The BEST NO FAIL Delicious challah- by breslov

Seraph

Fri, Sep 19 2008, 7:09 am

dillie wrote:

Breslov, I signed on because I have to thank you- I made the challah this afternoon, and it came out great! I haven't had much challah success in the past. I halved the yeast - used only two envelopes- because I knew it would have to rise a very long time, until I could finally braid it. It rose beautifully anyway, baked beautifully, and it tastes great!
Gut shabbos!

Glad to be of service. :-D

greentiger

Thu, May 21 2009, 6:37 am

I'm trying this (with a few minor adaptions) this week. They are rising now, so we'll see how it comes out. I liked how the recipe splits the flour up so that when you are mixing, its more like a batter and much easier to mix it nicely. Great for those of us without mixers.

baba

Thu, May 21 2009, 6:59 am

Ok, I've decided I want to make challah, which I havent done since RH my first year of marriage (first and only time) and this recipe seems like a good place to start. I have a package of yeast that's called עולה עולה-שמרים נמסים it says to add it straight to the flour or add it to the dough during the first mixing and to avoid it touching cold water and salt. So what do I do?

Seraph

Fri, May 22 2009, 12:49 am

mom71 wrote:

Did anyone try doubling this recipe.. I would love to try it but make the brocho as well.

Doubling works fine.

Baba, why do you have to have the yeast avoid touching cold water and salt?

baba

Fri, May 22 2009, 1:08 am

That's just what I have lying aroung the house. Should I not even try with that? Or can I do just exactly what the recipe says, since it's warm water eventhough the yeast package says to add directly to the flour?

merelyme

Fri, May 22 2009, 1:21 am

You don't have to mix the dry yeast with water, but you can. The yeast might work better when first mixed with warm water. The advantage of dry yeast is that you're supposed to be able to skip that step.

Salt, oil and cold water [slow person] the rising action of the yeast, so it's best not to put them in direct contact with the yeast.

Usually when you double a recipe you're not supposed to double the salt. Seraph, when you doubled this recipe, did you double the salt? Did it come out a little saltier than usual?

baba

Fri, May 22 2009, 1:46 am

Thanks, I really have no clue what I'm doing here.
Racheleve, I might just take you up on that offer. But right now dh is going to get some groceries anyway, so what exactly do I tell him to get?

Seraph

Fri, May 22 2009, 1:47 am

merelyme wrote:

I doubled it completely, including salt. it came out fine.

baba, you can use that yeast. You just dont NEED to add it to water, as merely me said, but you can. It doesnt hurt.

RachelEve14

Fri, May 22 2009, 2:04 am

The yest in the vacuum sealed bag. It's about 13 NIS and lasts forever. That's what I use at least. If serph says you can use the other one, go for it Smile

baba

Fri, May 22 2009, 2:42 am

They didnt have that at micky's so dh got the shimrit one (that has a second bag attached to it to help the yeast). So I just use a whole bag of that and follow Seraph's instructions? (ie mixing it with water and leaving out that second bag)?

RachelEve14

Fri, May 22 2009, 2:57 am

I've never used the shimrit one, I have no idea how to use it. I'm sure someone else can chime in though.

baba

Fri, May 22 2009, 2:58 am

Thanks anyway. It might be to late though, I'm just going to try it and hope for the best (dh already bought challah so..)

greentiger

Fri, May 22 2009, 5:21 am

I doubled everything and did harfashas challah. I also used fresh yeast and "activated" it before using it. I wouldn't double the yeast though since its usually that same amount of yeast in the bigger batches, right?

Its a great recipe though. The dough is the perfect consistency and easy to work with. I prefer my challos a bit sweeter but its still fine.

gryp

Fri, Apr 16 2010, 10:16 am

Is this challah recipe very sweet? I usually cut down on sugar but I'm not sure what this recipe tastes like.

jewels

Fri, Apr 16 2010, 2:03 pm

Seraph wrote:

I used to kill my challahs all the time. (Heck, I killed a different recipe challah last week.) I either made challahs that fell apart because they were too yeasty or that were too hard that they broke the challah knife. My husband requested that I not make challah anymore.

I'm the same way - I've tried so many different recipes and for some reason I can never got it right. When my husband saw me looking at this one he very diplomatically said, "why bother? why do you need the extra stress? Lets just buy... " LOL

translates into I can't force down another failed challah recipe.. I tried this one and it's rising now but it looks great! Thank you so much!!

jewels

Fri, Apr 16 2010, 5:29 pm

Mirabelle wrote:

Wow, apparently I made this two years ago...no idea how it came out.

I just saw the date!!! LOL

They came out amazing btw