What's the secret for fluffy challah?

kenz

Mon, Jul 22 2019, 7:32 pm

amother [ Silver ] wrote:

Let it rise
Let it rise
Let it rise
Music

Let it rise once as a ready dough for an hour, then rise them again once braided for another 20 min

Agreed but I let it rise much longer- first rising 1.5 hours and after shaping I let it rise about 2 hours. Comes out light and fluffy and not yeasty at all.

cbsp

Mon, Jul 22 2019, 8:48 pm

I found that separating the salt from the yeast helped the most.

I make the dough without salt and let it mix in the mixer 15 minutes (I think this was the Devorah Heller directions). I then let it rest for 18 minutes (courtesy Alton Brown), add the salt, and mix again for 4 minutes. Then I remove the dough to the rising bowl.

spikta

Mon, Jul 22 2019, 8:58 pm

By us it seems that there are three critical things: Using bread flour (ie higher gluten. Not all purpose), sufficient kneading (challa is muuuch fluffier ever since we started kneading in the bread machine), and giving it a lot of time to rise after shaping. Sometimes it needs over an hour.

We don't nail it every time, so there are probably more factors at play that I'm not sufficiently aware of. But more than not it's amazingly bakery level fluffy.

If I leave out any of the 3 things I mentioned above (if I don't have enough time for the second rise, or I'm out of bread flour...), I know it won't come out nearly as fluffy.

Tue, Jul 23 2019, 6:24 am

rising times can vary based on the weather and other factors. Don't follow numbers. first rising is until doubled. second rising - can vary from 20 minutes up to an hour or more depending on the situation. observation is key!
also, how you shape the dough matters. no time to describe it now...
bake in preheated oven! 5 minutes on 400, lower temp to 375 for the rest of the time.

amother

Tue, Jul 23 2019, 10:28 am

I use high glutton flour, dry yeast that's newly opened and let it rise twice, once in garbage bag and once after braided. I don't want to rise too long cuz last batch had a yeasty taste which no one liked and I was told it was from too much rising.

M0mmy

Wed, Feb 19 2020, 9:49 pm

amother [ Lilac ] wrote:

It depends on your recipe of course but it definitely Helps to use a cup of water per each pound of flour.
While that makes the dough quite sticky - it ends up being fluffy.
Rebbetzin Kaniyevsky’s recipe (no eggs ) is very fluffy.
My recipe is as well:
Add to mixing bowl:
5 Cups warm water
1.5 - 2 Cups sugar - depending on how sweet you like it
4 T dried yeast

Let sit for 10 minutes for yeast to activate

Add
5 lbs flour - preferably high gluten
3 or 4 Eggs - I use 4 but others use 3 with same recipe
1 Cup Oil
3 T Kosher Salt

Mix 10 minutes

Take Challah with Bracha.
Leave dough in mixer - Oil the dough and cover with towel until doubles.

Punch down and form/braid

Let rise another hour.
Egg the challahs (egg yolks with a few sprinkles water) and bake in preheated oven (350) until golden brown.

Trying your recipe tonight. I have always reduced the water in recipes because it was so sticky, but followed yours after your explanation about the water, and already the dough feels lighter!

2 questions. 1: I've always separated challah after rising, not sure why (because my mother did?). Any reason you do before? 2: I always see that recipes have you cover the challah with a towel. Is it supposed to be permeable (for air flow)? Lately, I'd taken to using saran wrap. Curious for your (or anyone's) opinion.

asmileaday

Wed, Feb 19 2020, 10:02 pm

I got these instructions from a challah expert:

Put wet ingredients in the bowl first (besides the yeast that's mixed with 1 cup water). Mix.

Add flour. Create a well in the flour and pour in the dissolved yeast mixture.

Mix for 12 minutes. Turn off mixer. Allow it to rest for 15 minutes. Mix for 1 minute.

Take it out of the bowl. I put it on a baking paper and cover it with either saran wrap or dishtowel.

Allow to rise for 1 hour. Knead it down and allow to rise for another hour (I almost always skip the second hour and it's fine).

After braiding allow it to rise again till at least double in size, sometimes more.

Bake on 400° about 10-15 minutes. Turn down heat to 350° and bake till done. (Timing will depend on the size of your challah.)

My challos are fluffy and no yeasty taste.

amother

Mauve

Wed, Feb 19 2020, 10:08 pm

My tips:
Use nice amount of dry yeast (3 Tablespoons for 5 lbs.)
Egg challohs are fluffier than water challah
Sift the flour
Dont add the entire flour right away. Leave 1-2 cups after the first knead. Use a mixer or Bosch
Allow to rise
Don't braid too tightly, so it can expand adequately.

Its good to keep dough wrapped with plastic (better than towel) , so the moisture stays. If youre afraid of it sticking to the top, you can spray a light coat of oil spray.
After rising, bake on high first (430-450) and then lower to 350.
Good luck

amother

Green

Thu, Feb 20 2020, 8:47 am

amother [ Mistyrose ] wrote:

SELTZER.

I've heard and tried it, didn't work for me. It doesn't even make sense to me, because as everyone knows, seltzer goes flat after it's out for a little while, so I assume the carbonation wouldn't last through the end of the baking process.

lilies

Thu, Feb 20 2020, 9:13 am

amother [ Green ] wrote:

It works for kneidlich.

lilies

Thu, Feb 20 2020, 9:14 am

M0mmy wrote:

Anyone?

Hashem_Yaazor

Thu, Feb 20 2020, 9:15 am

M0mmy wrote:

The mitzvah of separating challah starts when you have the dough mixture and there's is an inyan not to delay doing mitzvos. Additionally, it's less likely you'll forget before baking if you usually do it right after kneading, but still have opportunities as it rises, you shape it, etc
I have no idea why it's become so standard to do it only after rising. I've spoken with several rabbonim about this, and they have all said to do it right after kneading.

As far as covering, I think there just didn't used to be plastic back in the day so towels were used. I personally cover my bowl with a shopping bag :-)

amother

Mauve

Thu, Feb 20 2020, 9:19 am

amother [ Green ] wrote:

Me too. Saw no difference. I think its a myth.
I've tried it in kugel too as some claim it makes it fluffier. I think if it happened to work, it was due to other factors than the seltzer.