the pita ... and it was just fun to read ... there is nothing better than homemade stuff - but then again I've never been accused of not being able to cook ... so ... for me it's easy

bashinda

Sun, Dec 09 2007, 11:42 pm

just roll the doughnuts really really thin. I didn't and the doughnuts were way too doughy. I think that was my problem. I want to try the cinnamon rolls or whatever those things are. can't remember. and I keep on wanting to try the bagels but never seem to.

CER

Mon, Dec 10 2007, 12:08 pm

I make the bagels all the time, and while they're always a real hit they can't compare to store bought bagels. Here in Israel a bagel is about 4 shekel so it's really much more worth it to make.
I love the pictures in the cookbook-everything looks so tempting and easy!!

TzenaRena

Mon, Dec 10 2007, 12:10 pm

bashinda wrote:

Now if I could only make the challah to look nice and high without having to use loaf pans I'd really feel good. (but for now I'll use the loaf pans. My challah wants to spread out into new frontiers and I keep on saying "go up! up!" oh well.

Six braided gives your challah more height.

The way I keep the shape high and compact without spreading is to roll out the strands shorter and plumper. After shaping it, it rises , but only for a bit, and I stick it in the oven at a consistent 375.

I have a convection oven, and that makes it bake evenly, but the inside might stay doughy if I don't leave it long enough. The bottom of the challah should be browned, and hollow sounding when you tap on it, for challah to be ready.

When I bake on convection, it also minimizes that "spread" you mentioned. But I always have nice height from the six braids.

.

bashinda

Mon, Dec 10 2007, 2:51 pm

Well for now I'll keep the loaf pans because it's a good size for us but if I need a really big challah I'll try the six braids. It makes sense. I do notice that even going from 3-4 braids it increases the height.

greenfire

Mon, Dec 10 2007, 7:40 pm

time to make the donuts ...

and they did NOT come out good ... very disappointed Crying

even bought nice fillings of custard and raspberry ... Twisted Evil

bashinda

Mon, Dec 10 2007, 8:13 pm

oh darn! I thought I was just the bad doughnut maker. Were they too doughy or something else?

greenfire

Mon, Dec 10 2007, 10:05 pm

yeah too doughy ... didn't rise well ... but finally rose ... oh well ate em anyway ... Puke

too many why oh why ...

Helani

Mon, Dec 10 2007, 10:11 pm

I made the milchig cinnabon recipe from her book for chanukah. It was absolutely delicious. I might try to make the parve version one of those days, but I am sure it won't compare.

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